Blasted Rio!

[aquarookie]

Well, I have had my tank running sumpless since I upgraded to the 125 a couple of months ago. The bulkheads were installed in the overflow, but I had not finished the return pipe above them, or the plumbing below... Today I spent all day designing, measuring, cutting and glueing PVC... Everything looked great. I filled the sump with freshly mixed saltwater, double-checked all the fittings and turned on the return pump. Yippee!!!

And guess what? The Rio 3100 is way too darn powerful, even with almost four feet of head and a few 90 degree elbows. It nearly flooded my tank (thankfully I was able to unplug it in time) and it just isn't going to work

I have a 1.5" drain. What pump should I use in order to be under the limits of the drain? Sadly, I did not listen to the wise ones and did not install two drain pipes. Live and learn, huh? :lol:

 

[aquarookie]

Oh, pardon me, between the tank and the overflow the drain holes add up to 1.17 sq inch (while the 1.5 inch overflow is 1.7 sq inches). I may try to open up the little holes (there are six of them, half an inch in diameter)... But it is hard to open up holes with livestock in the tank. What was I thinking? I should have calculated their area before filling the tank... Oops again!

 

[matts125]

I wouldnt run any thing larger than a 700gph pump for the return. Actually for a 125 I would go with something around 500 gph.
also make sure that the drain from the overflow box doesnt have any level pipe on the way to the sump. it should all be at a angle downwards...

How many GPH is the Rio 3100?

Matt

 

[aquarookie]

Matt,

I would have to look up specs on the Rio, but I know it is comparable to a Mag 3... I replaced the Rio with a Powerhead 802... The little holes are barely keeping up with it. I will be drilling more holes maybe tomorrow (I know my fish will hate the noise, but I imagine they will recover). I don't know what I was doing when I counted them... there are only five and I said there were six... ha ha

And the drain is a straight vertical pipe, so that's nice and easy

Thanks

Julia

I wouldnt run any thing larger than a 700gph pump for the return. Actually for a 125 I would go with something around 500 gph.
also make sure that the drain from the overflow box doesnt have any level pipe on the way to the sump. it should all be at a angle downwards...

How many GPH is the Rio 3100?

Matt

 

[Meche]

I would have to look up specs on the Rio, but I know it is comparable to a Mag 3

That might be your problem. The Mag3 is 350GPH and the Rio3100 is 1,000GPH.

 

[Reefdaddy1]

1.5 pipe should put out about 1200 GPH of flow. IS your OF working at capacity? I would look at that as well.

 

[Meche]

between the tank and the overflow the drain holes add up to 1.17 sq inch (while the 1.5 inch overflow is 1.7 sq inches). I may try to open up the little holes (there are six of them, half an inch in diameter)...

Is your overflow box drying up? Or does it hold water?

If your 1.5" drain is unobstructed then it should easly out pace your 5 small holes and dry up your overflow (I don't mean dry to the touch, just empty). If this is the case then the weak link is more likely the holes.

If, on the other hand the overflow is overflowing into the tank and both are about to spill-over, then your drain is probably obstructed.

Do you have pictures of your set up?

 

[Skimmy]

can you just put a valve on your rio and restrict it??

but for the record, i dont think you should trust your tank to a rio powerhead...

 

[Meche]

can you just put a valve on your rio and restrict it??

No Mark, there is something broken.

I replaced the Rio with a Powerhead 802...

The 802 is 400GPH, and I'm sure much less with 4' of head.

 

[ccorral]

What about T off the Rio 3100 and run water to either your skimmer or phoshate reactor.
something does not sound right as a 1.5" bulk head can handle 1000 gph without a problem. Droping down to a mag 3 or a pump that does only 350-400 gallons is a mistake. I would not run a 300 gph filter on a 125 gallon freshwater tank.
Possible problems.
1. slots do not allow enough water to the drain.
2. Drain pipe is angled to overflow properly
3. No vent tube for drain.
4. After BH ID tubing is restricted and not straight 1.5" ID tubing

 

[Meche]

What about T off the Rio 3100 and run water to either your skimmer or phoshate reactor.
something does not sound right as a 1.5" bulk head can handle 1000 gph without a problem.

I think that is what Mark was suggesting, more or less.

But, your right there is something else amiss. To slow down the flow (however you do it) would be to ignore the problem, not fix it.

 

[aquarookie]

can you just put a valve on your rio and restrict it??

but for the record, i dont think you should trust your tank to a rio powerhead...

Mark, I will kick your behind! :lol: What the heck is wrong with a Rio? Hee hee

Aside from that, yes, I believe the slots (or rather holes) do not allow enough flow thru them. Downgrading to the 802 is just temporary (some flow is better than no flow). I am just trying to decide what is the best way to drill more holes. I am not the one who installed the overflow in the tank... Had it been me, I would have made it wide open, so it can allow tons of flow. I am not sure if I should just drill four more holes (one in between each existing pair) or just take a hacksaw and cut a wide slot, then put a plastic mesh so that fish don't go through it... The hacksaw method would allow more flow, but also stress the heck out of my fish... And I really don't want to take out 250 lbs of rock and catch all my fish in order to open up the holes...

 

[Meche]

Can you get any pictures? I would like to see what your dealing with.

 

[aquarookie]

Can you get any pictures? I would like to see what your dealing with.

My camera went AWOL, but here is a drawing (represents the little holes). I can either drill four more holes in between, or cut the whole shebang with a hacksaw so it becomes one long wide slot...

 

[Meche]

cut it and get some of that plastic grill mesh.

 

[aquarookie]

Brett, that's what I was thinking, but don't you think the sound from the electric hacksaw would stress out the fish extremely?

 

[Meche]

Whats your other option? Take the whole tank apart and transfer the fish over to another temp tank?

 

[aquarookie]

Whats your other option? Take the whole tank apart and transfer the fish over to another temp tank?

Well, that's the option I am trying to avoid... The other option is to drill more holes. Not as effective, but I believe it is less stressful for the fish (quicker than the hack saw and a bit smoother, too).

Ha ha, I was wrong about the rio 3100, it is nowhere near the equivalent of a mag 3, it pumps almost 3 times as much water :lol:

 

[ccorral]

Slot the holes from the top/ How many inches is your over flow box? You can buy pre made over flows just search on line. you need a min. of a 5 x 5 over flow. I would go 6 x 6

 

[TWallace]

Mark, I will kick your behind! :lol: What the heck is wrong with a Rio? Hee hee

I don't know if you were being sarcastic, but I've heard many horror stories about Rio pumps failing and leaking some black goo into the water, killing everything. I only use a Rio for mixing new saltwater, I wouldn't let it run in my system.

I use a Mag 7 for the return on my 55g. It's around 480gph at 4' head.