I'll keep this simple. I added my 1 pitcher of top off water last night at about midnight when I got home. This morning I woke up to a tricke sound from the sump. I probably lost about 4-5 inches of water in the sump overnight. I had to add maybe 5-6 pitchers of water this am. The light wasn't on in the tank but level looked ok. Skimmer looked fine. Nothing alarming right off the bat and then I had to leave for work so tell me...What happened last night???
What Happened Last night????!
- Thread starter topmav1
- Start date
Did you check salinity? Maybe you needed to add salt water, not top off water! (I realize that this doesn't answer your question...but you may have caused another problem by just adding 'fresh' water). That 'lost' water went somewhere!, although you may not have noticed it last night.
The "top off" water was saltwater...so no worries there. My salinity was about 1.022 and so I have been slowly raising it over the last 7 days or so using saltwater for top off not "fresh".
- Location
- long island
I had this happen once, check the return pump and the skimmer, was the skimmer cup or off collection cup was full some times the skimmer pulls wet insted of cra* out of the tank if the water is to high. Also check the water level in the tank maby the level went up to high
Skimmer cup was not full. Sux that i couldn't really figure out the issue cause I had to leave but I just can't imagine where all the water went. I mean I thought of the skimmer pulling wet which would actually suck b/c that would mean that the skimmer cup overflowed a lot and went right back into the sump which its done before but normalizes within a couple of minutes usually.
GREAT... one less thing to worry about!
- Location
- Franklin Lakes, NJ
Check all of your plumbing, returns, overflow. Also check any reactors. Then check for leaks.
I had this happen once, and it was a phosban reactor leaking. I've since turned them to face the inside of the sump.
I had this happen once, and it was a phosban reactor leaking. I've since turned them to face the inside of the sump.
No reactors. But will check everything when I get home. I didn't see any water on the floor or anything so not sure there was a leak but can't confirm yet.
- Location
- Franklin Lakes, NJ
The water went somewhere. That's a lot of evaporation in one night, so you may need to check behind the tank, etc. If you can't get there, attach a tissue to something and wipe around behind the tank. If it's wet, you know where to start looking.
- Location
- Franklin Lakes, NJ
He said pitchers... That was the first thought that crossed my mind, but unless they're really small pitchers, that's a lot more than a few cm of water.
Checked the temp and was steady 78 which is normal for the tank for the morning. My wife checked and she said there's no water anywhere on the floor or anything so I'm not ruling out a leak yet but not likely. I guess I'll check the level in the tank when I get home but I just can't see how this water "disappeared". Yes pitchers not cups...
Well I guess sometimes its just good to know we got some ppl here willing to spend the time to help figure things out for a stranger!
1.Ruling out evaporation cause there's just no way that much water evaporated in 7 hours.
2.Possible that the return has a blockage somewhere and isn't pumping enough water into the tank but that would mean that the sump should be more full correct? Coming down at the same rate but not going back up at the same rate so not sure why there would be less water.
3.Blame the skimmer? Would love to but its an in sump skimmer and any "wet skimming" wouldn't result in that much water lost b/c I don't have the skimmer cup connected to any other collection source so the cup would overfill and spill back into the sump.
4.I have no clue here...
Well I guess sometimes its just good to know we got some ppl here willing to spend the time to help figure things out for a stranger!
1.Ruling out evaporation cause there's just no way that much water evaporated in 7 hours.
2.Possible that the return has a blockage somewhere and isn't pumping enough water into the tank but that would mean that the sump should be more full correct? Coming down at the same rate but not going back up at the same rate so not sure why there would be less water.
3.Blame the skimmer? Would love to but its an in sump skimmer and any "wet skimming" wouldn't result in that much water lost b/c I don't have the skimmer cup connected to any other collection source so the cup would overfill and spill back into the sump.
4.I have no clue here...
junglebase
Will always be a Newbie..
- Location
- Jersey City
If the tank is on a wooden stand.. check the seams of the stand.. there has to be a slow leak somewhere....sometimes the wood absorbs the water and dries up...
I think this is way too much water too just be absorbed within literally 7 hours. Just spoke to my wife again and had her check for leaks anywhere on the floor or the seams of the tank or anything and there is no sign at all of a leak. Not to say there isn't one cause I'm not there myself but nothing out of the ordinary right now. I get home about 5 today so I'll be kicking myself in the a$$ till then i guess...
junglebase
Will always be a Newbie..
- Location
- Jersey City
is the tank/stand set on ceramic tiles or wood floors/hardwood?
I have foam tiles as my flooring for the basement for the kids...The foam tiles were put down over the original flooring which I guess are plastic tiles on cement foundation. I had her lift some of the tiles to see if there was dampness underneath but nothing...
- Location
- Franklin Lakes, NJ
Another possibility is that the overflow is slightly clogged, raising the water in the DT, which would drop the level in your sump. I've had this happen and since the top of the DT has a rim, I don't always notice right away. I clear out the overflow and about 3g of water drains into my sump sometimes.
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