First Flood!

dankoos · 05/17/2010, 08:08 AM

I had read and read about everyone having a flood at some point and I thought I had everything set up so that such a thing would not happen to me (barring a crack in the glass or hole in the return pipe).

Yesterday, we were sitting watching tv and noticed a bunch of air bubbles being shot into the tank from the return pump. Went back to the fish room to find my skimmer had pumped way over the 1 gallon jug I have it dripping into. I had just set it up that way a few weeks earlier. Figured that would allow me to empty the collection cup less often. Wasn't thinking it could overflow...at least not that fast (had just been in there earlier in the day and it hardly had any water in it). So we found probably 5-10 gallons on the floor. Glad it is in the basement and all the water spilled on concrete floor and was heading for basement sump pump. Needless to say, have decided to put the plug back in skimmer cup and just empty as needed (I had it overflow one other time, but would dump right back into sump since I had plug in. It was when I turned by return pump off.

I had just cleaned the skimmer for the first time a few days back, so I hadn't got it "tuned" back in perfectly just yet.

Also, I have been turning off return pump to feed lately so that food doesn't get sucked down the overflows. I think the extra water in the sump makes my skimmer pump more water into the cup (we had just fed the fish and had the pump off not too long before this incident).

How do others handle the collection cup (use plug or extra jug to catch gunk?) and feedings (leave pump on or turn off?). If you turn pump off, do you turn skimmer off as well?

Fizz71 · 05/17/2010, 08:13 AM

My skimmer has overflowed on more than one occasion which is the reason I don't have it drain externally. I actually have my sump in the basement so I could send the skimmate right down a drain, but fear of the skimmer going ape-sh*t and draining tank water for a day..which of course would be replaced by RO..has kept me from doing draining externally.

thegrun · 05/17/2010, 08:22 AM

I have a watertight cap with two tubes attached to it on my collection jug. One is the drain from the skimmer, the second tube runs back into the sump, if the jug ever fills, the overflow would run up the second line and back into the tank. Be sure to keep an air gap between the back-up overflow tube and the highest possible water level in the sump.

Chris27 · 05/17/2010, 09:39 AM

If you turn the return off, turn the skimmer off as well - the higher water level in the sump will most definitely cause the skimmer to put as much of it as it can in the collection cup - or external container/drain as in your case.

joeshmo · 05/17/2010, 01:06 PM

+1 thegrun

Simple backup lines will save you. Just having it set up so that your collection container can overflow back into the sump is the easiest guaranteed way to avoid a flood involving your skimmer.

I assume that everything will fail. Overflows/skimmers/HOB skimmers/collection cups/RO systems/ATOs will all fail eventually. At a LFS they had two float switches fail and they killed most of the occupants of their display tanks overnight.

Never use an ATO with an unlimited water supply, Never leave a RO unit turned on 24/7 etc. Use a reservoir with enough water for a week or so for the ATO. That way only 5-10 gallons will get dumped into your system which won't kill anything. By having your skimmer cup above the sump or some other method so it's overflow goes back to the sump will save your tank.

That's just my philosophy on the matter. Switches whether mechanical or electrical will all fail - so just prepare for that and although the tank will be less automated, you won't come home to a brackish water tank or near FW tank due to a bad float switch or skimmer gone mad.

travis32 · 05/17/2010, 02:29 PM

+1 to Joeshmo's advice. I put my ATO plug in into a mechanical switch. It's only on 3 times a day for 15 minutes, and those 3 times are the most likely times I'd be at home in the tank room. So, if a floatswitch goes bad, The timer will only let it be on for 15 minutes and I should be home to be able to do something about it. I would like a better timer. One that has on for 1 to 5 minute intervals. Haven't found that yet though 15 minutes would still probably overflow my sump, but, it keeps it from turning on if something goes wrong with my overflow.

05/17/2010, 08:08 AM	#1
dankoos Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 271	First Flood! I had read and read about everyone having a flood at some point and I thought I had everything set up so that such a thing would not happen to me (barring a crack in the glass or hole in the return pipe). Yesterday, we were sitting watching tv and noticed a bunch of air bubbles being shot into the tank from the return pump. Went back to the fish room to find my skimmer had pumped way over the 1 gallon jug I have it dripping into. I had just set it up that way a few weeks earlier. Figured that would allow me to empty the collection cup less often. Wasn't thinking it could overflow...at least not that fast (had just been in there earlier in the day and it hardly had any water in it). So we found probably 5-10 gallons on the floor. Glad it is in the basement and all the water spilled on concrete floor and was heading for basement sump pump. Needless to say, have decided to put the plug back in skimmer cup and just empty as needed (I had it overflow one other time, but would dump right back into sump since I had plug in. It was when I turned by return pump off. I had just cleaned the skimmer for the first time a few days back, so I hadn't got it "tuned" back in perfectly just yet. Also, I have been turning off return pump to feed lately so that food doesn't get sucked down the overflows. I think the extra water in the sump makes my skimmer pump more water into the cup (we had just fed the fish and had the pump off not too long before this incident). How do others handle the collection cup (use plug or extra jug to catch gunk?) and feedings (leave pump on or turn off?). If you turn pump off, do you turn skimmer off as well?

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05/17/2010, 08:13 AM	#2
Fizz71 FragSwapper Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: West Lawn, PA Posts: 5,800	My skimmer has overflowed on more than one occasion which is the reason I don't have it drain externally. I actually have my sump in the basement so I could send the skimmate right down a drain, but fear of the skimmer going ape-sh*t and draining tank water for a day..which of course would be replaced by RO..has kept me from doing draining externally.

05/17/2010, 08:22 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I have a watertight cap with two tubes attached to it on my collection jug. One is the drain from the skimmer, the second tube runs back into the sump, if the jug ever fills, the overflow would run up the second line and back into the tank. Be sure to keep an air gap between the back-up overflow tube and the highest possible water level in the sump.

05/17/2010, 09:39 AM	#4
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	If you turn the return off, turn the skimmer off as well - the higher water level in the sump will most definitely cause the skimmer to put as much of it as it can in the collection cup - or external container/drain as in your case.

05/17/2010, 01:06 PM	#5
joeshmo Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Fargo, ND Posts: 75	+1 thegrun Simple backup lines will save you. Just having it set up so that your collection container can overflow back into the sump is the easiest guaranteed way to avoid a flood involving your skimmer. I assume that everything will fail. Overflows/skimmers/HOB skimmers/collection cups/RO systems/ATOs will all fail eventually. At a LFS they had two float switches fail and they killed most of the occupants of their display tanks overnight. Never use an ATO with an unlimited water supply, Never leave a RO unit turned on 24/7 etc. Use a reservoir with enough water for a week or so for the ATO. That way only 5-10 gallons will get dumped into your system which won't kill anything. By having your skimmer cup above the sump or some other method so it's overflow goes back to the sump will save your tank. That's just my philosophy on the matter. Switches whether mechanical or electrical will all fail - so just prepare for that and although the tank will be less automated, you won't come home to a brackish water tank or near FW tank due to a bad float switch or skimmer gone mad.

05/17/2010, 02:29 PM	#6
travis32 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: West Fargo, ND Posts: 2,161	+1 to Joeshmo's advice. I put my ATO plug in into a mechanical switch. It's only on 3 times a day for 15 minutes, and those 3 times are the most likely times I'd be at home in the tank room. So, if a floatswitch goes bad, The timer will only let it be on for 15 minutes and I should be home to be able to do something about it. I would like a better timer. One that has on for 1 to 5 minute intervals. Haven't found that yet though 15 minutes would still probably overflow my sump, but, it keeps it from turning on if something goes wrong with my overflow.