# HELP!!! How do I stop my wet/dry from overflowing??!!?!!!



## emolicious

Hi. I just got a whole tank set up for free from a friend, it includes 90 gallon tank, wet/dry system, protein skimmer, UV sterilizer, and a water pump. I don't really know too much about saltwater tank setup, though i have another 56 gal saltwater tank here that my friend helped me set. He is unavailable at the moment... So anyway I got the intake hose that flows the water into the wetdry, then i have the proteim skimmer and UV sterilizer that cycles in and out of it. Then i have the pump that sucks the water out of the wetdry and back into the tank. My problem is that the wet/dry box overflows w/water. The intake hose is larger than the return. Someone told me it's supposed to be like that. How do I regulate the waterflow so that the wetdry doesn't overflow? I don't know what I'm doing wrong... I put the waterpump valve to max return. Someone please help!!! I had to mop my entire house yesterday because the water overflowed, probably over 20 gal before i unplugged the whole unit and stopped it. And today my arms are so sore... I'm getting sooo frustrated!!!!!!!!! >;o (


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## SKAustin

It sounds as though you are missing the pre-filter. The pre-filter basically looks like a pair of breeder boxes with an unverted U shaped hose that goes from one box to the other. the water from the tank flows into the first box, which hangs inside the tank. it is then syphoned through the U hose into the second box which hangs outside the tank. the second box has a hose that traveles down to the wet/dry filter and sump. the pump then pumps the water back up. if the pump were to stop, the water would no longer enter the inner box of the prefilter, and the sump would not overflow. Photos of what you have may help a bit.


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## usmc121581

Actually its called an over flow box.  And what you or saying about a wet/dry system are you talking about a sump tank? You need to have a over flow box in order to regulate the flow of water into the sump tank. Then you will need at least a 680 gal/hr pond pump to return it back to the tank. Since you probaly don't have a over flow box there is nothing that controling the water going from the main to the sump so the pump can't pump the water fast enough back into the tank. Then say the power goes out the over flow box stops flowing but when the power comes back on the pump comes back on but the siphon action will not resume so you will flood the main tank. I had this happen 2X while I wasn't home so I went out and purchased a battery back up it cost around $200.00, but it is worth it. Here's a little trick; I pipe/tube whichever you have. Drill a tiny hole just below the water line that way when the power goes out your sump tank will not over flow. What the hole does is it breaks the suction from the tube and doesn't allow much water do back flow into the sump. This pic will illustrate what I am talking about.


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## SKAustin

usmc121581 said:


> Actually its called an over flow box.


Yeah well,  

LoL

But they also call it a prefilter.


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## usmc121581

I have never heard of it called a pre filter


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## SKAustin

Actually, since youve posted the photo, A pre filter looks nothing like what you display.


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## usmc121581

That was not my prefilter box. That is a pic of the tube coming from the subtank with the drilled hole right below the water line. That way it will break the suction sooner if the pump ever stopped working.


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