Need help with overflow gurgle...

jse08

jse08

Member
Hi everyone, I just set up my 36g bowfront with a 20H that I made into a sump. I'm using an Eshopps 600gph overflow box and a 500gph mag drive return pump. I replaced the standard bulkhead in the overflow with one that would accept 3/4" fittings because I couldn't find a metric adapter locally. My drainline consists of two 45* elbows and the pipe is all 3/4". Where the water enters the sump it really quiet and other than all the bubbles it produces I am happy with that. On the other hand, the overflow makes incredibly loud gurgling sounds that I can't seem to get rid of. I built a durso standpipe out of 3/4" pvc and drilled a small hole in the side of the cap/pipe so that I can adjust how much air can enter. No matter how I adjust the cap, it still gurgles. I tried it all the way closed but then the water level drains way down in the overflow box and will barely flow. I tried all the way open and the water level comes up but it still gurgles. I have tried various settings in between and the water level comes up, gurgles, drains, and repeats.
Can anyone PLEASE give me some insight on what I can do to stop the gurgling????
 
jse08

jse08

Member
I have one on the overflow already and its not working... I made it with a threaded fitting, 2.5" 3/4" pvc, 3/4" tee fitting, 90* elbow, and another 1.5" piece of 3/4" pipe with a cap on the end and a hole drilled in the side to regulate the air... it is still just as loud as before...
 
marcb

marcb

Member
Originally Posted by jse08
http:///forum/post/2938565
Anyone have any ideas? This thing is driving me nuts!
Well, only thing I can suggest is that on the durso site they say to use 1 1/4" PVC. Your 3/4 may just be too narrow for an effective durso pipe.
What I wound up doing with mine is getting adaptors to go from my bulkhead to a 1 1/4 PVC pipe and ran the pipe to about 1 to 1 1/2" below overflow. That quieted it down a lot, but it was still making noise. I played around with the intake, and noticed that if I disturbed the water flow into the pipe, the noise dissappeared. So I capped the pipe with just a PVC elbow, and it became completely silent.
I hope that helps, or at least gives you some ideas.
 
jse08

jse08

Member
I actually found an article from Richard Durso that does say the diameter of the pipe for the standpipe MUST be larger than the bulkhead so I made another one with 1". I could not fit the tee and 90 in my overflow box so I made a stockman pipe this time. It is definitely quieter than it was but it still makes some noise. I'm going to play around with the size of the air hole to see if I can make it better. I'm also going to make a lid for the box to help quiet it down some more.
Does anyone else have alot of bubbles coming out of their drainline into the sump? I seem to have pretty many in my setup...
 
veni vidi vici

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Mine used to do this on my old tank.Solution/I put a folded up towel over the box and i muffled the sound so i could barely hear it.
 
jse08

jse08

Member
I fiddled around with air hole and that plus the acrylic lid I made for it got the overflow almost completely silent.
Now for some reason the drain into the sump started making noise (was silent before) so now I need to troubleshoot that.
 
marcb

marcb

Member
Originally Posted by jse08
http:///forum/post/2941073
I fiddled around with air hole and that plus the acrylic lid I made for it got the overflow almost completely silent.
Now for some reason the drain into the sump started making noise (was silent before) so now I need to troubleshoot that.

OK, here's what I did to muffle the various noises from UNDER the tank.
I bought sound absorbing foam, used to line the walls of music studios, etc., and applied it all around the inside of my tank stand. The entire inside of my cabinet is lined with it. It definitely decreases the noise, and does provide some level of temperature insulation as well.
It is much easier to do before set-up, or as in my case, during construction, but you can add a bunch easily at any time. Cabinet doors are a great surface to mount a panel on.
 
jse08

jse08

Member
That's a pretty good idea... I can get that stuff where I work for pennies. Do you get a lot of bubbles from your drain line? I'm going to snap a picture of mine right now.
 
marcb

marcb

Member
Originally Posted by jse08
http:///forum/post/2941348
That's a pretty good idea... I can get that stuff where I work for pennies. Do you get a lot of bubbles from your drain line? I'm going to snap a picture of mine right now.
Yes, I do get bubbles from the air that is sucked down the bulkheads. I put submerged elbows at the end of my lines into the sump and its helped a lot.
 
jse08

jse08

Member
Ok I just a 45 on the end of my drain and it did seem to make a bit of a difference. I might try to find a 90 laying around and put that one on tomorrow.
I think most of my noise is still coming from my overflow box. I really need to play around with that some more. I am thinking of making the air hole bigger to see how that changes it. I can always move the cap alittle to make it smaller again.
 
jse08

jse08

Member
here is a picture of how my drain looks at the sump end: it seems like too many bubbles to me...
 
jse08

jse08

Member
well I removed my stockman standpipe and just put a piece of airline tubing a few inches down the drainline and problem solved! Now my attention is turned to quieting down the drain where it enters the sump and reducing the number of bubbles.
I totally blocked the front of the tank (because I haven't built my doors yet) and it is still pretty loud.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
the bubbling action is actually good. oxygenating your water will help you balance and keep your pH up and stable. As long as they aren't continuing all the way over to your return pump and getting microbubbles in your display tank, I wouldn't worry about it at all!!!
But, sounds like you are somewhat on the right track right now. keep it up!
 
marcb

marcb

Member
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2943837
the bubbling action is actually good. oxygenating your water will help you balance and keep your pH up and stable.

That my take as well, and why I didn't sweat the bubbles in my drain. As long as they don't interfere, and the noise is controlled, it OK.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
If it means a lot to you to not have bubbles in your tank - there's no way you can get around it, even with a durso standpipe (the bubbles) is to put a sponge or filter media around the drain line, that should cut down on some of the bubbles.
 
jse08

jse08

Member
The bubbles are gone before they get through the rubble rock I put in that first chamber so if they are actually beneficial, I will certainly leave that alone. On the other hand, the noise is still somewhat of an issue because its in my bedroom. Water noise does not bother me at all, but the gurgling noise does so I have been using a fan to help drown it out until I can get it figured out. I still get a tiny bit of noise from my overflow every once in a while but removing the standpipe and just sticking a piece of airline tubing through the bulkhead pretty much solved that. My two main problems now are gurgling from where the drain runs to the sump, and some vibrations from my Koralia 2 powerhead which is a totally different subject.
 
marcb

marcb

Member
Originally Posted by jse08
http:///forum/post/2944387
The bubbles are gone before they get through the rubble rock I put in that first chamber so if they are actually beneficial, I will certainly leave that alone. On the other hand, the noise is still somewhat of an issue because its in my bedroom. Water noise does not bother me at all, but the gurgling noise does so I have been using a fan to help drown it out until I can get it figured out. I still get a tiny bit of noise from my overflow every once in a while but removing the standpipe and just sticking a piece of airline tubing through the bulkhead pretty much solved that. My two main problems now are gurgling from where the drain runs to the sump, and some vibrations from my Koralia 2 powerhead which is a totally different subject.
I have that same gurgle you have, but it doesn't really bother me since the tank is out in the living room. What I THINK is causing it is that the flow rate into the overflow isnt exactly right for the pipe/overflow diameter to handle, and the pipe will periodically get overwhelmed and 'burp'.
IMO changing out the return pump to a slower rate might decrease flow into the overflow to a rate that the overflow can handle without the 'burp'. I havent done this on mine b/c the sound is not an issue. Might be something for you to consider if this seems to be the same problem with your configuration as well.
 
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