SOS Sump Help Needed

[Seacow77]

So I finally set up my 45 and it looks great but.... of course it has a problem in order for the overflow to work the water level has to be way above the return, it was pre drilled this way. So if the power goes out, which it will im in the mountains it will overflow the big CY194 sump i have, besides the obious answer of getting a check valve and adding it in the return line what other options do i have? the return is a threaded bulk head is there anything i could attach to it to raise the "return" height. any ideas would be awesome. i have a feeling i will have to run to the store and locate a check valve though. And to top it off my legs on my light were not wide enough to rest of the top of the tank. its been a fun few hours.

[YHSublime]

I don't have any helpful answers here, but I would love to see a picture!

[John]

I bet the hole is meant to be a drain and not a return? Bring the return over the edge of the tank.

 

Pictures would help.

Edited March 28, 2013 by John

[surf&turf]

Put a piece of lock line in the bulk head and drill a small hole in it just below water level. It will stop the siphon.

Edited March 28, 2013 by surf&turf

[Seacow77]

loc line thats what its called, except i don't know bulkhead size, the tank was oddly drilled, it was drilled 3 inches below water lid twice, i closed one up and used the other as a return and have a cpr overflow box as the drain. i would take a picture but it's ultra cloudly my wife switched cars with me last second this morning and the other car had all my filter floss

[Seacow77]

[John]

Tank looks familiar...sell it and get a 57G...haha

[Seacow77]

Seems like this tank got around

[YHSublime]

I don't know if this will be of any use to you. I'm hopeless and still learning. I don't know if the offer is still on the table, but Jason Rhodes said he had some Loc-Line in that thread, and he is now in the area. Good guy, might still be able to offer it up.

[John]

YHSublime beat me to it...

Edited March 28, 2013 by John

[DCReefer1964]

I bet the hole is meant to be a drain and not a return? Bring the return over the edge of the tank.

 

Pictures would help.

correct!!!

[surf&turf]

Loc line only comes in 1/2 inch or 3/4. Those holes look like 3/4 inch. I wouldn't trust a check valve.

[Seacow77]

petco was a bust

[surf&turf]

Did you try Noahs?

[DCReefer1964]

You can use pvc with elbows to raise the returns in the tank 3 short straights + 2 90s use heat on tip of 3rd straight to flatten. Drill a small angle hole in pipe near the surface. This will break siphon during power outage.

[Seacow77]

noahs is closed with there weird hours, i got a 3/4 and 1 inch plug to figure out exact size and a check valve even if it does fail better to have it then not

[surf&turf]

Check valves are like anything else, they wear out. If we replaced them periodically, we would probably be ok.

[Rosco's Reefs]

You can use pvc with elbows to raise the returns in the tank 3 short straights + 2 90s use heat on tip of 3rd straight to flatten. Drill a small angle hole in pipe near the surface. This will break siphon during power outage.

 

This would be my recommendation but I have to say these almost don't look like returns but instead almost like those "sea-swirl" or closed-loop type water movers. Just a thought. You could also throw a couple of bulkheads on there and cap the holes and install another return higher up.

Edited March 29, 2013 by Rosco's Reefs

[Seacow77]

so after i bought threaded caps the bulk heads arent threaded and they are 1 inch not 3/4 on the upside check valve is installed