Reef Reday tank..water leverl rising?

Octoberfest · 10/21/2008, 05:44 PM

I have a 72 gallon bowfront that is reef ready. Tonight I was looking a the tank and I looked up and it appears as the tank is not draining fast enough, almost like the water level is rising. Its also possible that the tank has settled. Lastly I could just be going nuts.

When I look up I can see the center brace going across touching the water. When I look at the overflow the water level is above the top slots.

Now for the life of me I don't remember the tank being like this, but I may have just never noticed before. Can someone tell me if this is normal.

I'm border line freaking out.

sassafrass · 10/21/2008, 05:49 PM

That is not good ,you may have to put a gate valve on the output of your return pump to slow the flow

sassafrass · 10/21/2008, 05:52 PM

Or maybe something is blocking you overflows like a snail or algea

Octoberfest · 10/21/2008, 05:56 PM

Damn it!!!

Here is a picture, don't mind the algae problem, I'm working on it.

Overflow

Overflow slots and center brace

Center Brace(this is not a progressive photo, I have tons of surface water movement)

reefergeorge · 10/21/2008, 05:59 PM

I have to clean out the slots on my overflow every once in a while to keep the water level where it is supposed to be. I just use a piece of acrylic rod to scrape out each one.

crvz · 10/21/2008, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sassafrass
Or maybe something is blocking you overflows like a snail or algea

That'd be my bet, too, something blocking the drain lines somehow.

reefergeorge · 10/21/2008, 06:27 PM

If something was blocking the drain then the water in the overflow would be the same as the tank. Is it?

Octoberfest · 10/21/2008, 06:39 PM

Well I took the lights and the top off, you guys were right, I bet I took about 2lbs of what almost looked like hair algae out of my overflow. It came right off and I don't have hair algae in the tank bu that's my best description.

whitleyjb · 10/21/2008, 06:56 PM

Good catch!

The water level should never get that high!

Octoberfest · 10/21/2008, 07:02 PM

Yeah it was just luck that I saw, damn that could have been expensive.

Add that to my monthly to do list.

trippkid · 10/21/2008, 07:04 PM

Glad you got it under control. Now you know you need to keep them clean from time to time. The slots are especially important, I actually cut out a larger hole on side the return line is not coming out of to help out, the level still goes up if you don't take care of the slots. Also when you are doing that, as you have already found, it is a good time to clean out the overflow itself too. Hey I'd rather have the stuff grow in there and in my fuge, than in my DT. Good luck, keep an eye on them overflows, it can be disasterous with an ATO(don't know if you have one or not), if you do make sure after you clean them out to keep an eye on your skimmer(if it is sensitive to water level fluctuation in the sump), there will be more water in the sump than before the problem, also depending it can affect the salinity some too.
Matt

Octoberfest · 10/21/2008, 07:15 PM

Yeah, my skimmer overflowed. At least I know what to look for now.

Rascal1371 · 10/21/2008, 07:32 PM

A couple of suggestions in addition to those already made: 1) Take a dremel and expand the size of the slats in that overflow. 2) Periodically remove the standpipe from your overflow and clean everything out.

10/21/2008, 05:44 PM	#1
Octoberfest Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,350	Reef Reday tank..water leverl rising? I have a 72 gallon bowfront that is reef ready. Tonight I was looking a the tank and I looked up and it appears as the tank is not draining fast enough, almost like the water level is rising. Its also possible that the tank has settled. Lastly I could just be going nuts. When I look up I can see the center brace going across touching the water. When I look at the overflow the water level is above the top slots. Now for the life of me I don't remember the tank being like this, but I may have just never noticed before. Can someone tell me if this is normal. I'm border line freaking out. __________________ 29 gallon bio-cube with 150w metal halide sunpod fixture, stock 14 gallon bio-cube

10/21/2008, 05:56 PM	#4
Octoberfest Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,350	Damn it!!! Here is a picture, don't mind the algae problem, I'm working on it. Overflow Overflow slots and center brace Center Brace(this is not a progressive photo, I have tons of surface water movement) __________________ 29 gallon bio-cube with 150w metal halide sunpod fixture, stock 14 gallon bio-cube

10/21/2008, 05:59 PM	#5
reefergeorge Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Louis MO Posts: 4,222	I have to clean out the slots on my overflow every once in a while to keep the water level where it is supposed to be. I just use a piece of acrylic rod to scrape out each one. __________________ $35-50 for a <1" frag of some stupid named thing that came from a colony you bought for $40-60 wholesale and chopped into 20-40 pieces? No thanks. "JasonH" Current Tank Info: 125 aggressive reef, DIY led lighting, swc cone skimmer, 33 gallon sump, posiden Ps3 return.

10/21/2008, 06:27 PM	#7
reefergeorge Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Louis MO Posts: 4,222	If something was blocking the drain then the water in the overflow would be the same as the tank. Is it? __________________ $35-50 for a <1" frag of some stupid named thing that came from a colony you bought for $40-60 wholesale and chopped into 20-40 pieces? No thanks. "JasonH" Current Tank Info: 125 aggressive reef, DIY led lighting, swc cone skimmer, 33 gallon sump, posiden Ps3 return.

10/21/2008, 06:39 PM	#8
Octoberfest Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,350	Well I took the lights and the top off, you guys were right, I bet I took about 2lbs of what almost looked like hair algae out of my overflow. It came right off and I don't have hair algae in the tank bu that's my best description. __________________ 29 gallon bio-cube with 150w metal halide sunpod fixture, stock 14 gallon bio-cube

10/21/2008, 05:49 PM	#2
sassafrass Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: capitola ca Posts: 1,729	That is not good ,you may have to put a gate valve on the output of your return pump to slow the flow

10/21/2008, 05:52 PM	#3
sassafrass Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: capitola ca Posts: 1,729	Or maybe something is blocking you overflows like a snail or algea

10/21/2008, 06:56 PM	#9
whitleyjb Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Huntersville, NC Posts: 116	Good catch! The water level should never get that high!

10/21/2008, 07:02 PM	#10
Octoberfest Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,350	Yeah it was just luck that I saw, damn that could have been expensive. Add that to my monthly to do list. __________________ 29 gallon bio-cube with 150w metal halide sunpod fixture, stock 14 gallon bio-cube

10/21/2008, 07:04 PM	#11
trippkid Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Lewisberry, PA Posts: 913	Glad you got it under control. Now you know you need to keep them clean from time to time. The slots are especially important, I actually cut out a larger hole on side the return line is not coming out of to help out, the level still goes up if you don't take care of the slots. Also when you are doing that, as you have already found, it is a good time to clean out the overflow itself too. Hey I'd rather have the stuff grow in there and in my fuge, than in my DT. Good luck, keep an eye on them overflows, it can be disasterous with an ATO(don't know if you have one or not), if you do make sure after you clean them out to keep an eye on your skimmer(if it is sensitive to water level fluctuation in the sump), there will be more water in the sump than before the problem, also depending it can affect the salinity some too. Matt

10/21/2008, 07:15 PM	#12
Octoberfest Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,350	Yeah, my skimmer overflowed. At least I know what to look for now. __________________ 29 gallon bio-cube with 150w metal halide sunpod fixture, stock 14 gallon bio-cube

10/21/2008, 07:32 PM	#13
Rascal1371 Premium Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Annandale, VA Posts: 101	A couple of suggestions in addition to those already made: 1) Take a dremel and expand the size of the slats in that overflow. 2) Periodically remove the standpipe from your overflow and clean everything out.