Help needed! What is the correct start-up procedure??

[crayolaiii]

Okay this is likely a question with a simple answer...so I half feel dumb for asking, but here goes. I have the tank, I have the sump, now what order do I do things to actually start it up??

Background:

-I have an all-glass 75, with the overflow kit.
- I have a 40 gallon sump one floor below (basement) directly under the tank. The sump will drain into section one, which will have lots of live rock. It will travel over the baffle and into the refugium, and then through the final baffle to the return section where the tunze skimmer and mag 18 pump sit.

What I've done so far. I set the tank up, put in the flexible tube... 1 1/4" drain line, 3/4" return line. Both have ball valves down at the sump.

The pump even with head loss is likely still going to pump more than the drain is able to provide by around 200gph or so...maybe a bit more.

There's no water in the system yet because I wasn't sure what order I should procede in to start this up.

Do I fill a portion of the tank, and then a portion of the sump and switch it on...? Do I need to keep the return line ball valve closed somewhat to tune the system?

How do I complete this final step?? THANK YOU!!

[BLKTANG]

First your skimmer should be in the drain section of your sump,not the return side.You can put the live rock in the fuge section.

I didnt read the part where you have at least 80g of RO/DI pre mixed salt water ready to go.

Did you place an order,or do you have LR?

[crayolaiii]

I do have 50 gallons here, and a water contract at a store a block away where I go and get 30 gallons at a time. Salt I have here coming out my eyeballs. We have two other tanks, and have been keeping marine aquariums for many years. We just haven't had a system with a sump before. So that's the part that's been a bit confusing. I have the rock. It's very very well established having been in a system for 8+ years, loads of life, lots of color... It's in a bare bottom tank with a skimmer, heater and powerheads to circulate. I think I have all the resources. I just don't know how to properly progress...

[seanb1]

fill your tank to the absolute top just before it will overflow with your overflows plugged.

at this point the sump is completly empty.

get everything thats going into the sump into it.

unplug the overflows and let the water in the tank go down into your sump.

no pump running at this point.

when the water quits running from the tank into the sump go mark your sump with a sharpie at its water level, thats your sump water level at its highest point it ever should be at to avoid flooding the main tank.

the reason for this is that if your overflow ever quits draining the sump pump can empty your whole sump into the main tank without overflowing your tank.

now with the water drained out of your tank into the sump mark on the main tank the water level with a crayon or something.

that way when you put all your sand and rock into the tank taking up space of the water you know that with the sump at its water level that you cant put water into your tank above that level marked on your tank.

you will have to remove water from the tank to fit your rock and sand into it, then adjust to your water mark with the sump pump not running and at its water level.

go downstairs and turn the pump on and have someone helping you just incase something goes wrong, the sump will fill the tank to the overflows and still have water left to cover your pump.

be careful and use your shutoffs to adjust the flow back to your tank if the return pumps gph is greater than the overflows gph, not that big of a deal anyways becasue you set the sump water level and the main tank water levels so neither can flood.

[crayolaiii]

That was a great answer and very helpful....thanks very much!

[seanb1]

no problem

im glad you understood that. LOL.