I put a T on my overflow, water won't go to refugium

split my Skimmer drain and refugium drain but water isn't going through the T and to the refugium. Do I need to regulate my overflow to accomplish this? That sounds like a disaster in the works.

 

Yep, Water goes the path of least resistance. Just add a gate valve to control to the one with the least resistance.

 

Are you saying it goes to one chamber but not the other? I put ball valves on both sides to control flow. I leave the side that goes to the skimmer all open and partly close the side that goes to the fuge. That way at least one side is open all the way all the time. 80% of the flow goes to the skimmer.

 

Yes, that's right. Not even a trickle to the refugium.

 

Does the other side terminate lower?

 

ya

 

Sounds like you have a choice between setting the drains at the same level or using ball valves. If you choose ball valves, make sure one is fully open just in case a snail takes the plunge and blocks up one side. I also used oversized pvc for the drains.

 

Oh, I thought you meant the baffle (i.e. the water level). The plumbing coming off of the T is 100% perpendicular to the downspout for the skimmer. The refugium downspout terminates higher than the skimmer one.

 

See below. The right side pipe is higher.

 

I would even take this up a step. Move up a step in ball valve, 1/2" pipe, use a 3/4" ball valve and reducers. Might just be that extra 1/8" that snail needs and do you need that $4 extra bucks?


I'm wishing I did this however, I'm never really done. I've come to accept that in this hobby