Is my water level too high?

Scizzle · 03/05/2012, 10:41 PM

Help, I just setup my tank and the water level seems like it is too high. I backed off the return but it didn't really do anything.

shaginwagon13 · 03/05/2012, 10:54 PM

If the water level in the picture is really that high (1-2 inches from the top of the standpipe) I would say yes.

Is the pipe you are using 1"? For a 30 gallon that should be more then enough to handle a tank your size it it blocked at all? Try to take the top cap off and see if the water surges down and lowers the water line. We can work from there.

opusthepenguin · 03/05/2012, 10:57 PM

That looks to high. The water should be about in the middle of the tee on a durso. What pump do you have?

Scizzle · 03/05/2012, 11:02 PM

Sorry I didn't give any info. I just setup a 110 I have a reeflo dart and the return is 3/4" the Durso is I believe 1". It's not blocked. There is a hole in the top of the cap could that be the problem? If I block the hole it sucks the water level down in the overflow.

shaginwagon13 · 03/05/2012, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scizzle

Sorry I didn't give any info. I just setup a 110 I have a reeflo dart and the return is 3/4" the Durso is I believe 1". It's not blocked. There is a hole in the top of the cap could that be the problem? If I block the hole it sucks the water level down in the overflow.

There are people who run the Dart on 180 gallon tanks with 100 gallon sump and (2) 1.5" standpipes and they need to dial the pump back to half in some cases lol. That is a great pump but its a little too much for your tank which is why your having the problem with your standpipe being able to handle that much flow.

Try to dial back the Dart as much as you can by adjusting the high I suppose. I don't know to be honest if dialing it back to a certain point is bad for that pump. Email Chris from Reeflo and he will be able to tell you/help you he's a great guy.

chris@reeflopumps.com

To be honest I have never had a tank with one standpipe so I don't know if having just one you should have a hole in the top or not. On tanks that have 2-3 standpipes where are always at least one that has a hole in the top. Hopefully someone with a single standpipe overflow can chime in to give you advice as to whether you should plug the hole or not.

Scizzle · 03/05/2012, 11:18 PM

Thanks I'll talk to him. My bad I should've layed it all out It's the snapper/dart I have the smaller impeller it's not as powerful. And I have two 1 inch Standpipes two overflows two returns a 33 gallon sump and both standpipes have holes in the caps which I assumed are siphon breaks I had someone help me set it up.

Sonny408 · 03/06/2012, 12:26 AM

That water look pretty high

Hamsternuts · 03/06/2012, 02:10 AM

I have a single standpipe on my 210. Yes, you need the hole in the top of the cap. Otherwise, once the level quickly drops to the bottom of the tee, its gonna sound like a toilet flushing, and will rise, fall and repeat every few seconds.

Is the tank drilled in such a way that there is no way to use 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inch pipe for a drain? A 1" drain pipe really cant handle much flow. Aside from going to a larger pipe, check your plumbing under the tank. Elbows and such will decrease flow too. If possible, you could try using flexible tubing, and keep it as short as possible. That is the only way I see to up the flow rate without going to bigger pipe.

If the drain were flowing at a rate it could handle, the water level would be in the middle of the tee.

jake koppen · 03/06/2012, 02:14 AM

I'm pretty sure that you want to run one at a full siphon. You can plug the hole and the pipe will purge all of the air out of the line. with no air (full siphon) the overflow will handle allot more water volume faster. you can put a valve on that pipe (between tank and sump) and tune your siphon to directly match your return pumps flow rate. Your second overflow then acts as it is now, an emergency overflow and it will also trickle a little water down in normal operation. The full siphon intake should be lower than the emergency so that it can be fully submerged to start the siphon. Look up herbie system. The bean animal system is the same plus 1 more fail safe line. You can tune these to be dead silent which is pretty nice. Just read up on how those work.Good luck

jake koppen · 03/06/2012, 02:33 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pv3u...e_gdata_player

jake koppen · 03/06/2012, 02:42 AM

You can leave the dorso on your emergency pipe and add an air line with a little valve on that too to tune the amount of air you let in with the trickling water. This method takes a few minutes on start up to create siphon, purge air and all that, so the water level will rise during that time but both lines should perform (like you have them set up now) on start up for a minute or two. Also it's really cool seeing all that water move around and it being dead silent. Neat trick to show off to your guests

03/05/2012, 10:41 PM	#1
Scizzle Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Florida Posts: 180	Is my water level too high? Help, I just setup my tank and the water level seems like it is too high. I backed off the return but it didn't really do anything. __________________ Various Zoas \| 1 Acan \| meteor shower safastria \| 7 ricordia \| big frogspawn \| 2 non branching and 5 branching Duncan's \| GSP \| pulsing xenia \| mushrooms \| palythoas \| hammer coral \| torch coral \| pipe organ \| orange fungia \| pagoda cup \| two ocellaris clowns \| foxface \| 2 blennies \| 2 bangais \| YWG Current Tank Info: 110 gallon oceanic dual overflow 60" tank \| 33 gallon sump \| 2 Ecotech Radion LED's \| reef octopus skimmer \| reeflo snapper 2500gph return pump \| 2 next reef reactors denitrate and roa \| 2 koralia 1440's for flow \| eheim heater

03/05/2012, 10:54 PM	#2
shaginwagon13 Chartered Accountant Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 2,219	If the water level in the picture is really that high (1-2 inches from the top of the standpipe) I would say yes. Is the pipe you are using 1"? For a 30 gallon that should be more then enough to handle a tank your size it it blocked at all? Try to take the top cap off and see if the water surges down and lowers the water line. We can work from there. __________________ - Shaginwagon - Current Tank Info: 550 Gallon SPS Reef l 200 Gallon Sump l Skimmer: Vertex Alpha 250 l Return Pump: Reeflo Hammerhead l Tank Circulation: (2) Maxspect Gyre XF280 l Lighting: (3) 400w Halides & (3) AI Hydra 52 HD

03/05/2012, 11:02 PM	#4
Scizzle Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Florida Posts: 180	Sorry I didn't give any info. I just setup a 110 I have a reeflo dart and the return is 3/4" the Durso is I believe 1". It's not blocked. There is a hole in the top of the cap could that be the problem? If I block the hole it sucks the water level down in the overflow. __________________ Various Zoas \| 1 Acan \| meteor shower safastria \| 7 ricordia \| big frogspawn \| 2 non branching and 5 branching Duncan's \| GSP \| pulsing xenia \| mushrooms \| palythoas \| hammer coral \| torch coral \| pipe organ \| orange fungia \| pagoda cup \| two ocellaris clowns \| foxface \| 2 blennies \| 2 bangais \| YWG Current Tank Info: 110 gallon oceanic dual overflow 60" tank \| 33 gallon sump \| 2 Ecotech Radion LED's \| reef octopus skimmer \| reeflo snapper 2500gph return pump \| 2 next reef reactors denitrate and roa \| 2 koralia 1440's for flow \| eheim heater

03/05/2012, 11:18 PM	#6
Scizzle Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Florida Posts: 180	Thanks I'll talk to him. My bad I should've layed it all out It's the snapper/dart I have the smaller impeller it's not as powerful. And I have two 1 inch Standpipes two overflows two returns a 33 gallon sump and both standpipes have holes in the caps which I assumed are siphon breaks I had someone help me set it up. __________________ Various Zoas \| 1 Acan \| meteor shower safastria \| 7 ricordia \| big frogspawn \| 2 non branching and 5 branching Duncan's \| GSP \| pulsing xenia \| mushrooms \| palythoas \| hammer coral \| torch coral \| pipe organ \| orange fungia \| pagoda cup \| two ocellaris clowns \| foxface \| 2 blennies \| 2 bangais \| YWG Current Tank Info: 110 gallon oceanic dual overflow 60" tank \| 33 gallon sump \| 2 Ecotech Radion LED's \| reef octopus skimmer \| reeflo snapper 2500gph return pump \| 2 next reef reactors denitrate and roa \| 2 koralia 1440's for flow \| eheim heater

03/05/2012, 10:57 PM	#3
opusthepenguin Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 117	That looks to high. The water should be about in the middle of the tee on a durso. What pump do you have?

03/06/2012, 12:26 AM	#7
Sonny408 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 103	That water look pretty high

03/06/2012, 02:10 AM	#8
Hamsternuts Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 137	I have a single standpipe on my 210. Yes, you need the hole in the top of the cap. Otherwise, once the level quickly drops to the bottom of the tee, its gonna sound like a toilet flushing, and will rise, fall and repeat every few seconds. Is the tank drilled in such a way that there is no way to use 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inch pipe for a drain? A 1" drain pipe really cant handle much flow. Aside from going to a larger pipe, check your plumbing under the tank. Elbows and such will decrease flow too. If possible, you could try using flexible tubing, and keep it as short as possible. That is the only way I see to up the flow rate without going to bigger pipe. If the drain were flowing at a rate it could handle, the water level would be in the middle of the tee.

03/06/2012, 02:14 AM	#9
jake koppen Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: lakewood Posts: 593	I'm pretty sure that you want to run one at a full siphon. You can plug the hole and the pipe will purge all of the air out of the line. with no air (full siphon) the overflow will handle allot more water volume faster. you can put a valve on that pipe (between tank and sump) and tune your siphon to directly match your return pumps flow rate. Your second overflow then acts as it is now, an emergency overflow and it will also trickle a little water down in normal operation. The full siphon intake should be lower than the emergency so that it can be fully submerged to start the siphon. Look up herbie system. The bean animal system is the same plus 1 more fail safe line. You can tune these to be dead silent which is pretty nice. Just read up on how those work.Good luck

03/06/2012, 02:33 AM	#10
jake koppen Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: lakewood Posts: 593	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pv3u...e_gdata_player

03/06/2012, 02:42 AM	#11
jake koppen Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: lakewood Posts: 593	You can leave the dorso on your emergency pipe and add an air line with a little valve on that too to tune the amount of air you let in with the trickling water. This method takes a few minutes on start up to create siphon, purge air and all that, so the water level will rise during that time but both lines should perform (like you have them set up now) on start up for a minute or two. Also it's really cool seeing all that water move around and it being dead silent. Neat trick to show off to your guests