Need help!....or the tank has to go!! :(

BigityBock

Hi everyone! So I had my reef tank up for three years and LOVED it!! I moved a while ago and took the tank down. I started to set it up in my new place and never put a single fish or coral in it because I when I did my test run with just substrate and sand I remembered how much I HATE my noisy overflow.

So, I ask for your guys' help to figure this out (because I know many of you have quiet overflows) or I think I will get rid of the tank, which makes me sad, but I just can't deal with the noise.

Here's what I have:











So there it is. Lots of splashing. Lots of girgling. Lots of annoying. Please help!

reefsahoy

what size return pump do you have? how many gpm is it pumping?

BigityBock

The return pump is a QuietOne 2200 that flows 580 gallons per hour. The drain fitting for the tank is about 1 1/4 inches.

OH! and I was just thinking about this. the top piece has a hard, clear plastic straw in the top. You can see it in the pictures. It sticks up and down about 1.5 inches on either side. Is this supposed to have something attached to it either on the top or bottom?

reefsahoy

i think the way thats suppose to work is the water rises above the pipes and the sound shoul be contained within the pipe under the water so the sound gets muffeled. the hose sticking out of the top of the pvc is so air will get sucked in and the gurgling sound would stop and it would also break the siphon as the water falls to the sump.. try using a flex hose under the stand so the water can glide down as oppose to dropping down the pipe into the bag. i think that will help alot.

nothing is suppose to be attacked to the plastic hose at the top of the pipe.

BigityBock

Thanks for that explanation. I now get what you mean about the pipe muffling the sound. BUT I can't understand why there is a hole in the side of the pipe in the middle of the top "u" section. It was making noise so I covered it with some plastic and silicone.

A couple of questions.

Should the hole I covered remain covered?

Should the outlet be under water or above water? If the end of the outlet is above the sump water level it splashes. If it's below it gurgles from the air coming down the tube.

reefsahoy

if you turn off your pump and the sump doesnt overflow then that silicone hole should not be a problem.

where did you get that pipe? the reason i'm asking is that pipe should be a 1/4 inch bigger than the bulkhead. so if thats a standard bulkhead it's probably a 1 inch bulkhead and that pipe should be a 1-1/4 inch pipe with a reducer just before going into the bulkhead. also make sure the hole with the small straw like pipe is clear of any salt buildup so air can pass and stop siphoning.

i've used a flex hose from home depo for my return and got mine whisper quiet because the water doesn't fall but run down the hose.