Need Help Please Experts?! PICS

[liquidreamer]

I have a oceanic RR 75g. Overflow is 1" into a 28g sump running at about 18g. I have a 1" U pipe I made of PVC that drains into a 10g tank that is cut about 8 inches from the tub top that drains over the 10g fuge. Both ends of the U pipe are under water. I then have 3 glass baffles that are seperating the mag9.5 from the rest of the fuge and then returns with 3/4" vinyl tubing. I have 2 ball valves to control the return and one for the overflow.

Question is - is it this hard to tune the flow/water levels for everyone? It seems like when I get it running stable... i mark a line on the pump return chamber and 10 minutes later its coming up slowly or going down. Nothing obvious with the eyes, just levels are always changing. I know about evap - but there is no way that much is evaporating in like 10 minutes. I am tired of turning the bv's because no matter how hard you try - they always jump too far. Also - I think it has something to do with how my two tank/tub are connected. I purposely didnt glue the tub side elbow yet so I can point it up or down. when I point it sideways or up, the water levels in the pump return chamber go up and down (up when the cyphon sounds like its flushing and sucks water down) and then the opposite a few seconds later making the water level go down. if I submerge the elbow by turning it down, the water levels are MUCH nicer - but I'm still worried about letting this thing alone at work all day. Is there a pin-hole that I am missing that I need to drill or should I revamp this whole setup? Someone PLEASE advise... I was wanting to get started on rock/sand in the next few days

I will attach some pics.

[liquidreamer]

Here are a few more pics

[ellisz]

Does the U tube from the sump to the 10 gal work off a siphon or is it gravity fed? I would not want that set up if it depended on a siphon.

What is the overflow rated at? My 75 gal with the megaflo overflow is only rated at 600-650 gph. A Mag9.5 would have to be throttled back.

I have a similar set up except mine would drain into the 10 gal and I have a maxi1200 that pumps into another container for my fuge and then that container gravity feeds back into the sump. The container on the left is tall enough to do this.

HTH

[liquidreamer]

Well, I am assuming now it is off of cyphon. If left how I originally designed it and just pop off the elbow on the big sump that is pointing down (as previously stated, not glued on) then i guess that would be gravity. Only problem I saw with this at 2:30 last night was that the gravity wasn't enough or something... like the flow wasnt enough to go through the L pipe and supply my pump enough. I am going to go take the elbow off now that I am a little more familiar with the settings and see if that does better than how it currently is. I know about the mag 9.5 being overkill.... just went off of what everyone here says and got big and tuned down with a bv. Thanks for the super quick resonse - I'll keep yall posted.

Spencer

Ohh and by the way - I am almost positive my oceanic rr 75g with the megaflow is rated at 600 as well.

[ellisz]

You might have to put a bigger drain on the plastic container or do like I did and have the tank drain into the 10 gal and put a PH in the 10 to supply the plastic containter. You could then make the plastic container your refugium. You could always have some extra space in the spot you have sand in currently for LR. I have a section in my sump with just LR and my fuge is separate.

I guess you should not lose the siphon the way you have it but if you don't have to use a siphon then don't. Less chance for a wet floor later on.

Hopefully someone else will chime in but the above is how mine is set up so I know it works. There is always a different way

[liquidreamer]

Well thanks for the advice... I will see about implementing the 10g with a mj like you did