sump overflow

K

Kay

The last time my power went out my sump overflowed about 5 gallons. I have not resolved it and noticed one of the overflows was sitting higher than it used to. I haven't ever had a problem with this before. I am afraid the power might go off in the night and flood the floor. Even 5 gallons worth is a mess. Anything I can do tonight?

Kay
 
How big is your display tank and your sump? Any way to dial down how much flow is being sent back up into your tank? If you have less water being sent up into your tank, your water level in your sump will stay higher... so you could take that 5g out now and not have to worry about it.

You could setup an overflow in your sump so that if the water gets high enough it pushes water through the overflow. Once it turns back on though you might be shoving air through...

When you first turn on a tank, you want to fill the water in the tank all the way up until it starts draining into the sump... keep pouring until the sump is completely full. Then turn on your return pump. The return pump will pull water out of the sump until it reaches equilibrium. Take a marker and draw a line on that spot. That's where you need to fill your sump up with your ATO. If that is too low, you need to redesign your sump.
 
I think one of my overflows is stopped up. There's not much water coming out that side. I had a plumber set up my system. He had set it up where it was in equilibrium and something is stopping up that side, but not totally. There's some water getting through.

OMG, there's my jawfish in that overflow. He has been missing a week. He stuck his little head up. There's no way I can resolve this tonight. Good idea, I'll just take that five gallons out for now. The power keeps going out and coming back on.

Kay
 
Yeah, if it's not one thing it's another, haven't you noticed? I'm sure I can get the overflow issue resolved. But the poor little guy. I don't think I can get him out without tearing down this tank. My tank is 29 inches tall and the overflow would be hard to reach to the bottom. But there must be something in there stopping it up or it would flow better. Should I pull the pipe out and see if he goes down into the sump where I might be able to catch him? It's one and a half inch pipe. Thanks for your help.

Kay
 
Yes, pull the drain/durso pipe and let it drain into the sump where you have a good chance of getting the fish. You can also check the piping while it is out.
 
Just be careful when you pull the drain pipe out because then you're letting out the entire volume of the overflow section, which would likely overflow your sump. Make sure you've taken out enough water from your sump to handle that.
 
Is there any way that you could take a small fishnet to reach down in there for the fish?

If the flow has been reduced, could there be some large snails in the plumbing? I have had that happen.

David
 
There is reduced flow through that overflow. If I pull the drain out, should I turn off the return pump?

There is no way a net will catch him. There is no net that is 30 inches long and the space inside there is very small. When he sees me he goes down to the bottom.

There probably is something blocking it.
 
If you want to leave the return pump running, you can. Pull out the pipe. The water level will drop to about 1" from the bottom of the tank, and the fish will either go down the drain or stay in 1". If you have to net it out, connect the net to a Kent Scraper handle with zip ties or twist ties, and scoop the fish out. It's much easier to catch in 1" of water versus a full overflow. Reinstall the tube.
 
Thank you Marc. I solved the problem with sump overflowing. I had one of my return lines pointed too far down and just raised it up, turned off the return to test it, and water level didn't go as far down, so didn't overfill the sump. I did try to pull out the pipe. I couldn't budge it. It's not glued, just caked on salt. I will try again or maybe get somebody to help me. Good idea about the scraper handle. I don't have one, though, but maybe I could improvise with something else.

If I get that pipe pulled out, will I have to hurry up and put it back? I'm thinking I watched the guy put them in to begin with and it wasn't easy. I've never had to take them out for anything before.

Kay
 
So I got my little net with the extension. I put a bag on the return into the sump where he would go through to catch him. Now I can't get the pipe out. I fed the fish and he's eating. You think I should take a hammer and tap it up?

Kay
 
I have some fishing line and tiny hooks. You could "fish" for it. I would not tap on anything going through glass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



David
 
The hammer thing isn't going to work. I am going to try it again with some gloves on. That little fish is pigging out on mysis shrimp. At least I know he's alive and well.
 
I tried and I got my husband to try. He put a lot of muscle to it and said it would break if he pulled any harder. I did get it moving around a little. I could actually see the tank moving, not a good thing. Now what? I guess the little guy can stay in there for now. Maybe he will jump back in the tank?
 
Since you can't get the pipe out to drain the overflow, could you cut the return pump, and then siphon the water out of that overflow, and then try to use your long handled net?

David
 
I had a wrasse get stuck in my DAS one time. He would swim in and out of the chambers so I couldn't net him. I cut the top off a 2 liter bottle and put it in the over flow. Sprinkled some food on the top and when he swam over it I pulled on the string I had attached. Wrasse in a bottle...

In regards to the overflow, it sounds like you don't have an anti-syphoning hole. Drill a small hole in the elbow of the return. It will leak water back into the overflow but it will break the syphon of the return when the power goes off. That is way moving the return lines closer to the top worked. It breaks the syphon when they are the water line. Try making that mistake with under-gravel jets...

Mitch
 
I will check on that anti-siphoning hole. I'll ask the plumber that did the plumbing for me. As to catching him, it would have to be very small. The overflow pipes take up most of the room of the overflow part. There may be a way for me to get something under him, but that pipe would be in the way.



Kay
 
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