I'm trying to get my sump working because I want to add to my stocklist, but I can't get it working properly. First off, I think I have a Tom Aquarium Overflow with an Aqua Lifter AW-20 to help keep syphon going. The intake pump is hooked up to my skimmer. I believe my intake is a Sedra pump. That's working great and my skimmer is working fine, I don't have it hooked to the DT right now, it's just skimming my sump at the moment. Here's where I have problems...i have a rio 2100 return pump that doesn't work anymore for some reason. When it did work it was unreliable loosing pressure all the time. I'm thinking about going with a Danner Mag Drive 5 500 GPH. Does anyone have a Danner or can someone suggest something reliable? I don't need a strong return because I want the water to spend as much time in sump to get it nice and clean. But I'm not sure how much per hour my intake is bringing in. Also the piping is weak. I have flexible plastic tubing, should I PVC the woke darn thing? And should I get rid of the type of overflow that I have? I can't find anything about it really. I want to keep the Aqua Lifter and use it as an auto top off. Any and all help will be appreciated. Thank you.
Need Overflow Help
- Thread starter Sergie
- Start date
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carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have a CPR overflow with the aqualifter pump, LOVE it! lol hasnt let me down yet.
I'm running a mag 9 on my 90g adn like it very much. Its much better than the rio HF I have on my 125g I'll tell ya that! hehe
I don't think keeping the water in the sump any longer than necessary is really gonna "clean" the water any more than it has. I'm running about 1200gph thorugh my sump in the 125g and about 800 maybe in the 90g.
I'm running a mag 9 on my 90g adn like it very much. Its much better than the rio HF I have on my 125g I'll tell ya that! hehe
I don't think keeping the water in the sump any longer than necessary is really gonna "clean" the water any more than it has. I'm running about 1200gph thorugh my sump in the 125g and about 800 maybe in the 90g.
Are you using PVC or plastic tubing? Also in the process of moving...I can't remember where all the tubing goes from the Aqua lifter. Is there any way I could get a walkthrough or pics of your sump overflow system? I can't figure out if I have a Tom or CPR overflow, I know it's blue but can't find it online anywhere...
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm using a combination of tuning and PVC. I wanted the flexibility of moving things around so everything has some connection to a barbed fitting so i can move things around if I wanted. 
Here are some pictures of my overflow
Here are some pictures of my overflow
Well I definately don't have that overflow. Almost looks like the same design though. I just figured out I have an ASM protien skimmer. Until I get home and check the sedra pump I won't know what the GPH is. But I think it's only 100GPH. Does the sedra intake NEED to be connected to the overflow? Also where's the return on that CPR Carey?
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
I just have my overflow connected to the Aqualifter and the output goes into the back of the overflow. The return is about six feet away at the other end of the tank. I have a dual input CPR overflow so both of those are the input. Or did I not get your question ?LOL
I have a dual input CPR overflow so both of those are the input. Or did I not get your question ?LOL....I don't even think I understand what I was asking...the box I have is so complicated. Mine requires the two hoses from the aqua lifter, but then one hose splits off after connecting to a part of the overflow, and then that hose needs to connect to a different part of the overlfow. So there are three different connections and I can't remember which one connects where. My return is connected to my overlfow. This whole sump thing is driving me crazy. I have my sump running with the skimmer, it's up to temp, and I have my LR rubble and a small koralia moving the surface water, but I can't add all that nice water because this overflow is so complicated!
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
Can you get a picture? Thatd be great. 
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'll take a look at them and see if I can make any sense of them either. LOL
Youre very welcome.
Youre very welcome.
Ok first pic is overflow from the top. I have no idea if all the hoses are going from or to the aqua lifter correctly. Second is overflow from the front. Next is my sump intake. It's supposed to be hooked up from the protien skimmer? I don't have it hooked up right now because I wanted to skim the sump water to break the skimmer in. Next is a pic of my return. Is there anything I'm missing???
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
wow, that is one confusing setup. LOL
I can understand the overflow part but not sure about the skimmer and the extra line from the aqualifter. Is there a pump attached to the skimmer? They might have set it up with the power from the overflow running the skimmer too.
If thats the case you can get a pump for the skimmer and just have it run normally without extra hoses.
Wish I had a more definite answer for you, but I tried.
I can understand the overflow part but not sure about the skimmer and the extra line from the aqualifter. Is there a pump attached to the skimmer? They might have set it up with the power from the overflow running the skimmer too.
If thats the case you can get a pump for the skimmer and just have it run normally without extra hoses.
Wish I had a more definite answer for you, but I tried.
Yes there's a sedra 3500 hooked up to the skimmer that is supposed to pull 350 GPH but when I do hook up the pump to the overflow, it doesn't pull anything... The syphon won't stay going without the aqualifter being on. But i had them both on and the lifter didnt do anything. My return pump is dead so i dont know if the system wont even partially work without it. I'm going to buy a Danner Mag Drive 5 pump tomorrow and see if the return was the problem. Either way, something isn't working properly...thanks though Carey.
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have to keep my aqualifter pump running in order to maintain siphon as well.
Is the mag5 gonna be enough flow? after head loss you might be looking at maybe 300 350 gph.....
Is the mag5 gonna be enough flow? after head loss you might be looking at maybe 300 350 gph.....
I don't know I've been thinking about that. I've never used sumps until this one, and when it worked it worked great. The sedra pulling water in is only rated for 350 GPH so that's what makes me believe that the 5 will be ok but I'm open for suggestions...
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
well, in a normal setup the pump on the skimmer is kinda immaterial to the size of the return pump. If you arent using the return pump going through the skimmer then you might wanna get a larger mag pump. The overflow however can only handle what put into it and its max so you can also add a ball valve on the return line to throttle back any extra power the pump is supplying.
I'm still kinda confused by your whole setup. Wish we could get more information on that overflow, even the name brand so we can see what it can handle, thatd be a great starting point.
I'm still kinda confused by your whole setup. Wish we could get more information on that overflow, even the name brand so we can see what it can handle, thatd be a great starting point.
I wish I knew. I bought the whole sump and overflow set up used. I had to search everywhere to find out what my skimmer was. I think it's a Tom Aquarium Overflow box. But it doesn't say anywhere on the overflow as far as I can tell. I know CPR started using the Tom Aqua Lifter as a means of syphon and then Tom started using it also. I've been on the Tom website and I cannot find this model of overflow. I'm guessing it's discontinued.
My new pump shipped today...to the wrong address. Now marine depot has to request a reroute which means it'll take an extra day or two...I hope this solves my problem. I may PVC the whole thing and just keep a little tube for special bends. I went with the Mag 5 only because I already have 63 x turnover rate in my display, if I went any higher I'd have close to 70x and that just seems extreme. With 4 feet of hose the return should match what my skimmer pump is pulling into the sump.
Got my pump in today! After getting a ball valve, some other little attachments, and cursing alot I got it all running. Thank goodness! It's all running and I think I have the return set up to match the overflow. Thanks for all the help!
