Pot scrubbers keep floating

[foundanewglory]

Hi,

THis may be a very silly question but I finally got my sump flowing but the pot scrubbers float. What do you do to make them stay put?

I'm so excited that I finally got the sump going, I'm scared to leave it on all night...... this is my first time and I am paranoid it is going to flood my garage....eeek.

[Turtlemaxxx]

I think your scrubbies are floating because to water level is too high. they are usually suspended above the water level and the water just drips through them, hense wet/ dry filter.

otherwise you can use some egg crate with weights to hold them down.

-matt

ps: any chance of a picture of this thing?

[jeff@zina.com]

The chamber gets filled with pot scrubbers so there's no room to float. Water has to flow through them, not under or around them. A picture or diagram of your sump might help.

Jeff

[foundanewglory]

I took some pics hopefully thet are in the right angle. THis is my first time doing a sump so bare with me...... also what can I do to prevent all the bubbles? I am adding co2 once I get everything going and i know bubbles are co2's enemy...

[jeff@zina.com]

Scrubbies look fine, it looks like water must travel through them to continue. That looks like foam, not bubbles. Are you sure you didn't introduce detergents?

Jeff

[foundanewglory]

Everything is new other than the sump itself....I used filter floss to weigh down the scrubbies.

[discussmith]

I don't see a drip plate. (unless you removed it for pictures) I see a toothed wall between the overflow well and the drip well. The water level will rise until it can flow over the toothed wall and into the potscrubber well. Without a drip plate to disperse the water and drip through and allow air to mix it will not flow through the potscrubbers but just fill that well with water until it moves to the return pump well. This will also help hold the scrubbers in place. You will still get biofiltration but only to the amount of oxygen already in the water not like you see in a wet-dry sump. You seem to have the wet but not the dry.

[foundanewglory]

hmmm. I understand now... so I basicaly need to pusy down the pot scrubbers with...say a piece of egg crate and let water disperse that way??? I thought about making more chambers also.....should I move the scrubbies from the middle to the right? that is where the water comes from ........

[discussmith]

Egg crate won't do the job. It will let the water through too fast. Unfortunately you need a plate with holes in it so the water runs across the plate and drips through as much area as possible. It's a pain but you can drill plexiglass with a metal drill bit or you can saw slots halfway through in one direction and then flip it over and saw slots in a perpendicular direction. Where the slots intersect will be a hole the size of the width of the blade. You will need a table saw with a fine toothed blade for acrylic.

[foundanewglory]

I couldn't sleep for the life of me yesterday and I kept thinking about this problem. I did think "hmm you need a drip pan" so at 2 AM I went outside to get measurements. During my lunch I am going to take a small trip to Lowes :)

[Graham]

here's basic pic of what should be going on.

http://www.fototime.com/8C8DBE98596906B/standard.jpg

[foundanewglory]

$=+@-**!*!

I forgot a piece is was going to replicate this morning! grrrr. I set it down to grab my lunch and didn't pick it back up. I realized this when I pulled into the parking lot....sigh* I think I'll
l just pick up some pool sand and silicone....

[foundanewglory]

So I am redo-ing the sump/filter. I was just wondering if I should add more holes to the drip tray? I ordered another pump since the pump I have is way over kill. I am wondering if it will drip enough to produce the overflow effect to the return pump?

[Graham]

:o Drill some more holes....You want as much water as the pump is going to send back to the tank to be able to get through. The water can't back up at the drip plate. In a lot of cased I won't use a drip plate but a sprinkler head to avoid this problem.

[Ed13]

So I am redo-ing the sump/filter. I was just wondering if I should add more holes to the drip tray? I ordered another pump since the pump I have is way over kill. I am wondering if it will drip enough to produce the overflow effect to the return pump?
From the pic it seems you do have too few holes.

[foundanewglory]

So i took out the drip tray to start drilling more holes...not fun at all. My hand is cramping from holding the drill in the "drill position" lol. Sadly I have to stop and work on my English paper that is due tommorow. booo

[Graham]

aaaah the life of a fish hobbyist;)

[foundanewglory]

SO i finally got the holes drilled. Now I am just wondering. If I need another wall? ....to prevent water from coming back into the sponges..... I drew on the picture where I would put another wall