Overflow drain is TOO LOUD, please help!

[Pheeshes]

Well, we had the tank drilled so there is a bulkheadabout 4 inches down from the top of the tank. that has a 90 degree fitting on it that goes up to a screen that the water flow through and down to the sump. on the back side of the bulk head there is a T fitting that points up and down. the top of the T has a cap on it with an 1/8 inch vent hole drilled in it. the side that points down has hose down into the sump.

i talked to the guy that drilled my tank and he thought my setup in the sump was my problem. the hose came through the back of the stand parallel to the ground, then i had a 90 degree fitting with about 5 inches of PVC tubing straight down. he thought the 90 combined with the depth or the return line was causing the sound.

So, i cut off the 90 and now the hose just goes out towards the front of the sump and sits about 2 inches below the water line. this didn't help the problem. i've also tried drilling the hole in the vent cap on the T fitting bigger with no luck there either.

I'm about to pull my hair out this thing is so stinking loud.

i'll try to get some pics up a little later if that might help

 

[Reefmore]

Try a Durso fitting...worked wonders for my tank

 

[indydog1]

have you tried putting airline tubing in the vent hole? you use the tubing and adjust it up or down inside the hole until the noise is virtually gone. it work like a champ for mine.

 

[mfinn]

How big are the pvc lines and what return pump are you using?
Also the 1/8" hole at the top of the tee on the outside of the tank sounds a little small.
On my last tank that was a 180 gallon, I had that same setup. I drilled a 3/16" hole and may have enlarged it a little to find the "sweet spot" for my flow rate.

 

[Pheeshes]

it's on my 75 gallon tank, the return pump is a mag 5 and the PVC is 1 1/2 inch. what do you mean about the airline? like take a piece and slide it through the hole and down into the vent cap? i don't think a durso would work because the hole is in the back glass and not the bottom plus the hole is only about 4 inches from the top of the tank.

 

[Pheeshes]

here is a pic of the drain in the tank

This is what the return in the sump used to look like. it is now just the tubing empying right next to the glass about 1-2 inches below the water surface.

 

[mfinn]

Describe the noise. Is it a flushing sound in the pipe or just water in the sump, or gurgling in the 90?

 

[AquamanE]

Check this recent thread, some usefull info. I had same problem. I placed a ball valve on return, as water was rushing down too fast. Tank is now silent.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1302477

 

[Pheeshes]

i think the sound is just the rushing water and so does my wife. would it be bad to just increase the flow of the return pump or will it have to be a flow restriction to quiet it down

 

[mfinn]

If it is the sound of water going down the pipe, then I don't think you could do much except reduce the flow, and with a mag 5 for a return pump, I don't think I would do that right away. There may be a couple noise reducing tricks you could try.
You could try different ways to block the noise. One may be using something to cover the pvc pipe with something that absorbs sound. There is a type of rubber foam insulation that goes around pipes that might do the job. I use some plywood to block the view of my plumbing behind my tank, that cuts down a little noise.
Try and cover it somehow, but if all else fails try a valve inline and cut the flow. I'm not a big fan of that, but many people do it.