RDWC water flow problems

I have set up a system of four 5 gallon buckets. Lets call the bucket closest to the recirculation pump bucket 1 and the last bucket before the water dumps into the res. bucket 4. My problem is bucket 1 fills up way to much. Bucket 3 water level is a little lower than 4, 3 is higher than 2, 2 is higher than 1. I have my pump turned down all the way. Thanks for the hel[!!!!

Check to make sure EVERYTHING is level & you drain/return lines aren't kinked!!!

got any pics of your setup? sounds like you need bigger return/flow lines. what's the inner diameter of your lines? and how many gph is your pump. I had the same problem even with a little pump and 1/2" lines. upgraded to 1" ID and it went good.

I route my tubing in series, rather than in line.

I think what you may need to do is have a bigger line out of the first bucket to the rest of them,I tryed to do the same thing you are and I had to run a larger line out than in,I had a 1/2 line in with 1/2 plus a 1 inch line going out and you may want to put a ball valve on the line going to the first bucket to control your flow,after doing this the level in the buckets stayed the same but was moving alot of water,what size pump are you useing mine was a 400 gph and I had to use the ball valve to control the flow