Need some Help Quick

magyk74 · 02/22/2006, 03:30 PM

I just put a overflow rated at 600gph going into a 10gal sump with a protein skimmer on one side of the tank there is one pump for the return on it.

On the other side is my 10 gal rufugium with an overflow box also rated at 600gph and another pump for the return.

I'm pretty sure both pumps are rated the same 500 gph
but I can't balance the water levels in both tanks

am I doing something wrong?

artful-dodger · 02/22/2006, 03:44 PM

There isn't a need to balance the water levels as long as both stay high enough to function and not suck air into the return pumps. But, the ways to adjust the relative flows would be to raise or lower one of the overflow boxes inside the tank or put a ball valve onto the return line of the more powerful pump and gate it back a bit. The amount of water flowing to both sumps should be the same (assuming the same size and depth overflows, so the water level is dictated by the amount of water being extracted by the pumps.

The other approach would be to connect the two sump devices with a couple of bulkheads and some flexible tubing.

(Be sure that the amount of water that overflows when the pumps go off (power outage) won't overfill either of the sumps...if one of the return lines gets blocked, all of the overflow will go to the other sump. Again, you can adjust the total amount of water that will drain by raising the internal half of the overflow box.)

magyk74 · 02/22/2006, 04:11 PM

I have a ball valve on one of the pumps that I'm playing around with but one pump is just to powerful to balance the water levels.

I'm still trying but it's extremely frustrating

magyk74 · 02/22/2006, 05:09 PM

anyone else do this

Spuds725 · 02/22/2006, 06:41 PM

Can you sketch (in MS paint) what you are trying to describe and upload it??

I'm having problems seeing what you are trying to do??

If you are trying to pump between two tanks (one to another and back) you will never be able to balance them... you can get them close but never equal...

Sorry if I'm totally missing your question??

02/22/2006, 03:30 PM	#1
magyk74 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Long Island Posts: 471	Need some Help Quick I just put a overflow rated at 600gph going into a 10gal sump with a protein skimmer on one side of the tank there is one pump for the return on it. On the other side is my 10 gal rufugium with an overflow box also rated at 600gph and another pump for the return. I'm pretty sure both pumps are rated the same 500 gph but I can't balance the water levels in both tanks am I doing something wrong?

02/22/2006, 03:44 PM	#2
artful-dodger Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Highlands Ranch, Colorado Posts: 3,011	There isn't a need to balance the water levels as long as both stay high enough to function and not suck air into the return pumps. But, the ways to adjust the relative flows would be to raise or lower one of the overflow boxes inside the tank or put a ball valve onto the return line of the more powerful pump and gate it back a bit. The amount of water flowing to both sumps should be the same (assuming the same size and depth overflows, so the water level is dictated by the amount of water being extracted by the pumps. The other approach would be to connect the two sump devices with a couple of bulkheads and some flexible tubing. (Be sure that the amount of water that overflows when the pumps go off (power outage) won't overfill either of the sumps...if one of the return lines gets blocked, all of the overflow will go to the other sump. Again, you can adjust the total amount of water that will drain by raising the internal half of the overflow box.) __________________ "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." -- Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: 140g RR Oceanic "Ultimate" mixed reef, 37g softies, 40g RBTA tank, 65g FOWLR, 40g breeder frag, and (of course) a 29g QT! ...next up is a 240g! (Gotta go to K-Mart and buy a life...)

02/22/2006, 06:41 PM	#5
Spuds725 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Toledo, Ohio USA Posts: 2,051	Can you sketch (in MS paint) what you are trying to describe and upload it?? I'm having problems seeing what you are trying to do?? If you are trying to pump between two tanks (one to another and back) you will never be able to balance them... you can get them close but never equal... Sorry if I'm totally missing your question?? __________________ "I only have time to neglect one tank"-- Me "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve immortality by not dying"-- Woody Allen Current Tank Info: 125G mixed reef with 135G Sump

02/22/2006, 04:11 PM	#3
magyk74 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Long Island Posts: 471	I have a ball valve on one of the pumps that I'm playing around with but one pump is just to powerful to balance the water levels. I'm still trying but it's extremely frustrating

02/22/2006, 05:09 PM	#4
magyk74 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Long Island Posts: 471	anyone else do this