flow is too slow

[fish]

I'm trying to make a tiny system. (less than 100 gallon fish tank)
The system I'm trying to do is this:
Fish tank water goes to sump tank1 with gravity constant flow.
Sump tank1 water goes to Vegetable tank with gravity constant flow.
Vegetable tank water goes to sump tank2 with gravity constant flow.
Sump tank2 water goes to Fish tank with water pump.

When I tried to pump water to fish tank, the water goes up so fast (pump is strong) and the water slowly went to sump tank1. Very very slow. (When I had 5gallon fish tank and 10 gallon vegetable using auto siphon, it was so fast)
So, only one stroke of water goes to vegetable. (I made bunch of holes to the pvc to spread out, but just one small streak from one hole.)

How can I move the water quickly from fish tank to sump tank?

[Roger L.]

Try putting a "t" in that first part of the return line and run an air line straight up above tank level. Sounds like it is hydraulically locking up. That should increase the drain flow substantially.

[fish]

Thanks for msg.
Where should I put the 't'?
I didn't show the picture of the pipe around the water earlier. I have a 't' in the tank area. Is that the area you mentioned? or out of tank area?
Anyway, I will make it longer than tank for the current 't'.
By the way, when I removed the pipe at the wall of the tank (inside), still the water didn't move. tiny stream (like small leak) is flowing.

[Roger L.]

The "t" needs to be just on the outside of your tank so that the flow can get some air to draw in and prevent hydraulic lock.

[fish]

I see. Thanks much!

[Roger L.]

Let me know if that helps. I've been studying the pics some more and might have other thoughts.

[Aloha Don]

I had a similar problem with my system. Turned out to be there was too much pressure from the water in the target bucket vs. the source. I was trying to take the PVC to the bottom of the filter but that created too much pressure. I shortened it to only half way down the filter and it flowed smoothly.
Just my experience...

[fish]

I'm glad that it is not only me. After those happened, I emptied both bucket and fish tank water. Then I placed all pipes, added water in fish tank. That time it worked better. No more reverse flow.
Anyway, I rotated fish tank 180 degree so that the pipe shortened a lot and more space to make changes on the pipe. I haven't tried if it works yet though.