Sump HELP!!!

[danbe]

First the history. 45 g tank was set up last October and has been doing very well for my first one. I researched tons of info here before I started and continue to read it daily.https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/newt...ewthread&f=15#
bowdown
Ok. So I have started setting up my home made sump/refugium. It's a 10 gallon tank I placed baffels in. I refered to many of the DIY sump designs found on this site. I have one of the Tom Aquatics overflow skimmers with the aqua lifter and a Mag 9.5 for the return pump. I used the hoses that came with the overflow. They are not smooth hoses, sort of corrugated and flexible. The intake line is 1" and the return is 3/4". I plumbed in some pvc right at the sump so I have a ball valve on both lines. Everything is working but I have a few questions:
I am getting a LOT of bubbles coming down the intake line and it is pretty loud. Is this normal? If not any suggestions to get rid of them? Is it because they are not smooth hoses? My baffles seem to be working and I am not getting any bubbles back into the DT so that is good.
How close to the bottom of the sump tank should the intake line come? A couple of inches? Is there any rule of thumb?
I have the ball valve on my return cranked back about half way. Other wise it returns the water faster than it flows in. The overflow says it is rated at 1000gph and the Mag 9.5 rates at 800 (with the 3ft of head loss I have). With it turned half way down I may be only getting about 400gph. I was hoping for more. Did I buy a pump that is too big?
I will try to post a pic of the sump for everyone. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks

 

[cmaxwell39]

Bubbles coming down your drain line is normal. You have to have some air in the line for it to drain correctly. You could put some live rock rubble in your first chamber to help disperse some of the bubbles. Others may have some other ideas as well.
As far as your return pump, it may be oversized a little, but my guess is that you are getting more than 400 gph out of it even if you are throttled halfway back. A 1" line between your overflow and your sump is rated to carry 600 gph so that is what you are having to balance your pump to. When it is pushing more water than 600 gph back, the 1" line cannot handle the extra so the level in the tank goes up and will eventually overflow

 

[vicegrip]

The one thing I see that may help the noise and bubbles(maybe even the flow rate) is the line coming into the sump from the tank. try putting a 90 on the end and have the 90 flow in right at the waters surface.

 

[vicegrip]

I would have to say your return pump also is more than likely to big.
I have a 20G sump for my 75G tank and the 9.5 mag-drive
is almost to much for it. I had a 7 on it before and it worked alot quieter