Sump Level Went Way Up - Please Advise...

[Bderick67]

Probably just the 50 pounds of fish that you recently put in, those fish displace water so the extra ends up in the sump.

 

[BadOleRoss]

It sounds like you overfilled the tank during your water change.

 

[Full Metal Gundam]

Madding i did not read all the way through yet but i sounds to me like your fine mechanical is clogging quikely because of the fine grit from your sand check it out i'll bet they have alot of sediment already .If your flow was already stable for several days and now rising i would be willing to bet thats it...

you have it backwards bro if his mechanical pads were clogging then there wouldn't be enough flow thru the sump and his water level in the sump would be dropping instead of rising.

 

[frnchjeep]

Okay, I drained the sump manually to a desired level and then shut off the pump. Water movement seemed to have stopped entirely after the overflows lowered to the valve levels.

I turned it back on and it drained to maybe 1/2 of an inch higher than where I had manually lowered it. So it's basically just above the eggcrate now which is ideal for me. It's now running correctly I hope.

There are a couple of things I think it could have been that I want to run by you guys:

1) The return pump seemed out of place in the sump, with the intake up against the back glass as opposed to tucked in towards the front of the sump without nothing impeding the pumps intake. It may have been moved from vibrations/me working and not realizing I moved it. It's back in place now.

2) I did a small water change this morning before work. This was my first water change of the 500 gallon and I am wondering if this could have caused it without me realizing it. If so, are there any water change tips you guys have for me? Maybe I added too much water back in than was originally there?

Seems to be fixed now, but I'd like to make sure I keep this system running as smoothly and as such try not to let it happen again. Thanks guys.

Michael

OK... I think you just overfilled it during the water change. If the water is at the level you like, then do this:

Shut the pump off again.
Let the water settle.
Draw a line on the sump with a sharpie where the water line is. This will be where you fill it to when you do a water change (fill the tank until it overflows into the sump and the water reaches your line).
Turn the pump back on.


Also, don't know if you figured it out yet, but when water evaporates, the sump level drops, not the tank.

 

[Full Metal Gundam]

It sounds like you overfilled the tank during your water change.

agreed you prob overfilled your tank. the next time you do a water change unplug you pump first and wait till the water stops flowing into the sump and then start the siphoning of the old water. fill the tank untill the water starts to flow into your overflows and then stop and plug the pump back in.after a couple of water changes you should get the hang of it good luck.

 

[turtlesrock]

well, it seems like you've figured it out. LOL. when you fist learn about sumps, it make absolutely no sense, but know, its like second nature

 

[RODinCALIFORNIA]

little animation i had from somewhere.....

 

['vspec']

yeah its getting there, although just like mine, tells of one path only.

I used to have heaps that would assist new people joining the salt water world, however due to my forced win7 upgrade, i lost so much info it wasn't funny

 

[Madding]

Thanks guys. I think I've got a good idea of how to do the next water change now.

 

['vspec']

yup, bout time, we were running out of dud pictures..lol