New to Sumps and Have a Question

[Zosozeppelin]

Hi all,

I just recently upgraded to a Planet Aquarium tank with a Trigger System sump. I've never had a sump before. I've picked out a return pump for it and I need to get the tubing to connect everything before I fill the tank up and begin the cycle. This may be a weird question, but again, not super familiar with sumps. Let's say the power goes out and I have nothing to circulate the water back into the main display. Is there a risk of water draining from the display tank and overflowing the sump. If so, what should I get to help prevent that? Any and all advice welcome. Attached is a picture of the sump.

Thanks!

 

[Sk8r]

Sensible question. The downflow box of an inbuilt downflow limits how much water CAN drain from the top tank if the return pump shuts down. Look at the height of your downflow intakes. Also, when you fill your sump for the first time, leave quite a bit of free space for that much water to drain down without overflowing. My own method for a new sump is to have a friend watching the display tank drain and me watching the sump fill with the power off, and my hand on the switch/or plug to start that pump going again fast! if it looks as if I've got too much water for the sump. You dip more out, and try it again until you have reached a water level in the sump that will accept water from on high without overflowing. If you have a basement sump (I do) friend and youboth with a phone is a way to be sure you hear each other fast enough.

 

[snulma1]

Another option is to drill something called a siphon break into your return lines. its a small hole that will allow water to come out of it while the return pump is on, but when it shuts down allows air to enter and break the siphon.

 

[mann1139]

Yes, you should absolutely be concerned about a power outage. It will happen, and water + gravity is a bad combination.

First, you have to leave enough space in your sump to handle the water that is going to overflow in the event of a power outage. That means in a normal situation, your sump should not be 'full'.

Second, you want to minimize the amount of water that will 'head south' if the return pump is not pumping. The two major ways of doing that are breaking the siphon, as snulma said, and also minimizing the distance between the bottom of the overflow box and the 'normal' surface of the water.

The siphon refers to the fact that if the pump is not pumping, and your returns are below the surface of the water, that's a siphon back to the sump. For me, my return is about 1/4 of the way up the tank. That means my display tank would drain 3/4 out if I didn't drill a hole to break siphon. A small hole is fine (1/4" or so), just make sure it is above the 'normal' water level.

For the overflow, this means minimizing the distance between the 'normal' water surface and the bottom of the 'teeth' in the overflow box. This is part of the balancing act between your overflows flow and your pump's ability to return water to the DT. Once you think you have 'up' and 'down' balance, unplug the pump and see what happens.

If you did it right, your DT will lower 1/4" or so, and your sump will almost, I repeat almost, fill up. If you did it wrong, you will quickly plug the pump back in, and then remove water from the system or raise the level of your overflow to reduce the water that drains out (which might mean adjusting your return pump).

It may take a couple attempts to find balance between the speed of the water draining, the return pump, the 'extra' capacity of your sump, and the overflow level.

 

[Zosozeppelin]

Thank you, everyone, for your advice! I appreciate it. It makes sense to me now.