overflow noise, is this normal?? how to reduce?

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senos

90 Gal Marine
Nov 18, 2005
52
0
0
Toronto, Canada
Hello everyone...

ok so my new 90 gallon All-Glass overflow tank is all set-up and running (pictures in my other thread with link below)... and i turn everything on and notice that its pretty loud! After listening to all areas of the tank and filter, i realized that most of the noise is coming from the overflow at the back of the tank. I have the built-in overflow (with the big black overflow column). My sump is actually quiet, my return pump is quiet, my protein skimmer is quiet... the only thing making alot of noise is the overflow. I adjusted the plumbing in the overflow exactly how All-Glass suggests. Even the siphon-stop hole drilled in the return line elbow makes such a loud squirting sound! I can't take this constant noise! Its not soothing at all - especially when im trying to watch tv or relax on the couch. My freshwater tank is so quiet compared to this. Any suggestions? Tomorrow I will try slowing the flow rate of the return pump using a "T" and a ball-valve. But i dont know if this will help much....

my other thread with lots of pics...

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=475475#post475475

-Dave
 
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Oliver

Oliver
Jan 17, 2005
424
0
0
Perth, Western Australia
the problem is the flow rate! You have a little too much flow so the over flow box gets filled, then it takes out the water, but then gets filled too much. This makes a gurgeling noise. If you just turn the flow rate on the pump down a little bit it will be ok.
 

senos

90 Gal Marine
Nov 18, 2005
52
0
0
Toronto, Canada
hmmm... good point! I tried to pinch the nylon tubing coming out of my return pump (magdrive 9.5) it gets a little quieter however i can still hear some gurgling sounds (but much less). Im going to have to put a "T" fitting on the return hose and a ball valve redirecting water back into the sump right? I heard you must do this to slow down the flow rate of the return pump. Otherwise the pump overheats from backpressure and possibly break...

So how do I know how much flow rate is enough? Right now my return pump is flowing so fast (full speed) that it disturbs the sand at the bottom of the tank making a mess (even though it is pointed to the middle of the tank). And im sure my fish dont like all that crazy current in the water either...
 

mogurnda

vaguely present
Apr 29, 2003
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The overflow maxes out at 600 gph. I am using a mag 9 and have to throttle it down with a ball valve. I have a mag 7 I want to put in there, but I keep forgetting to buy the fitting to go from 3/4" to 1/2".

Since the pumps are designed to work against head pressure, it won't harm your pump to put a valve between it and the outflow. As long as you don't go too far.

One thing may help to make better use of the current from the return. I hated having only a single output from the return, so I put a loc-line Y on it, added aonther length of loc-line and a nozzle, and now have flow going in two directions. You can kind of see it in the photo below.
 

Oliver

Oliver
Jan 17, 2005
424
0
0
Perth, Western Australia
just try to have a little room between the water level and the bulkhead's top. this way the water dosn't get pushed down and the air is pushed through it, making it gurgle. My pumps have regulators that can be changed, it is easy.
 

senos

90 Gal Marine
Nov 18, 2005
52
0
0
Toronto, Canada
Ive decided im going the safe route with my new Magdrive 9.5 pump. Im not going to just put a ball valve in-line, im going to "T" off the output and put a ball valve on the line going back into the sump. This way I can divide the output 60/40, or 70/30 or whatever I want without slowing the pump down and putting much backflow on the pump. I paid $160 for that pump so I wanna be nice to it :)

Any idea exactly where I should put the ball-valve? I guess it would go on the end of the tube that goes back into the sump right? Or should it be on the tube after the "T" that goes back up to the tank?
 
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wastememphis

AC Members
Sep 6, 2003
963
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Buffalo, New York
www.peccaviparty.com
I've seen tanks with much larger pumps than a mag 9.5 on an AGA megaflow tank. I'm using a mag 9.5 and its loud like you said, its loud where they drilled a hole in the return line before it hits the head. Water comes out of the holes and even if you turn it all the way down water still comes out of that hole, so I don't think its the pump. I haven't figured out how to fix it but I was thinking of covering the hole and putting a 90 elbow, then a strait tube then a 90 elbow back into the tank water then have the piece to direct the water, this way the siphon can't pull water out of the tank since it would have to go straight up. Kinda how its impossible for a sea swirl to drain water out of the tank if the poewr goes out, since they are placed over top of the back glass with 90* elbows.

Neil.
 

wastememphis

AC Members
Sep 6, 2003
963
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Buffalo, New York
www.peccaviparty.com
btw, you paid more than doubble what that pump actually costs.
 

senos

90 Gal Marine
Nov 18, 2005
52
0
0
Toronto, Canada
Ya, I know... well thats Canadian dollars and including 15% tax. The local fish store here (Big Al's) is REALLY expensive. And I didnt have time to order it off ebay because I already had the damsels in the tank and my other pump was too weak. So i know I overpaid :(

anyway the noise part is the siphon-break hole, you are right. water squirts very fast out of there making a loud noise. But when you slow the flow rate of the pump (which I did today), you can barely hear that squirting anymore, and the gurgling slows down.
 

mogurnda

vaguely present
Apr 29, 2003
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wastememphis said:
I've seen tanks with much larger pumps than a mag 9.5 on an AGA megaflow tank. I'm using a mag 9.5 and its loud like you said, its loud where they drilled a hole in the return line before it hits the head. Water comes out of the holes and even if you turn it all the way down water still comes out of that hole, so I don't think its the pump. I haven't figured out how to fix it but I was thinking of covering the hole and putting a 90 elbow, then a strait tube then a 90 elbow back into the tank water then have the piece to direct the water, this way the siphon can't pull water out of the tank since it would have to go straight up. Kinda how its impossible for a sea swirl to drain water out of the tank if the poewr goes out, since they are placed over top of the back glass with 90* elbows.

Neil.
Guess it depends on your plumbing. When my mag is running on full, the megaflow starts to slurp.

I'm unclear what you mean by a seaswirl being unable to drain a tank. If you have a siphon, it doesn't matter how many up and down twists and turns the pipes make, the water will follow them to the low point. SeaSwirl recommends drilling a siphon break.
 
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