Raising My Water Level?

[texhorns98]

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It's one of the few compaints I have about my Ocea built tank. Part of it is my fault for requesting the smaller trim, but the overflow could have been adjusted (I think) to account for this. Anyone have any ideas how to either raise the level, or add something around the outside to cover the line? I thought about killing one of my drains and then upping my return pump, but I'm not sure that would make enough of a difference, and would probably make much more noise. Add a piece of acylic around the bottom of the overflow teeth?

 

[budsreef]

What do the drains look like on your tank, can they be raised?

 

[texhorns98]

Budsreef;335768 wrote: What do the drains look like on your tank, can they be raised?

Yeah, the can be raised and lowered, but they are already all the way up to the eurobracing. Any further and the little air hole would be closed off. Stinking eurobracing...that's the other thing I'm not happy about choosing!:mad2:

Acrylic across the teeth seems to work in theory. My teeth are probably a little over an inch, maybe? I'm guessing I would get a 1:1 on how much I shortened them to how much the water level raised. Not sure I have that much "to spare". I might have to look at some crown moulding or something.

 

[realfish]

I'd just put a solid backer on the overflow teeth. I use to have an old DAS built aquarium that allowed you to raise and lower the teeth.

Just silicone a strip of acrylic or glass to the back of them. Be carefull before you make it permanent, because it will both raise the level and potential reduce the amount of flow.

 

[realfish]

You could also raise the volume of your return pump or even just fill in some of the teeth.

 

[budsreef]

If it's a megaflow kit like I have, I cut off the nipple part that sticks up so I could raise mine a little more. I'd be a little leery of covering the teeth or upping the return. Besides the increased risk of flooding, you will also get more noise since the water in the tank will go up but the water level in the overflow will reamin at the lower level.

 

[one dumm hikk]

Take a piece of duct tape and tape the slots completely closed. See how the system performs. What you should see is the thickness of the water over the overflow will be thinner than what is going through the teeth now. Depending on how the teeth are cut as to whether it will be 1/2, 1/4 or even less thickness than it is now. If your teeth slots are the same width as the dividers between them, the water thickness will be 1/2. If you have 1/2" dividers and 1/4" slots, then it will be 1/3 as thick. It lowers the thickness over the top of the overflow box.
The reason is you are making the overflow larger by running it as a "toothless overflow". That will slow the water down so that it isn't as noisy and raise the water level up.
If you do it and the results are acceptable, you can then work on making a permanent adjustment to the tank.
One thing to test though with the duct tape. Many people test the sumps capacity to handle the display tank when the power goes off (and rightfully so). What many don't think about is whether the display can handle the sump if the drain gets stopped up. Test it by blocking off the drain until the pump runs almost dry. As long as the tank can handle the sump then raising the water level wont hurt anything.

 

[texhorns98]

I don't think raising the standpipes are going to do anything. As has been said, you'd have to raise them above the bottom of the teeth and that would cause you to lose your drains. I need to make up a good inch here. I also am not sure if covering the bottom of the teeth will do much, but I'll give it a trial run soon. Perhaps covering the bottom of the teeth AND getting a bigger return pump will do the trick? I only run an Eheim 1262 now and it's pushing maybe 850-900 gallons.

 

[texhorns98]

I feel bad calling you One Dumm, but that's what your name says!

I'll give that a try, but I already know my display can handle the return section of my sump. Tested that when I first set it up!

 

[weaglereefer]

Painters tape? Shouldn't leave any residue behind.

Honestly, if everything is running properly right now, I'd just get some trim or something. I don't like seeing the water level, except on rimless tanks.

 

[wbrown]

dunno if it's worth anything, could you drill a hole large enough to let the nipple on top of the standpipe poke through the eurobrace so you can raise it a bit more?

 

[texhorns98]

au01st;335943 wrote: Painters tape? Shouldn't leave any residue behind.

Honestly, if everything is running properly right now, I'd just get some trim or something. I don't like seeing the water level, except on rimless tanks.

Wish I would have run rimless...according to the builder, I could have with no real extra cost or adjustments. One of a few things I would have changed on this tank.

 

[texhorns98]

ares;335940 wrote: I wouldnt get a bigger return pump, again, itll be restricted by the teeth and raise the tank level, but in the end, all that water will A. have to find its way down the drain, which it may not do. and B. as was mentioned, you will have more water to settle out of the display to reach equilibrium, could potentially overflow the sump(probably not, depends if your on the cusp)

blocking the teeth with a horizontal bar will absolutely do the trick. it will be as though you rebuilt it and just cut the teeth less deep. could try the ducttape trick, so you can play with it without committing. though slightly curious if the adhesive on the tape might not be so good... I dont think its toxic, but all the same... I wouldnt eat duct tape glue.

I'm running 2 one inch drains (to 1.25 inch PVC) and 1 3/4 inch return. I'm pretty sure my drains can handle around 1200 GPH and I'm only running a little over half that now. ANyone else have an opinion on the duct tape toxicity? I probably won't try it tonight, but then again...I might!

 

[wbrown]

if you doubt the tape, use a large ziplock baggie, just cut a strip and let hydraulics hold it in place.

 

[one dumm hikk]

texhorns98;335942 wrote: I feel bad calling you One Dumm, but that's what your name says!

I'll give that a try, but I already know my display can handle the return section of my sump. Tested that when I first set it up!

Most people just call me Hikk

I did the duct tape experiment on my 90 without issues but it had very few softies in it so not sure about the true toxicity of it. You could use Saran Wrap or even a Ziploc bag. Or scrap acrylic. Just something to cause the water not to go through the teeth but over the top.

If your teeth are 1" deep, then you are going to have 1" less room if you block them off for the return pump. Most peoples tank can still handle it but its not something many people mention. It would be worth re-testing it since you would be changing the volume of water in the system and the water level in the display.

 

[texhorns98]

Wow...I just took some frags I got on Sunday and glued them to plugs, etc. I now realize what people mean when they say their skimmers go "crazy". I heard some noise and thought it was just my hands changing the water level, etc. Nope...my skimmer was going nuts and overflowing poo everywhere! Luckily, it was all back into the sump. Cleaned it up and no worries. I'll try this experiment we're speaking about another time. I've angered the "tank Gods" enough tonight! Thanks for the tips though, guys...I'm sure something here will work!

 

[fish scales2]

Tex, I am assuming that you are pumping about to about 5' head height which in turn you are getting almost 700 gal per hour. Your drains should be able to support 1250gph so increasing the pump size will not adversly affect you. But what I would personally do is block several of the teeth and the water will rise with no issue. Start by blocking just 2 or 3 and increase until you have achieved the prefered level.


I would be very weary about using in tape!!! Effects of the glue??? Lets not find out.

 

[fish scales2]

Fish Scales2;336031 wrote: Tex, I am assuming that you are pumping about to about 5' head height which in turn you are getting almost 700 gal per hour. Your drains should be able to support 1250gph so increasing the pump size will not adversly affect you. But what I would personally do is block several of the teeth and the water will rise with no issue. Start by blocking just 2 or 3 and increase until you have achieved the prefered level.

Be very careful about using any tape!!! The effects of the glue??? Lets not find out.

 

[texhorns98]

Thanks Chris,

I can try to block of teeth a little at a time, I suppose. I'm pushing just over 4, but not quite 5 feet of HP. How do you suggest blocking teeth as you describe?

 

[one dumm hikk]

When you block them off one at a time, you are limiting the surface area over the overflow box and that has an impact on the surface skimming capabilities of the overflow box by decreasing its linear width. It will also speed up the water going through the remaining slots. If you block them at all, block them all. You will even see better skimming capability running a "slotless overflow" box instead of the slots because it gives a greater linear distance to the overflow itself.