SeaClear II with external sump?

[jw02]

Has anyone here successfully added an external sump to a SeaClear II tank? I'm not having good luck in getting the drain rate from the overflow box to match the return rate from the pump. I'm wondering if this is being caused by the fact that the SeaClear II has a built in sump. Here is what happens:

If I open the ball valve (on return pipe) all the way, then over time water will fill up the bioball chamber in SeaClear's built in sump. I haven't allowed this condition to exist long enough to see if the system ever achieves equilibrium.

If I close the ball valve a little too much, then eventually enough water gets robbed from the SeaClear that its built in sump runs dry.

My U-tube is fed into the pre-filter chamber of the SeaClear (just inside where the water enters the flowgate), and the return pipe empties into the skimmer chamber -- the chamber just next to the pre-filter chamber.

Any suggestions on how to fix this? Should I just ditch the bioballs and let the internal sump fill and hopefully attain some equalization in water level?

Thanks.

[PhilOlsen]

If this is a new set up, I would loose all the bio balls, if not remove them slowly, like a handful at a time. If you provide enough LR and a good skimmer the bio balls will cause a nitrate spike. As for the flow, you just need to tweak the valve after the pump to match the amount coming in, sometimes it takes a little time to get it right.

[Dragon Wrasse]

I have a Seaclear II 75 gal. and I am running a exsternal Little Giant (2-MDQX-SC) and a Hang On Back (HOB) Refugium, also my wet/dry is still running (bio-balls) I have also plumed in a UV filter. I will try and exsplane my set up the best I can....here it goes....As you know there is a internsal pump in the back at the end of the wet/dry filter, what I did is removed that pump and using 3/4 inch PVC I created one pipe that goes all the way to the bottom of that sump and at the bottom I used U-joints to rest at the bottom, I then ran the pipe up and out of the tank and down the back, I hooked into my Little Giant Mag pump (the pump is in the leg of my stand) I come out of the pump and up the back of the tank and then back into the tank, I used a barbed end and some food grade flexable hose and conected back into where the internal pump was hooked up........I left out how I ran into my UV filter and my "T" off the 3/4 inch pipe to 1/2 inch and a ball vaulve to feed my hang on back Refugium for ease of exsplanation.....I hope this makes a little sense to you but my system has been working great for over two years now....My Seaclear is highly modified, I have drilled holes for a HOB skimmer and to mount my power heads for my wavemaker....so far so good...if you have any more question, let me know....Oh, ya.....if you want your wet/dry to function properly you have to put a bubble wand at the bottom of the bio-balls to feed air to that chamber...you will see a small nipple at the bottom and in the plexi-glass where you can hook up an air hose.....

[jw02]

Thanks for the tips on getting the sump to work. I found that the adjustments for equalizing water flow were extremely sensitive, and the only thing that was able to give me fine control was using a host clamp to restrict the flow out from the sump. The screw on the hose clamp enabled me to make tiny adjustments.