had to have a rethink help needed

[evan47]

my tank has been set up with ceramic rock and live sand with a rw4 wave pump running ok but the problem i have is the drain noise in to the sump is way too loud for the living room.:sad2:
if i choose to can i forget about the sump for the time being, add some live rock to the tank and cycle it?
i plan to put in 5 pounds of live rock to seed things, hopefully cycle it and run it as a fish only set up (lightly stocked) with a hang on skimmer to aid filtration.
can i do this or do i need an extra hob filter too?
i am going to attempt to reduce the splashing noise from the drain by using a different pump with an adjustable flow and extending the drain to just below the water level (it is currently just about at the water level) or raising the height of the sump a little.
i am not too hopeful about reducing the noise but i am going to try.

 

[thegrun]

What type of drain system are you using? Do you have one, two or three drain lines? If you are not sure post pictures, you should be able to make the drain quiet. Yes you can cycle the tank without the sump, but it is a lot easier to correct things before you start the cycle. You do not need a hang on the back filter to cycle. The drain line should be extended an inch or two below the sump waterline, I like to use a 12" piece of silicone tubing for this so it can be moved around for maintenance.

 

[gottalikesharks]

Is the drain in the sump below the water level? Mine is by about 6" below..

 

[evan47]

the drain is a single durso in a corner weir.
the tube reaches the waterline but does not go below it.
there is a good inch or so difference in the water levels in the weir and display tank.
i was thinking of extending the drain and getting a pump with adjustable flow.
the tank is an aquaone minireef 120 litre.
the pipe does not gurgle it makes a loud trickling/splashing noise.