I have calibrating the flow rate!

[Claire Bear]

I have had a pretty easy time calibrating my sump pumps and returns. I was able to do the 120 gallon as it was plumbed and I only had to reconnect everything-no problem!
My 55 gallon has an overflow box and I just matched the size pump with the size overflow box I purchased-or I got really lucky-no problems!
However, I decided to add a sump to the 36g bowfront-it also has a hob refugium on back so this is actually a three tank set up with an overflow box and it is giving me fits.
I thought I had it pretty accurate and it was fine the first night but the next day was the cleaning day for this tank. I turned everything off and when I turned it back on-the sump either fills up and I have to remove water and put in the main display or after I adjust the valve, it then is too low!
ANY suggestions to easily calibrate this thing would make me smile as I am almost, Almost ready to pull the sump and just keep the hob refugium.
With addition of the refugium and sump, I am getting over 50 gallons and that is worth it-if I can get this kink out.
The overflow box has an adjustment and so does the rio pump-just can't seem to get them in sync!
So any help is appreciated!

 

[matsungit]

Actually you don't have to sync the overflow box. Just leave it wide open. You only have to adjust it for quietness but the flow rate will always be the same as what the return pump is giving. It's the return pump that you have to really adjust for flow.

 

[junebug]

Does the sump for the 36g have an overflow built into the tank, or is the overflow only for the HOB refugium?

 

[Claire Bear]

matsungit thank you for your response! You are my hero.
After reading what you wrote, it hit me that I was never going to be able to calibrate a match.
I had added the overflow to the refugium. Water circulates through it and then into the tank. By adding the overflow box to it, I simply could not match the flow. I couldn't sleep worrying about this tank, among other things and came down and read your response.
I now have the over flow on the side of the tank and the refugium on back (it has its own filter system and returns to the dt).
There is no longer a problem!
I will add a picture to this at some point. The reason I had it hanging on the refugium was cosmetic but the change is fine and it works-maybe I can get some sleep now!
edit: junebug, it has an overflow as part of the refugium but the overflow box was an after market add on that I added. I solved it after matsungit's question. Thank you for your response as well!

 

[matsungit]

Oh now I get haha. Glad I could help somehow even though I didn't get the whole picture. Yes, pictures please. I like looking at overflow and sump/refugium setups.

Here's pics of my overflow, return, and sump. My Eshopps PF300 overflow has a DIY Hofer Gurgle Buster that I made. There's ramshorn snails in there to control algae build up. Water level on the outside box can be controlled by sliding the "bell" up or down. You slide the air tube up or down to fine tune noise reduction. It's as silent as my canister filter. My sump or rather refugium doesn't look much. But I guess it's better than nothing. I only had gravel when I made it. It was supposed to be a Jaubert style deep sand bed. I left it that way and it works somewhat. The bottom cavity has some mulm in it but it's just a very shallow layer and it's been like that for over a year. The pipe inside the filter sock has a 90 degree elbow so that water is directed sideways and not down at the gravel. The plants you see in the sump are just some wild moss from my pond, some marimo balls, an anubias plant, and 4 nerite snails.