Valve on return line from sump??

[Bossman]

First post guys.

A little background as I'm a novice at best. I bought a red sea Max 260 set up just about a year ago now. I ran it completely stock with the sump and skimmer in the back, no under cabinet sump. It took me a bit to understand how everything worked but I got it. After a couple months I took out the red sea skimmer and put a hang on back Reef Octopus classic 2000 skimmer. And then a HOB (on the side) refugium. And then I installed a Tunze 3155 ATO. Oh, I also started running kalk through the ato which brought my PH from 7.4 to pretty stable 8.1 to 8.15. My parameters have been very stable with the exception of the PH which was taken care of with the kalk. Maybe someday I'll move up to 2-part dosing, but not quite ready yet.

The set up has worked really well with little problems, but then I wanted to graduate to an under cabinet sump. I want to make sure I understand and can operate this system before I move up to a larger more advanced tank. I have a Waterbox 130.4 on order and can't wait!

I set up the Red Sea sump as directed by red sea. I'm using a Reef Octo Varios 4 for return pump and a Reef Octo Essence 130 skimmer. The system uses a regulator on the down pipe to fine tune the level.

My issue is reaching a consistent level both in the sump and rear sump of the DT. I either run too low in the sump which makes the dt sump high or visa versa. The regulator is very sensitive and I give it a tiny tweek one way and it seems to be too much. I've tried running the pump on different speeds. Right now I'm on speed 4 of 5 and it seems better but still not finding a perfect setting to keep the levels consistent. I've been playing with this for a week and I think I have it, then I don't?!?!?

I have just started to use the stock red sea ATO which I will change out once I get the level situation straightened out. With a rear sump which most tanks don't seem to have, can I run the ATO in the rear sump or should it be in the return side of the sump only?

I've seen some use a valve on the return pump line to adjust instead of the down pipe regulator. Should I install a valve on the return pipe side?

Please excuse the sloppy wiring. It will be cleaned up and have an ato bucket placed in with kalk soon.

 

[JasonK84]

I'm sure people will be along shortly to give you a hand with this.
I'm no expert but fine tuning for a return pump is best using a gate valve. It can be used on either the drain to the sump or from the pump. A DC pump could also help as it would be adjustable. Someone better at this than me will probably have a more solid answer for you.

 

[ScooterV]

If you only have a single drain to the sump you shouldn't use any gate or ball valve. You would use those to adjust a full siphon drain so the open channel drain has just a trickle (or, in cases like mine more because it feeds a refugium on the other side, it still only controls the full siphon). To control how much goes UP to the tank you have a DC pump so can adjust that up and down. The drain will only drain the same amount pumped up.

I don't have a red sea though, so can't visualize even trying to use the back of tht along with an in stand sump at the same time though. Someone will be able to visualize that I'm sure

 

[cromag27]

 

[Bossman]

If you only have a single drain to the sump you shouldn't use any gate or ball valve.

I don't have a red sea though, so can't visualize even trying to use the back of tht along with an in stand sump at the same time though. Someone will be able to visualize that I'm sure

It does have the main drain pipe with regulator and then also an overflow drain pipe which sits higher then the main down pipe. Right now the water level is in between the two down pipes in the back.

With my minimal experience, I'm not sure if that back sump area complicates things or not when installing a under cabinet sump.

I turned the pump up one level last night and now it seems to be set. Fingers crossed.

 

[Bossman]

I'm sure people will be along shortly to give you a hand with this.
I'm no expert but fine tuning for a return pump is best using a gate valve. It can be used on either the drain to the sump or from the pump. A DC pump could also help as it would be adjustable. Someone better at this than me will probably have a more solid answer for you.

Thanks for the gate valve advice. I've seeing others using a gate valve and I wondered if that would be better.

And thanks for the Welcome guys! I've lurked on this site for a year and now will start to post some.

Love the Blennie's!! I have starry blenny in the tank in question, a lawnmower in my red sea 170 and have a bicolor on the way for my fluval 16.

 

[ScooterV]

By back sump area, is it acting only as an overflow? Water drains from the tank into the back, and then down to the sump? Hoped someone with a Red Sea wandered by But, if so, then set you pump first. Then adjust the valve on the full siphon down if it doesn't yet have full siphon. Then slowly close it until just a trickle goes through the second drain. Your level should stay right there then unless the pump slowly losses flow.

You'll also want to start with the pump off so you can set your sump water level to not flood the room when the pump turns off.

 

[Bossman]

By back sump area, is it acting only as an overflow? Water drains from the tank into the back, and then down to the sump? Hoped someone with a Red Sea wandered by But, if so, then set you pump first. Then adjust the valve on the full siphon down if it doesn't yet have full siphon. Then slowly close it until just a trickle goes through the second drain. Your level should stay right there then unless the pump slowly losses flow.

You'll also want to start with the pump off so you can set your sump water level to not flood the room when the pump turns off.

Yes, that pretty much describes the back sump. The dt is 55 gallon and the back sump area is 14 gallon I believe. Red sea calls it a 69 gallon system.

I've read this in another forum as well, to have the level set so it's just running into the overflow. Red sea says to have it set right between the two but it's like walking a tight rope to get the flow exactly set. I'll continue to adjust and give that a try. Thanks!

The sump is pretty big (tall) and when shut down there's still room left after the water drains down.

 

[JasonK84]

Love the Blennie's!! I have starry blenny in the tank in question, a lawnmower in my red sea 170 and have a bicolor on the way for my fluval 16.

My blennies came from the beach in Galveston Tx. The family went on vacation this past August and caught them. Here is a thread I started about them:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/pic-of-fish-or-other-hand-collected-by-you.480895/