Basic Water Pump Q's

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
IRoman;494117; said:
Before I take all this back apart again, I think I may have one more issue.
If you look at the water level inside my sump, it meets the PVC pipe that sucks the water through the sump.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=25624&size=1
The water is mostly level with the bottom of that PVC pipe but every 10-20 seconds it drops below it just a little bit, and the PVC pipe makes a slurpling noise (like someone drinking an empty drink through a straw)

Am I still not possibly getting enough flow? Maybe I should go ahead and just build the single 1.5" Overflow. I worry about doing the 1.5 because when I get my Oscars, they will be small enough to fit in.
Click to expand...
Correct...
you are really close but no room for when things get working properly and the overflow slows down a bit right before maintenance. If it is not cost prohibited gofor the larger
1 1/2" overflow. You can make a fish safe strainer from a cap...glue it on the end, and drill a bunch of holes like 1/4" spaced evenly apart...it doesnt take alot to equal the 1 1/2" I.D. of the new tube. A few extra won't hurt anything...Put the valve where you can easily get to it...Once you get the flow going, and are filling the sump...bring it up to a point near the blue line in the pic below and then fine tune it with the valves...You will be able to bring the level up or down in that sump...
As youir filtering system matures, there will be a bit of algae in the overflow, so try to make it's route as short and smooth as possible. (easier to clean and is a good sign)

So remember anytime there is a slurping sound it is starvation, meaning the pump is starving for water, or there is a breech on the suction side of the flow...Anytime there is a leak, it is a breech on the pressure side of the flow...

PumpOnSumpfull.JPG
 
Sounds Good, I'll redo this YET again lol. The cap idea sounds simple enough and it seems smarter to have more controlable flow than not enough, like I have now. As always, Ill keep updating my pics, Thanks Z
 
Well I finally managed to get the time to fix my problem. Two 1" overflows 'T' together were not enough for my 125g with a mag 9.5

A single 1.5" Overflow was perfect. My overflow actually flows more than my pump can take. I installed a valve on the overflow and have backed off the flow just slightly, now the over all flow is perfect.

The water level in the sump is great. I will get some pics up tonight of how everything finally ended up.
 
Its not letting me upload pictures into my gallery so attached are pictures of my new and improved DIY PVC Overflow

1.5OF.JPG

1.5OFa.JPG
 
I still need to get the filter for the sump

...one other pic of the setup, the water is cloudy but soon will be ready for my O's

NewWood.JPG
 
zennzzo;512861; said:
Great job IRoman,
Looks like that'll about do it huh?
So how's the fishless cycling going?
Click to expand...

Hey Zen,
The fishless cycle is going, Its SLOW though. When I very first started reading about it, I though it would be a quick process but from what I have found, every tank acts a little different

Right now I am on day 10 of the cycle. When I test my ammonia, the tube turns such a dark color it turns blue (the kit measures from yellow to dark green) :nilly:

This morning I finally started my nitrite spike, so hopefully the ammonia goes down soon.

Im charting everything I am doing, and I am planning on making a thread about it when my nitrite spike ends (assuming the ammonia is down, Ill be cycled). I want to make the thread so if anyone else cycles a new 125, they will have one model to reference
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom