how high do you fill your sump?

[treesprite]

It seems some people fill them all the way and other people fill lower to various percents.

[Rascal]

There's a simple method to it.

 

Turn off your return pump. Fill the sump up all the way. This is the maximum amount of water your system can hold without overflowing when the power goes out. Now start your return pump back up. The water level in your sump will drop. Take a marker or piece of tape or something and put a mark at the high water mark. This is where you should keep your water level.

[flowerseller]

We have a custom sump that allows us to add 10g to the system without it overflowing. I do this for water changes.

[jason the filter freak]

Sweet and simple, enought that if you have a power outage it can handle the water that drains down from your tank.

[bigJPDC]

. . . . plus a stuck float switch draining your ATO plus the volume in your overflow in case of a bulkhead failure.

 

Also, many skimmers have an optimal water level for operation, which can determine how high you make your baffles.

[Rascal]

Also, many skimmers have an optimal water level for operation, which can determine how high you make your baffles.

 

Good point. When figuring it out don't just turn of your return pump. Kill all of the power and let everything that is going to drain to your sump in the event of a power outage do so.