How to measure the max and min levels

[Chris4Reef]

How does one know where the max fill line and min fill line are on the sump?

is there a way without flooding the sump to the top?

[bikeguy33]

there is,....what we always did was add water then shut off all power.....see where the line is and add accordingly....

[Chris4Reef]

makes sense but i cant figure that. Then the max can be anywhere.

[bikeguy33]

with no power it will be max height for the sump. fill it from there to an inch or so from the top....

[Chris4Reef]

and then plug it in so that water goes into the main aquarium?

[bikeguy33]

when power is off...water level in the sump will be at maximum. fill the sump with no power and you know the level will not go over the sump. we always allowed 2 or 3 inches from the top

[Carl]

I cannot add much but to say that what Bill (bikeguy) stated is EXACTLY how I found the maximum fill line on a sump so as to not over fill and then end up with a disaster at a clients home/office should power be cut to the pump.

I sometimes had more than one pump on some sumps (often a smaller one to run a UV Sterilizer that I required of my clients), so ALL pumps should be shut off for this test.

Carl

[goldenpuon]

Sorry to change the topic but what is a sump? I have never heard of that term before.

[Carl]

Apr 14, 2009 14:03:52 GMT -5 goldenpuon said:

Sorry to change the topic but what is a sump? I have never heard of that term before.

A sump is a smaller aquarium that is placed lower than the main aquarium to act as a filter; such as additional live rock, a wet/dry filter, a Refugium (plant filter for nitrate removal), deep sand bed filter, etc.

See a few diagrams here:
Marine Aquarium Set ups

Water usually flows via gravity from either an over flow or a siphon and is returned via a water pump.

Carl

[bikeguy33]

also renee...a sump is usually only used in larger tanks but it is incorporated in the nanos as well. the big disadvantage of a sump is the incredible evaporation rate you get, altho with a cover this can be minimized.

[goldenpuon]

I looked at the pictures in Carl's "Marine Aquarium Set Ups" article and I think I have a better idea of what a sump is/what the setup looks like. Thanks for clarifying. A very clever idea for filtration.