Another lesson learned

[mvallee]

The lesson learned was keep your return lines higher up in the water for those just in case moments when your siphon breaks are plugged.

I was doing my normal water change, turning off the return pump and siphoning from the DT. While I was futzing with the pump from the mix barrel I heard a crack from behind me, I turn around to look at my Sump fearing the sump was blowing out, it's a 55 gallon acrylic and the water was an inch from the top (normally 7 inches), the tank was bowing way out and the bubble baffles were popping their seams. It had stopped an inch from the surface so no real damage done but I have adjusted my returns to be higher in the water after cleaning out the pin holes that are supposed to break the siphon.

I've been doing this for 2 years now and this has never happened.

Now to figure out whether/how to repair the seams or build another sturdier sump.

 

[reefstarter]

yikes close call . Thats why I runn a 150 G stock tank , with about 10 inches of clearance from the top to water level ( which I accidently filled with RO once ) lol

 

[mvallee]

I am planning on moving the sump and all parts of the filtration down to the basement and thinking a large stock tank would be perfect. It would already be done if I did not have to clean out the basement first of years of Schtuff

 

[reefstarter]

be sure to take your time with it set up the sump with different " chambers " so to speak . an area for rock , skimmer reactors , algae scrubber etc . and so you can walk all around it to be able to clean it out easily

 

[Flame Angel]

I am just happy to hear this was not a total disaster.

 

[G.T]

check your syphon holes regular! simple fix.

 

[Curren007K]

You can always cut in a Red Flag true union check valve to your return line.
They're made of all plastic components and that way if the power's cut and the water tries to siphon back into you're sump the ball inside blocks the backward flow.