Meg rebreather
New member
Hi again you mentioned cutting the pipes which pipes are you referring to I have 3 , also is the emergency pipe ok where I have it?
Plumbing
- Thread starter Meg rebreather
- Start date
Hi again you mentioned cutting the pipes which pipes are you referring to I have 3 , also is the emergency pipe ok where I have it?
What I meant was that the pipes entering the sump (full siphon and open channel) should not extend more than 1" below the normal water level of the sump. If more than this, it will be difficult, if not impossible for the pipes to purge air and establish the siphon. Similarly, the emergency should not extend much, if any below the water level of the chamber it is in. You want it to be noisy to alert you that something is wrong. Mine is in the same chamber as the other 2 pipes, but I don't think this is essential since this line should only carry water in rare instances.
Meg rebreather
New member
https://photos.google.com/search/_tra_/photo/AF1QipOKL3FfVpCUnNhvM5Leb7TScBzsmChcAsG-LKUI
How does this look ...
Core pump only @20% like to get more flow in the tank but if I crank the core pump up I'm worried the sump return will flood...
I can't see the photo for some reason. Your 1" full siphon should be able to handle 2000 gph+ based on information from BeanAnimal's web site.
http://www.beananimal.com/articles/hydraulics-for-the-aquarist.aspx
I am assuming here 1" pipe, full siphon, 4' drop from the overflow level to the water level in the sump.
Your pump, running at 100% and assuming 5' of head from the bottom of the sump to the inlet should move around 1500 gph
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/cor-20-intelligent-return-pump-neptune-systems.html
Adjust these assumptions to match your tank, but they should be close. Therefore, unless the intended water level in your sump is quite high, I don't see how you will easily overflow the return or the sump with this configuration.
I'd open the gate valve on the full siphon fully and crank up your return pump, paying careful attention to the water level in both the overflow and the sump. Obviously, if it looks like you will flood the overflow, back off the flow or shut it down. Set the return pump power such that you have as much flow running back into the tank as you want, then adjust the gate valve on the full siphon so that you get some water coming through the open channel. I like my water level to be about half way up the elbow of the open channel. Neither of my pumps can keep up with the capacity of the full siphon when the gate valve is all the way open.
I set return pipe entry into the tank height so that when the power is off, the maximum amount of water to be returned to the sump still leaves some gallons of extra capacity. For me, this is a safer approach than relying on a valve to prevent backflow down the return to the sump when power is off...
Having said all that, I would not use the return pump to produce the desired flow in the tank. That is what powerheads are for. You should plan to run 5-10x the tank volume through the sump per hour.
Meg rebreather
New member
Hi Bruce..
I have the valve fully open on both pipes going into the sump but yet pump is only running 20%...also looking to put a manifold for my chiller where would you suggest to fit ....
I have the valve fully open on both pipes going into the sump but yet pump is only running 20%...also looking to put a manifold for my chiller where would you suggest to fit ....
What happens if you increase pump power? Where is water level on open channel?
I have manifold tee'd off the return pump but many would suggest that a manifold have a separate pump.
Meg rebreather
New member
If I increase the pump any more than 25% sump will slowly overflow in the chamber return section 
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Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Oh, duh. Now I see the problem. You have the water running into a chamber that only has a single narrow slit at the bottom to pass to the next chamber. This is your flow limitation; the slot can only handle the flow that you are giving it. Any more and it can only go over the top which will flood.
Not only should that slot be larger, the top of that chamber should be lower than the top of the sump to prevent accidental overflows. Will the next chamber have the skimmer or some sort of mechanical filtration?
Not only should that slot be larger, the top of that chamber should be lower than the top of the sump to prevent accidental overflows. Will the next chamber have the skimmer or some sort of mechanical filtration?
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Meg rebreather
New member
So you finely got the vid...
Not sure what you mean when you say slot , are you referring to the cut I made after the song section?
Yes the 3rd chamber will house my skimmer and reactor...
Not sure what you mean when you say slot , are you referring to the cut I made after the song section?
Yes the 3rd chamber will house my skimmer and reactor...
Meg rebreather
New member
If you had to what would you chance in the sump Bruce?
I saw the video but am not 100% certain how water gets from the chamber it spills over into to the nest one on the right. In the photograph, it appears to come through the slot at the bottom. Does the flow come as in the attached photo? If so, the slot needs to be bigger and the top of the divider to the right of the inflow pipes needs to be below the top of the sump. At least in my opinion.
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I personally don't like the small chamber for the inflow that spills over and makes a lot of splashing. My Lifereef sump has this and I put a bunch of foam in there to stop the splashing. The 2 sumps in my 150g tanks have narrow sections where the water runs in that spill over to a filter sock section that exits from the bottom to the next section. See attached pix. The FW sump is the one without the skimmer.
In your case, I'd remove the baffle that separates the 2 pipes from the rest of that chamber. That would leave you with a narrow section where water rushes into the tank, but which does not make a big splashing noise as you currently have. Shorten those pipes to be about 1" below the water level in that chamber. The next section to the right should have at least 1" of space at the bottom and 1-2" at the top so that you get no possible flooding with increased flow. The flow should be over the top from the inflow section and out the bottom of the next section. It appears to be that way now, but I think that the slot you have is too narrow for good flow. Make sense?
In your case, I'd remove the baffle that separates the 2 pipes from the rest of that chamber. That would leave you with a narrow section where water rushes into the tank, but which does not make a big splashing noise as you currently have. Shorten those pipes to be about 1" below the water level in that chamber. The next section to the right should have at least 1" of space at the bottom and 1-2" at the top so that you get no possible flooding with increased flow. The flow should be over the top from the inflow section and out the bottom of the next section. It appears to be that way now, but I think that the slot you have is too narrow for good flow. Make sense?
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Meg rebreather
New member
Pretty much like in the pic but I have cut the return pipes down like in the vid.
" right of the inflow pipes needs to be below the top of the sump. At least in my opinion"
Sorry Im lost
Do you have FB?
Meg rebreather
New member
Yes makes perfect sense .I sent you a pm.
