PLEASE HELP QUICK

[Kristen Marie]

I am a total hopeless reef noob- who is trying to get my tank started. I am having one hell of a time figuring out how to get my sump started. We don't know how to start the suction from the overflow cup to the sump. Do we have to accomplish this step first before plugging in the return line? Please help...... I am so lost on this whole process!

 

[SPC]

Kristen, what type of overflow do you have?
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

If you have a u-tube that goes over the edge of the tank into a collection cup- first you need water in both the cup and the tank so both ends are submerged. Then shove some airline tubing up the u-tube and suck the air out. Then when the return pump raises the water level in the tank above the level in the cup the flow through the u will start.

Its been a long time since I used one of these. Somebody correct me if this is wrong!

 

[danmhippo]

Dan is always right!

If you have powerheads that has a siphon on the output, you can attach the airline you were going to manually suck out the air in the U-tube, attach it to the powerhead's siphone. Let the powerhead do the priming of the U-tube for you.

Dan