Hey guys , I am clueless on my tanks latest problems. Unfortunately the problem trumps all problems in the past. My Sump likes to overflow. I have been running everything the same for a few years now. Out of the blue without me changing the levels in my sump when i shut off all power to my tank the sumps water level is rising too high and thus overflow unless i turn back on quickly. Im not sure what can be causing it. I have a dorso standpipe in the tank. and another thing i find odd is i have filter socks in my tank for months now and they dont seem to be getting overly dirty and clogging up. yet water is running over the socks. im not even sure if one thing has to do with the other... all i do know is with hurricane season nearing i cant afford to have a problem with my sump overflowing. happened a few times already and its near disasterous on my wood floors. its almost leading me to throw in the towel until i can get a system that is more idiot proof. Let me know your questions, thoughts, and maybe you guys can help me figure the problem out.
I have not a clue Please Read!!!
- Thread starter jayblock
- Start date
sounds like you're not breaking the vaccuum when the back-siphoning starts. Check to see that your air-release isn't clogged with debris or built-up salt. I'm guessing the return pipe (the outlet of the pump back into the display tank) is under the water surface? If so, then what I said above holds true, if not, then I'm clueless.
MIKE NY
Two Decade club
First.... shut off all the power and let everything backflow down into the sump....if your overflowing the sump then there is too much water in the system, so lower the level in the sump...a trick is to not have the returns too far below the water level in the tank so less water will backflow. You can also put in check valves on the lines too prevent backflow, but I never trusted them.
Second....if the filter socks are old get new ones..older ones may look clean, put really aren't as porous as they were when new.....HTH
Second....if the filter socks are old get new ones..older ones may look clean, put really aren't as porous as they were when new.....HTH
username in use
Sciencing Daily
did your returns recently get bumped so they are hanging lower in the water? That would cause more water than normal to back siphon.
Did an enemy switch out your sump for a smaller one in the middle of the night like a ninja?
Did an enemy switch out your sump for a smaller one in the middle of the night like a ninja?
Monkeyfish
Active member
Is there a siphon or did you just add too much water during your latest water change? If your sump is safe at x gallons and you add x + y gallons the sump cannot hold the extra water and will overflow when the pump is turned off.
username in use
Sciencing Daily
They are a really serious matter, definitely not something to joke around about.
WallysWorld
New member
Like Mike said there are only two places the water can come from the overflows or the return. Both should be very close to the surface of the water in the tank. And of course lower the sump level it should always be able to hold the tank water when everything is shutdown otherwise you WILL have a problem.
Good luck,
Good luck,
Thanks for the feedback, and yes very serious, this weeks thunderstorm almost ended my hobby, luckly the power only went off for a few seconds. But what would a thread be without the peanut gallary. Ok so i took some snapshots because although i have this tank for a while i really dont know what i am doing LOL. so i checked where the syphon was coming from and you guys are right its being pulled from my return. i guess the syphon wil stop once my locline is above sea level. but that should be a good 3 gallons 
Im not sure why its doing it now all of a sudden. to help you guys assist in a remedy here are my pics below. I marked the line that is syphoning with a red dot. just in case you couldnt figure it out LOL. So What Now? besides having nice PVC Piping with Valves (any volunteers) where and why do you think its syphoning?
Im not sure why its doing it now all of a sudden. to help you guys assist in a remedy here are my pics below. I marked the line that is syphoning with a red dot. just in case you couldnt figure it out LOL. So What Now? besides having nice PVC Piping with Valves (any volunteers) where and why do you think its syphoning?
Ok so to answer everyones posts.
Kilroy where exactly am i checking for the air release? is that a dumb question? my teacher always told me there are no dumb questions only dumb answers.
Mike, after my first disaster i lowered the topoff float thinking that would solve the problem but if i go any lower on my water level my skimmer pump will be sucking up wind ha
Username, Good point, maybe it didnt get bumped but you think maybe i should raise my locline so it air stops the syphon sooner.
Monkeyfish, definitely not too much water during a water change. even if that was true my water evaporates and auto top off takes over, which i even lowered when problem started.
and wally, my return isnt really that far from the surface. but what do i know!!! Im just a 5yr newbie.
Again thanks everyone for all your help
Kilroy where exactly am i checking for the air release? is that a dumb question? my teacher always told me there are no dumb questions only dumb answers.
Mike, after my first disaster i lowered the topoff float thinking that would solve the problem but if i go any lower on my water level my skimmer pump will be sucking up wind ha
Username, Good point, maybe it didnt get bumped but you think maybe i should raise my locline so it air stops the syphon sooner.
Monkeyfish, definitely not too much water during a water change. even if that was true my water evaporates and auto top off takes over, which i even lowered when problem started.
and wally, my return isnt really that far from the surface. but what do i know!!! Im just a 5yr newbie.
Again thanks everyone for all your help
Ok i actually know more than i thought. Kilroy u are a genious. I forgot the air hole is in the in the elbow of my retun. Years ago i thought it was a defect. It was completely clogged with salt and obviously syphoned All those pics and rambling for nothin. But wait... Now my air release is making a ton of noise as it shoots out water against the tank.lol must have been clogging up for years. What would i do without reef cental LIRA.
Beaun
It's pronounced Bone
I had a syphon break that was really loud and I just took a small chunk out of a mesh filter from a pump and glued it around the hole. It still worked to break the syphon, but instead of water shooting out it met the resistence of the filter mesh. Now i just have a seaswirl and I put the syphon break just bellow the water level so it doesn't make any noise.
It's about time somebody noticed how great I am... haha...
All kidding aside, the anti-siphon hole shouldn't make much noise when the pump is on. when the pump is off, it will make noise as it sucks in air until the siphon is broken. Once the siphon breaks, no water is moving, so the noise should stop.
Are your noise problems when the pump is on or off?
Matt
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