riddle me this riddle me that!!!

[trillyen]

ok explain this to me please....

If you fill up a 125 gallon tank and two 29 gallon tanks on the bottom of each side of the 125 gallon tank, use PVC to plumb it take every precaution you can to make sure the plumbing dosent leak and then come to find out that two sumps and two overflows and two different returns dont mix so you go off into a journey to get both the 29 gl tanks drilled to keep even water levels and as if having the tanks drilled isnt hassle enough the people at the glass shop drill the holes on the intake side of the already baffled dump instead of the out take side. So from there I go out and buy not 1 but 2 more different 29 gl tanks because the one that they just so happened to drill on the correct side decided to crack from one of the newly drilled holes.

So starting with 2 brand new 29 gl tanks take them back to the same place to have them drilled since the first time was a misunderstanding this time they did if I may add a awesome job and the holes were perfect so from there I proceed to get the bulkheads get them situated under my already filled with water 125 gl tank which was no easy task

So from there I get the tanks connected I feel them get the overflows going get the returns running adjust the overflows accordingly and let it run for about a week and of corse I fine tune any leaks and seal all the even minorist of leaks and let it run for not one day not two days but at least a week and not a sprinkle not a tinkle not a sprankle of water drips on the floor or equip or nothing. Sure like I may have said before I had a couple minor leaks in a couple spots but I put over kill of silicone on those spots and double checked those spots for certain with predjudice and found not a drip.

No leaks for a week so I'm thinking great I can add salt so I did so and ill be damn if the next morning I didnt have water on the floor and my over flows were in even on the amount of intake water they were dumping into the intake chamber in my sump one side was bubbling over while the other side was slow and barely coming out. I even solved this problem by adjusting the overflows yet AGAIN and it seemed to stop for a few and for a while but, now I know I have no leaks I am still getting water under one side of one of my sumps. I mean my floor is soaked. I dont know how it could be leaking now and not before and I really wish I knew where the water was coming fromthe whole thing is making me sick

but I think I fixed it I'd not the only thing I can think of is that its leaking from the bottom but if that was the case wouldnt the damn thing bust. Another guess I have is that it maybe bubbling over the side some how when I'm not here but I dont see how that could be cause both my overflows match

my intake chambers are very close to the tops of the tanks though and it could be possible


I do know that its not coming from any burststing bubbles though what I have is a soaked sfloir and no leak to try to seal I have no idea what to do and I really dont wanna tear the thing down I just wanna fix the problem

Also I now have ick in my 125 gallon from my blue tang and it killed my naso tang
So for the ne
xt 2 and a half months at the least my 125 gallon will be a 1.009 hospital tank
I
took all the clean up crew out and I dont have any corals in there just macro and skimmers running and im planning on adding a uv sterilizer
No
t looking for any sympathy from any one plaese just wondering what some thought are on this frustrating matter

some times I here like a big gulping bubbling sound from one of my overflows like its taking in too much water but while I'm over seeing the intake chambers neither bubblesover and ive sat and watched them for hours at a time

 

[krisfal]

You have my sympathy, it can be a frustrating hobby sometimes!

Do you have any saltcreep trails that could lead you to the leak? Is it possible it is seeping around the bulkheads in the two sumps? Also what about any airline tubing or cords that could be wicking the water out? Just throwing out some wild guesses.

Good luck, sorry to hear about the Naso tang, my naso is one of my favorite fishes, she will eat out of my hands!

 

[dnjan]

Please clarify your sumps:

How many sections do you have in each sump?

Which sections of the separate sumps are connected in order to make sure the water level in the sumps is constant?

I assume that the side of each sump that the water flows into from the tank overflows are connected. (Is this the part you are calling the sump intake?)

 

[trillyen]

thanks krisfal yeah I'll miss my naso I'm gonna get another one soon well here after my ick curing process.

Eat off your hands?? Dont they have teeth?? What do you hand feed it??

Yes I do have salt creep trails leading from one of my intake sumps its like its seeping over the top of the intake chamber so I covered it with some extra glass I had laying around. Seemed that it didnt have all that much water around the bottom of the one sump ive been having problems with today.

One thing I did forget to mention though is that ive noticed that when I add ro/di water to the chamber for a top off if I look at the area between the two CONNECTED sumps there will be a puddle of water there but both of the connections are bone dry where they are connected

So I have no idea where that puddle is coming from NO LEAKS on the tank what so ever but a puddle seeps our from somewhere

The sump does get ALMOST to the TOP of the tank / sump I dont know if it overflows out of the tank some where that I can't see or what but I dont know how a puddle of water can just appear out of no where

When the puddle appears all the sides of the tank are dry though so I dont know whats going on????

 

[krisfal]

thanks krisfal yeah I'll miss my naso I'm gonna get another one soon well here after my ick curing process.

Eat off your hands?? Dont they have teeth?? What do you hand feed it?

I feed her pieces of Nori by hand, havent gotten bitten yet! the Naso is very gentle, it is my sailfin that I worry about. I will not even work in the tank without my gloves as the sailfin likes to sneak up and slap at me with its tail, startles me everytime!

Yes I do have salt creep trails leading from one of my intake sumps its like its seeping over the top of the intake chamber so I covered it with some extra glass I had laying around. Seemed that it didnt have all that much water around the bottom of the one sump ive been having problems with today.

One thing I did forget to mention though is that ive noticed that when I add ro/di water to the chamber for a top off if I look at the area between the two CONNECTED sumps there will be a puddle of water there but both of the connections are bone dry where they are connected

So I have no idea where that puddle is coming from NO LEAKS on the tank what so ever but a puddle seeps our from somewhere

The sump does get ALMOST to the TOP of the tank / sump I dont know if it overflows out of the tank some where that I can't see or what but I dont know how a puddle of water can just appear out of no where

When the puddle appears all the sides of the tank are dry though so I dont know whats going on????

So could this leak actually be up higher than your normal operating sump level? You state that you find a puddle after top off and that sometimes the water level gets almost to the top of the sump, makes me think the leak may only happen with a high water level. My big display leaks if I let the water level get up to the top silicone bead, I have tried to fix the leak many times with no luck so I just keep the water level 1/2" below the silicone (oh and I ordered a new 400g tank to replace it with-that should fix it!).

It might help if you could post a picture of the current set-up and indicate where you are finding the water, maybe it will inspire new ideas.

 

[burning2nd]

while you have some of my sympathy.
i dont under stand what your trying to do.... the 2 returns didnt work as you were told i think a few months or weeks ago... i hope the water didnt damage your floors.

bulk heads dont require, silicone. nor do pvc... so im comfused as well. Purple primer clear glue, both sides twist 15 seconds, its not leaking no mater what.

did you test your system, after a power failure? (not just the return) Unplug the entire tank, and watch what happens.... turn it all back on watch what happens....
see if the siphone restarts.. make sure, simulated power failure

think gravity when looking for leaks,

good luck buddy... i hate hearing this... you will fix it and be fine.

 

[trillyen]

both the return chambers are connected

3 sections in each sump

Sump on the left has a 4 to 5 in. Deep sand bed. With macro

Other side middle chamber has equip like uv sterilizer heaters and out of the sump Berlin skimmer etc

Both sumps have live rock in the intake chamber which yes is where the water enters the sump

Return pump chamber has 700 GPH pump on one side and 500 gph pump on the other

 

[dnjan]

You want the intake sides of the sumps connected, not the return sides. The intake sides of the sumps should have the highest water levels, and are the part most likely to overflow. By connecting the intake sides you won't end up with one intake side getting too high (while the other side is fine) and overflowing.

 

[trillyen]

that makes since I didnt think it mattered. Boy if that proves to be the case I dont know what I'm gonna do. I'm not buying another 2 29 gl tanks no sir

I'm not sure what ill do

Is there any way to seal the holes of the bulk heads?? If not oh well I'll find some kind of use for them

If it does work how ever I'll just leave it be

 

[dnjan]

How did you attach the baffles in your sumps? Can't you just re-do the baffles so that the input side matches where the bulkhead holes are?

 

[trillyen]

hey wow man thanks you've been a real help and yeah I suspose I could redon baffles but after all ive been through with this set up I'm just gonna call it quits

Ive bent over backwards for this tank and all its done for me is give me a soggy floor

So of I go home tonight and its still spitting out water I'm gonna start the tear down

It wouldnt be that big of a deal if I didnt have to Redo my plumbing in my overflows I could handle redoing baffles I'm just outta the mood for it right now

I may just use one of the sumps and still use both pumps because both return chambers are sealed from the rest of the tank / sump and the other sump dosent have to be filled for the return chamber to be filled

Not sure what um gonna do guess I'll find out when I get home!!!

 

[OldFishMan]

Hello Trillyen;

I have found that purple primer and GRAY glue is much stronger than the clear glue. I use schedule 20/40 pipe.

I hookup 10-gallon back to back with one filter pulling from a tank and dumping in the other, I use two filters and a U-tube. No problems.

Maybe, give us a picture --- I would think it is an overflow issue if you can find no leaks. Nothing flows evenly for long. And, then there is Murphy's law

I use an old Penguin 330 -350 what ever I have and place the hole in the back of the filter for the overflow to the sump. ( cheap I know ) The bulkheads I use are threaded inside and outside -- I drill the hole so the top of the bulkhead inner hole is at the tanks normal water line. I use a long piece of airline feed to the top of the U tube and suck out the air to get this "highly creative low cost overflow" started.

The only thing you have to figure out is the (volume of the surface area of your main tank x the bulkhead inner hole size) and make sure your sump can handle the amount of water without overflowing. (return pump failure, etc,.)

I know your frustration --- I have 4-tanks in my bedroom and my 55-just split the lower seam right in the middle last year and started pouring. I was home and heard this waterfall It was a mess. And, when you keep 3-fish per gallon (fresh) I was a little crowded for awhile.

Good Luck!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If it broke down last month and you have not gotten around to repairing it, you may not need it!"


Enjoy!

OFM

 

[trillyen]

I went and got a tile cutter and broke off the top of one of my baffles and that stopped the problem altogether no matter how much it bubbles up now no water on the floor

Now I gotta turn my 125 into a qt tank cause my blue tang got ick

Thanks for all the help on the wet floor subject

My blue tang I have in my 29 gallon tank has a sunk in looking stomach and I can see his ribs but he is still eating what may be causing this

It can't be that I'm not feeding him right cause I feed home everything I feed my blue tang in my 125 and the one in the 125 is a fatty LOL

Thanks