mag7 refugium question

I'm just setting up my first refugium and have put in a mag7 pump in that last chamber but the water level keeps getting so low that the pump sucks air. Is my pump too strong or is there something I need to tweak with this refugium? BTW it's turned off right now or the water level would be right where the pumps intake is. I would like it to stay as high as it is in the picture if possible.
Thanks

 

How big is your overflow and drain pipe? Do you have a ball valve on the return line?

 

The Mag 7 is pumping more water back to the display tank than the overflow is allowing down to the refugium. You need a slower pump, or a ball valve installed in the return line to throttle down the amount of water that the Mag pump is returning to the display tank.

 

It actually stopped sucking air and has leveled out right where the manufacturer says the water level should be but I think it's a waste of water space in the fuge, I was thinking of getting a valve too, thanks.

 

no skimmer?

 

No, I might not need one as I'm getting a bunch of live rock and am putting chaeto with dsb in that first chamber, plus will put some live rock inside the filter sock kind of like a wet dry; that might also help with the noise where the hose drains into the center chamber. I made a gurgle buster for the overflow which reduced that flushing sound so if I can insulate the pump some more to stop that vibration and some other minor fixes it should be working better. I'm going to put a valve on the return line and also one for that center chamber but it would seem the reason it was pumping dry was due to the placement of the overflow. I noticed that when the overflow mod let the water level get too high the pump sucked dry. Odd but it's staying right at the manufacturer's reccomended water line so that's good.

 

Did you try lowering the overflow box in the tank? The deeper the front box is inside the tank, the more water it drains out. This may help to keep up with your mag7. But I do agree that you should valve it, just in case. A protein skimmer would still help you a lot to clean your water better, regardless of the amount of rock or the placement of it.

- Mag.

 

I did lower the overflow box, forgot to mention that, and it did help a lot. Going to lowes today to buy valves. I will consider a skimmer, that space in the middle chamber would fit one nicely. There are so many choices, have any suggestions?

 

What size tank is it? Looks like maybe a 65 gallon. If its smaller than 90 I would go with a swc xtreme 160 cone

Xtreme 160 Cone Protein Skimmer

 

That was actually one I seriously considered; do you really think it's the best?