Sump Overflow

[anenome812]

I recently had a power outage and had an overflow. I have a 125g dt and a 25g sump. I can't figure out why because when I turn my pumps off, only a few extra gal flow back to the sump and doesn't come close to overflowing. Could something cause a siphon and drain my dt. I lost about 20 out of my tank and never want to go through that again.

[Tracy G]

Skimmer, reactors, and over time returns could pull more down. Turn everything off and give it 10 mins would get you a better test.

 

 

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[monkiboy]

exactly as tracy said. unplug everything and keep the hand on the cord for that return pump as you watch a new overflow again.

[anenome812]

I've had my system off for over 10min in the past but haven't tried it since. But how it can drain my dt down about 20 gal or better is beyond me unless somehow it was being siphoned 

[monkiboy]

you could have bonked the return and lowered it. do you have a check valve that might have failed? do you have a siphon break hole that might have gotten clogged?

[gmerek2]

There are siphon breaks that can sometimes be clogged by dirt snail etc. you can see or hear a trickle above water line when pumps are on. That's how you know they aren't clogged. On return lines just behind over flow wall one on each side. . Some stick nails or something to clear it monthly maintenance.

[John Ford]

There are siphon breaks that can sometimes be clogged by dirt snail etc. you can see or hear a trickle above water line when pumps are on. That's how you know they aren't clogged. On return lines just behind over flow wall one on each side. . Some stick nails or something to clear it monthly maintenance.

My wife still can't figure out where our skewers are going to

[anenome812]

after racking my brain for all possibilities "and your alls too" I now remember I had my return pump go out at that time and had a mag pump with a hose running  into the top of the tank until I fixed it. That was when the power went out and the hose was about 5" down in my dt and that was causing the siphon. I completely forgot about that because I fixed my return pump and removed the hose and I could turn all power off with no problems. Geez I feel like an idiot sometimes.

[TheyCallMeMr.703]

after racking my brain for all possibilities "and your alls too" I now remember I had my return pump go out at that time and had a mag pump with a hose running  into the top of the tank until I fixed it. That was when the power went out and the hose was about 5" down in my dt and that was causing the siphon. I completely forgot about that because I fixed my return pump and removed the hose and I could turn all power off with no problems. Geez I feel like an idiot sometimes.

I had a feeling it was that.lol. It does happen. Live and Learn....

  Now you know more, and can build yourself better upon such... and Not let it happen again...

[Origami]

after racking my brain for all possibilities "and your alls too" I now remember I had my return pump go out at that time and had a mag pump with a hose running  into the top of the tank until I fixed it. That was when the power went out and the hose was about 5" down in my dt and that was causing the siphon. I completely forgot about that because I fixed my return pump and removed the hose and I could turn all power off with no problems. Geez I feel like an idiot sometimes.

Don't beat yourself up over it. It's easy to look at a temporary setup as just temporary, and fail to consider the fail-over scenario. (next time, don't put the tube in so deep or gut a small siphon break into the tube just below the water line.) Did you get much flooding?