sump help needed for newbie....

[dunl]

Feel free to move this to the newbie section if needed...

Here's a picture of my current overflow elbow in the tank....notice the reflection point.....

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid188/p897130225ac9ca40629a53e7026a2ee2/f22937ba.jpg

Using a Mag12 in a 15 gallon sump. The noise in the overflow has been lessened by inserting some baffling, but the noise in the pipe leading to the sump is a constant draining noise.

Set up is such: water enters 3" overflow, goes through reducer and elbow and through glass, through 2" elbow and 2" vertical pipe, another 2" elbow and 2" horizontal pipe to bring it under the stand, another 2" elbow and 2" vertical pipe (slight slant) to bring it into the sump.

Looking at the HOfer and Stockman designs, but do they only reduce noise on the overflow, when it is the standpipe that seems to be noisiest?
Thanks,
Dunl

[martym]

do a search an the durso method
http://www.aurx.net/saltwater/durso.html
This method is suppoese to be quite good.

[dunl]

I don't think a durso would work with my setup? I don't a have a built in overflow, rather a hole drilled in the side of the tank, and an elbow running through the glass.

[Beermaster]

bulid an overflow box for it Dunl

[dunl]

Just wondering why? Could the tank not be fixed somehow the way it is right now?

[Richer]

Did the former owner of the tank tell you how he had it setup?

The way you've got it... I think the only way is to pump a ball valve on the drain end and adjust it to the point where the flushing noise goes away. Problem is, with that kind of setup, all it'll take is a snail to block the drain and your tank will flood.

-Rich

[dunl]

Did the former owner of the tank tell you how he had it setup?

Not yet. It was Danny's, but I haven't seen him online this weekend yet.

The way you've got it... I think the only way is to pump a ball valve on the drain end and adjust it to the point where the flushing noise goes away. Problem is, with that kind of setup, all it'll take is a snail to block the drain and your tank will flood.

I was thinking of that too, but came to the same conclusion. I guess I could make a Hofer Gurgle Buster to fit the 3" fitting inside the tank, but then would that cut down the noise in the vertical piping?

Another idea I had was to put a reduce on the end in the sump, so that the pipe would fill instead of water sloshing around it.....the problem with that would be that if it is reduced enough to fill, that means the water being pumped in would be greater, eventually creating a flood.

[Psyire]

The Hofer Gurgle buster works wonders, but you'd have to build a small overflow to put it in as it would suck stuff from your tank into the drain.

I think your only safe and quiet option is to add an overflow box, something similar to this: http://www.barraquatic.com/overflows.php

[dunl]

The bigger problem is the noise from the standpipe,not the overflow.

[mr_alberta]

Noise as in vibrational noise or noise as in bubbles being sucked into the pipe? You could put a tee on the outside just after the bulkhead (rather than an elbow like you said you had a couple posts up) with a PVC cap on one side. Drill a hole in the cap (start small, go larger as needed) until you get just the right amout of air in the pipe. That should help you cut down some of the noise. It would be like setting up a half-external durso.

[dunl]

Noise as in a sloshing water noise? Like the pipe is too wide, maybe?

[dunl]

Also, how would I attch a Hofer to the 3" overflow? Just friction fit it inside?

[Psyire]

The noise is caused by Air, plain and simple. You need to eliminate the excess air and to do that you need a gurgle buster or durso. To use either of these you need an Overflow. Adding a T like Newguy said I don't think will work as it will just suck the air from your 3" opening. A gurgle buster is essentially the same as a durso, just you don't need as much space in the overflow. You 'might' be able to friction fit a pvc pipe with holes drilled in it, inside your 3" pipe and slide it up and down until your flowrates mesh. It's risky as the top of the gurgle buster pipe would probably be above your tank maximum level. In the event of something like a snail getting sucked in, your tank will overflow as there is no chance of a syphon being created with the rising water level.

[dunl]

I'm above average with cichlids, but feel like a complete idiot here.

So you're saying that I need a gurgle buster, but it will probably overflow my tank at some point?

How about this: instead of the 3" overflow that is on top of the elbow leading through the glass.....what about another elbow facing down into the water?

[Psyire]

Due to your hole being quite low in the glass you need an overflow box. Otherwise modifying your drain so that it's completely submerged will cause your tank level to drop greatly. By doing this you can use either a durso in a similar fashion to what 'newguy' said, or you can use a gurgle buster as you will be able to have it lower than your tank level so that it won't flood over. This is the reason that all drilled tanks have overflows, if they didn't need them they wouldn't have them. You could also try cutting your flowrate through the sump way back and adding an additional powerhead to the display to make up for the loss of flow. The less water flow through the drain the less the noise 'should' be.

[dunl]

With the elbow, I was thinking the water would have to flow up the elbow and over into the drain.....I guess it would still drop just as much, like a regular siphon only larger....