Newbie needs wet dry advice

[markrovner]

After a very very long hiatus, I have just returned to a very different saltwater world.

To make a long tedious story short, I got sold by my LFS on an Amiracle sea reef wet dry, which after deciphering the appalling directions, I seem to have up and running. Pump is a Danner Mag-350.

So here's my question -- if anything interrupts or breaks the intake siphon stream (such as water level getting too low or a curious kid messing with it), it seems that the pump will merrily empty the contents of the wet dry sump (5-7 gallons) into the tank, thus causing a flood, followed by the death of the pump, and other random havoc caused by 5-7 gallons of salt water on the loose.

Can this really be right? Doesn't this happen with some frequency? I feel like an idiot for not realizing or knowing to ask, but i haven't seen this mentioned in any literature on the potential drawbacks of wet/dry.

What am i missing here?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Mark

 

[mogurnda]

That's where having a float switch to shut things off when the sump gets low is a really good idea.

It's also why I like drilled tanks a lot better.

 

[markrovner]

Thanks for advice -- Ultralife float switch is now on order. $60 online.

Too late for the drilled tank, but not for the floatie!

m

 

[wattsd]

I went through this just weeks ago with the same kind of sump. If your sump is up and running right now you should test it by unplugging it. There should be a hole in your out take hose (hose from the Danner Mag) just under the water level of your tank. This hole prevents siphoning the water from the tank to the sump if the power goes out.

Now the sump should have more water than usual in it, and the seal on the U tube (intake siphon) SHOULD remain intact. I origionally had a problem with this until i bought a longer U tube.

Here is what my set up is like: The U tube has one end in a prefilter box which sits inside the tank. The other end of the U tube is in a two chambered box which hangs on the back of the tank. The water flows to one side of the chamber and cascades down to the other, which drains to the sump. MY U tube was shorter than the wall seperating the two chambers. That is, when the siphon started to slow down (because the pump was off) the cascading water level was lower than the end of the U tube. Which eventually let air in and broke the siphon. I bought a longer U tube and the seal does not break when the pump is off.
When the pump is turned back on, the level in the tank rises and the siphon begins to take water back to the sump. If the siphon breaks because of pesky kids, the sump pump will remove as much water as possible. Mine would not pump enough water to overflow the tank, it would just burn out.

If this doesn't make sense, I will try and diagram it out in MS paint. Good luck!

 

[markrovner]

If this doesn't make sense, I will try and diagram it out in MS paint. Good luck!

Makes perfect sense -- many thanks for your help. Ive run through several power off tests and the siphon holds every time. fingers crossed...

 

[mogurnda]

Hmm. Learned something. Thanks.

 

[Les]

I went through this just weeks ago with the same kind of sump. If your sump is up and running right now you should test it by unplugging it. There should be a hole in your out take hose (hose from the Danner Mag) just under the water level of your tank. This hole prevents siphoning the water from the tank to the sump if the power goes out.

Now the sump should have more water than usual in it, and the seal on the U tube (intake siphon) SHOULD remain intact. I origionally had a problem with this until i bought a longer U tube.

Here is what my set up is like: The U tube has one end in a prefilter box which sits inside the tank. The other end of the U tube is in a two chambered box which hangs on the back of the tank. The water flows to one side of the chamber and cascades down to the other, which drains to the sump. MY U tube was shorter than the wall seperating the two chambers. That is, when the siphon started to slow down (because the pump was off) the cascading water level was lower than the end of the U tube. Which eventually let air in and broke the siphon. I bought a longer U tube and the seal does not break when the pump is off.
When the pump is turned back on, the level in the tank rises and the siphon begins to take water back to the sump. If the siphon breaks because of pesky kids, the sump pump will remove as much water as possible. Mine would not pump enough water to overflow the tank, it would just burn out.

If this doesn't make sense, I will try and diagram it out in MS paint. Good luck!

Are you trying to say if you have a longer tube you will maintain the siphon thereby not allowing the sump to be empted. So you only have to worry about the pesky kids. Had a hard time getting my siphon started seemed I couldn’t get a good balance it needs two tubes, but they don’t want to fit in the box and one keeps sucking air but when there booth running full it’s a little more than the pump can handle. Trial and error and some wet floors.