Filling tank and sump for first time

[JayD976]

This is not my first tank, but my first tank with a sump in about 10+ years. I have a new 76 gallon Fiji cube tank with Fiji cube advanced reef 20 sump. I have a bean animal style overflow and two return ports with check valves and nozzles sitting right around the overflow level to minimize back syphon in the event the check valves fail. I plan to keep the sump around the 9" mark on the middle and refugium sump chambers. Question is how do i properly fill thank tank and sump in this case without overflowing and marking my running and off lines on the sump given where I plan to keep it water level wise? Do i fill the tank and let it overflow into sump until almost full and then turn everything on until it levels out then adjust to where I want it or fill tank and sump up to the desired 9" mark then turn everything on and add water as needed? Should my return pump Sicce SDC 3.0 be set to lowest setting at first and dial it up as needed? Also, the gate valve on primary drain full open and tune as necessary?

These are all the reasons i stayed away from sumps for so long, but now its time given where im at in the hobby. My last one was a wet/dry when that was the popular thing a longgg time ago and it never seemed to work right so i ditched it and never went back.

 

[KrisReef]

FIll the sump to operational level.
Fill the tank, and keep filling letting the overflow put another gallon or two in the sump, but not causing a flood.

Turn on the pump at the lowest setting and see if it stablizes at the 9" mark, or not. Adjust pump speed to achieve the 9" depth.

Never rely on check valves to keep the available (siphon) water out of the sump. That is a path to failure that has many causes that lead to the bad result.

Keep heaters in the chambers that cannot be pumped or siphoned dry by accidental mishaps.

 

[JayD976]

at what point is it a matter of tuning the gate valve or the return pump? Gate valve to silence/fine tune the syphon and return for flow?

 

[Formulator]

at what point is it a matter of tuning the gate valve or the return pump? Gate valve to silence/fine tune the syphon and return for flow?

Unless you have a huge pump, you will likely need to have the gate valve partially closed to achieve a siphon. Start up the pump with the valve open, then slowly close the valve until your water level rises above the main drain and starts flowing into the secondary durso drain, but not high enough to start siphon on the second drain or reach the third drain (third drain should stay dry as it is the emergency backup).

 

[JayD976]

I have a Sicce Syncra SDC 3.0

 

[Formulator]

I have a Sicce Syncra SDC 3.0

What is the diameter of your drains? That pump likely won’t achieve siphon with wide open drains. I run an external iwaki more than twice the size/output and still have to close my gate about halfway on a 1 inch drain. Granted I have a basement sump so the head pressure reduces my pump output a bit.

 

[JayD976]

My drains are 1” and returns are 3/4” I have maybe 3-4ft of head pressure. But I have one pump T’d off to both returns.

 

[JayD976]

Ok I got my tank just below the overflow and my sump at the 10” mark. Should I fill the sump a little more since still need enough water to fill all the system lines? I ran out of water so if that’s the case I have to wait until tomorrow u til I have enough water.

 

[JayD976]

Up and running thanks gents.

 

[Saltwater Depot]

Up and running thanks gents.

congrats !

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Up and running thanks gents.

Congrats on getting it going!