Tank not draining fast enough

[chuckh]

Anyone know why my tank fills up then starts to over flow. takes about 2 days for this to happen. then i shut the pump off and all is fine for 2 days. there is nothing clogging anything. overflow is clean. this just started happening as well. tank has been up for about 10 months now

 

[SkiFletch]

what kind of drain do you use? Reef ready? Calfo? Oferflow box? Bottom Drilled? Pics would be helpful too

 

[Ellery]

You may have air pockets building up somewhere in your plumbing

 

[bigkev76]

Is it a reef ready tank or overflow boxes? if it is overflow boxes, is there an air bubble trapped in the U-tube? if not, you may just have to put in a ball valve in the line of the return and find the equalibreum.

 

[bjromaine]

there has to be something restriciting the water flow to the sump.
Either an air lock or something clogged.
The J tube as stated above might have air in it. Or something in the drain line to the sump.

 

[RandyO]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9023307#post9023307 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SkiFletch
what kind of drain do you use? Reef ready? Calfo? Oferflow box? Bottom Drilled? Pics would be helpful too

Hey Fletch,
What's a Calfo? Is it similar to a Durso?

 

[chuckh]

its an overflow box.looks like the u tube is full no bubbles. the way the plumbing is designed is straight down from the over flow box to a

box
|
\___
|
sump

although everything runs down not straight across

Chuck

 

[waldomas]

What kind of return pump are you using?
I once had a rio and everything was fine until I turned it off to do a water change. When I plugged it back in, it seemed to jump up a gear and overflowed my tank! I then went right out and bought an Eheim!

 

[SkiFletch]

Are you positive there's no gunk in your overflow line. Even a thin film of deposits can disrupt flow of your pump is very closely sized to your overflow...

RandyO, you use Calfo style overflows in all your coral tanks at the store, although your internal boxes are a little deeper and not quite as long as a "traditional" Calfo. Your internal overflow chambers are thicker and more "stout" than a Calfow overflow which is a little longer and thinner. Same idea though, water flows into an internal box with a back drilled hole that connects to a fitting with an air relief and down to a filter sock in the pump. Chrisguy has probably the most textbook Calfo overflows I've seen personally

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9025829#post9025829 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RandyO
Hey Fletch,
What's a Calfo? Is it similar to a Durso?

Randy- these overflows have been in existence for many years. It's basically a surface skimming prefilter box attached to a bulkhead. You have them in the store. Only recently are they being termed "Calfo overflows"- I think it all started when Anthony put his coral prop book out. (It has a chapter that shows overflow designs). There are several designs being termed "Calfo overflows".

Chuck- how many GPH are you trying to push through your overflow? What size is the overflow (ie: what GPH is it rated for)? This problem just started recently? Did you reduce the pumps' existing working head or increase pump size at all?

 

[chuckh]

Amiracle Pre-Filter Box Set Skimmer
U tube to the filter.up to 650gph flow rate 65/75/125

Mag-Drive Pump
PM 7 700 gph 1/2"/1/2" 60W 12.5' head 5" x 3.8" x 4.2" 18 ft

hope this helps. i have tiny bit of coralline in the u tube but nothing that is even restricting flow... ie no hair or string algae


Chuck

 

[gary greguire]

is the second chamber on the overflow filling up?

did you remove the sponge?

I have had snails crawl down the drain line before.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9034406#post9034406 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gary greguire
is the second chamber on the overflow filling up?

did you remove the sponge?

I have had snails crawl down the drain line before.

Good question. Inner or outer chamber filling up?
How about your drain lines. Anything kinked? Any sharp turns?
Critters and other stuff tend to encrust the inside walls of drain lines over time. If that outer box is filling up and it's not the sponge you might have some surprises waiting for you inside the drain line. It sounds like you're running the prefilter box close to it's max to begin with. All it would take is a few dozen Chitons in the drain line to cause a slow backup of water.

 

[chuckh]

the box is draining, i have a silencer in it, but i took that out and it still happened. how mould i go about cleaning my plumbing? its all pvc.

thanks

 

[gary greguire]

if the second chamber of the box is not filling up then the problem is the U tube clean it real good or replace it...

 

[Henry Colf]

I would also check your overflows standpipe any obstruction in the pipe(ie.snails)would slow down your flow.also what are you running in the sump(filter socks,100micron filter pads)these could slow down how fast your overflow runs.IME I know that when my filterpads start to get clogged it slows down how fast the whole sump sys. works.Hope this helps.

 

[waldomas]

I guess nobody thinks it could be the pump?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9034858#post9034858 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gary greguire
if the second chamber of the box is not filling up then the problem is the U tube clean it real good or replace it...

agreed. If the water is eventually piling up in the inner box there must be a reason it's not getting to the outer box quick enough.