[Awibrandy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dj Orion I am thinking that I gotta make some sort of casing or something for this pump just to dampen the buzzing that comes from it. I mean, it borders on sounding like an electric toothbrush, or other cylindrical devices that also buzz like an electric toothbrush.... Maybe I can put a few layers of socks on it and hope for the best.

Don't forget these external pumps need to breath. Wouldn't want you to burn out your pump, or worse start a fire. Be careful. Ask the guys here on what are your options on deadning that noise.
Just to let you know, I had a little giant making loud whirling sound. I called the manufacture had them listen to it over the phone lines, and they told me the pump was on it's way out.

[1UCKY]

I myself had a huge Nitrate problem in my 180 FOWLR a few months ago. I removed all my bio balls (a little at a time) from the second chamber and replaced it with some Mangroves. I then went ahead and filled the remaining space with live rock rubble. I also added a light over Mangroves and live rock. Till this day my Nitrate levels have been 10ppm. Hope this helps.

[Dj Orion]

yeah so last nite i came home from work and in the process of fiddling with my skimmer i accidentally knocked the power cable of the pump in the sump. I thought in my head, no worries, i just put in a brand new overflow box, everything will be ok. NOT!

Long story short, I spent about 3 hours cleaning up all of the water that spilled out of my sump under my tank stand and living room floor. The pump also shorted out and now dosent work at all.

I ordered a new pump last nite and am hoping for better luck with this one. I am also thinking of using the pump as a submersible in sump fixture, as opposed to the way i previously had it set up. I dont know why my overflow didnt seem to work out the way I thought it would. It is a hang on, and a really nice one also. I think I got a few more grey hairs after this past week, let me tell you.

["DevIouS"]

Has nothing to do with the overflow.

Either your sump is too small to handle the back-flow or your return pipe is way below water level & there's nothing to break the siphon.

The water level in your tank will drain as far as the out-put of the return pipe.

[Dj Orion]

for real at this point, i feel like throwing the whole thing out and just sticking with my nano. I just am not having any luck with this new setup. The sump should def be big enough (barely fits under the tank) and as far as the return, it is at the very top of the sump. (return meaing the flow into the sump from the tank) The out flow from the pump is at the bottom of the sump tank. There isnt much room from the flow coming from the tank in the sump, I was actually going to add pvc to help keep it from making a loud splashing sound all the time. I would love to post pics, and will try to tonite, but it is really cramped under there, and I dont know if i'll be able to get a good camera shot.

["DevIouS"]

The return is from your sump going into your main tank....drain is what is coming from your main tank going into the sump.
I'm confused on your set-up.

Pics will be best to give further advice.

["DevIouS"]

Quote: Originally Posted by Awibrandy Here is a pic of Dj's nano.

Nano?!?

We're talking about a 75 gal FOWLR here...


Arent we?

[Dj Orion]

ok ok. I have 2 tanks, a nano and a 75g fowlr. The nano has nothing to do with what we were discussing. I have a converted wet dry running with 1" pvc and hoses with a Quiet one 780 gph pump. here is a pic that i took with my phone before i set it up. Its not great but it may help to clear up any confusion.

It is full of bags with bio balls in it. Obviously I took those out. You cant see it well, but on the opposite end of the sump, towards the top is where the water current flows into the sump

["DevIouS"]

Correct.
Now on the opposite side where the gate valve is (& your pump should get connected to), is the "return" which pumps water back into the tank.
How do you have that connected?

It's plumbed back to the main tank & at the end should be a return pipe or Loc-Line.
Then it goes back to my above post:

Quote: Originally Posted by DVS return pipe is way below water level & there's nothing to break the siphon. The water level in your tank will drain as far as the out-put of the return pipe.

[Awibrandy]

My mistake Phil! I agree with you that the problem is the returns are sucking ther water out of the tank. Try raising the returns in the tank a little higher.

What I did with my fowlr is I turned the lockline in an upwards direction as far as I could get it, then I turned the nozzle in a downward position back into the tank. No more floods after that. I also had to turn my drain upwards a little as well.

But then again I'm not sure that I am understanding exactly what happened.
Here is what I understood happened. The pump failed consecuently you ended up with a flood. If I understood correctly then the above should work if your able to raise your return line a bit further up in the tank itself.