ReefKeeper1699
Non-member
I just noticed an issue that explains a lot..... Some of my corals were closed up a bit today and I noticed my tank water in my DT was low and has been for a while. I kept raising my drains to fill it back to height but then it would slowly get low again. Knowing the nature that when evaporating lowering of water level is only to happen in the refugium.
I thought my PVC drains were becoming loose. They are 90 degree elbows that I thought maybe kept swiveling down slowly making the water in the tank drain to a lower level.
Well I was wrong for sure lol. I decided for the heck of it to lift the carbon bag I have delicately draped over my sump return and noticed my sump pre filter sponge was all sucked in and clogged! (It's not slid over a strainer) I put my hand in the tank near the front of the return side and felt almost nothing coming out.... What I didn't realize is I have a power head pointing at the surface near it making it look like the return was blowing water back into the tank... It wasn't.
I pulled the sponge off, the DT started to fill and I lowered the drains back down till I was back at my original full level. Refugium was now low so I had to add water to compensate and bring it back to the proper level and rework my salinity.
Fish became a little spooked at first because it's been a bit since they had this amount of flow. Half hour after I did this corals opened up slightly more and I bet it will look 100% tommorow. I just need to buy a strainer for the sump pump so a snail won't work it's way in.
I wasn't thinking of looking at that and now know to check all pumps weekly.
My question to all of you is do you prefer a sponge on the intake sump pump or just a strainer. Please state your reasons whether it be because of more flow of copepods or constant clogging of sponge.
Also please give an opinion if you think this is why my Duncan's were starting to close and nitrates slowly went up a tiny bit. I am assuming I technically was barely filtering my water!!?? I am so glad I caught this.
Check your pumps!!!!
I thought my PVC drains were becoming loose. They are 90 degree elbows that I thought maybe kept swiveling down slowly making the water in the tank drain to a lower level.
Well I was wrong for sure lol. I decided for the heck of it to lift the carbon bag I have delicately draped over my sump return and noticed my sump pre filter sponge was all sucked in and clogged! (It's not slid over a strainer) I put my hand in the tank near the front of the return side and felt almost nothing coming out.... What I didn't realize is I have a power head pointing at the surface near it making it look like the return was blowing water back into the tank... It wasn't.
I pulled the sponge off, the DT started to fill and I lowered the drains back down till I was back at my original full level. Refugium was now low so I had to add water to compensate and bring it back to the proper level and rework my salinity.
Fish became a little spooked at first because it's been a bit since they had this amount of flow. Half hour after I did this corals opened up slightly more and I bet it will look 100% tommorow. I just need to buy a strainer for the sump pump so a snail won't work it's way in.
I wasn't thinking of looking at that and now know to check all pumps weekly.
My question to all of you is do you prefer a sponge on the intake sump pump or just a strainer. Please state your reasons whether it be because of more flow of copepods or constant clogging of sponge.
Also please give an opinion if you think this is why my Duncan's were starting to close and nitrates slowly went up a tiny bit. I am assuming I technically was barely filtering my water!!?? I am so glad I caught this.
Check your pumps!!!!
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tank is thriving since I pulled that clogged crappy sponge
