What is the easiest way to balance the flow from the syphon intake to the pump output on a gravity-fed sump? Too slow and I can burn out my powerhead, too fast and I can flood my fish room! I want to get this figured out whilst I am still cleaning the sump (I got it used from a 400 sq. foot apartment that had six smokers living in it). It should be a few days yet. I would appreciate ANY advise on this matter. Thank you.
Balancing flow rates on sump filters?
- Thread starter QCppg
- Start date
I don't believe you should be siphoning into a sump. Use an overflow. either drill a hole in your tank or use an overflow box. all these do is make any water above a certain level flow into the sump. That way, whatever the pump pumps into the aquarium, exactly that same amount goes back into the sump. With evaporation loss, the level in the sump changes. not the tank.
Hope that helped
Hope that helped
I have a similar issue with my 105G tank has siphon tubes that feed my sump. I have ball valves on the down tubes that help to control outlet flow, but they aren't linear in control. I have marked the aprox setting that works, but the siphons seem to take some time to get the full rate of flow before they can be regulated properly. So whenever I do water changes I have to fiddle with it to equalize flow. My next tank will have the "Durso" style downtubes to feed the sump- I'll have to deal with this one as it is- the tank is too well setup otherwise for me to tear it down now.
ChicoRation thanks, that shouldn't be terribly difficult to build with the existing siphon box. However I still have the problem that my pump can remove water from the sump significantly faster than the siphon can return it... I'm sure I can figure it out.
EDIT: I already had the overflow box, however the overflow portion had been broken off before I got it and I didn't know what it was for. Thanks a bunch!
EDIT: I already had the overflow box, however the overflow portion had been broken off before I got it and I didn't know what it was for. Thanks a bunch!
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Thats why you should use gate valves anywhere that you need to regulate flow, ball valves should be used for on/off.
I'm a mechanic, not a plumber -have mercy
This has been a learning process for me with seting up this tank, perhaps I'll work on an HOB overflow box/standpipe setup. I don't recall seeing "gate valves" when I was working on this @ the local "Do-it" center, I'll look around@ HD or Lowes. Thanks, SteveWell the pump can still draw water out of the sump faster than the overflow can provide it, but with a little fiddling the sump now works properly. Thanks a million!