Replumbing a loud tank

[kingrl2]

I have a 75 gallon tank that's a drilled tank with one stand pipe in each of the back corners, left corner is a return pipe that goes all the way to the top of the water line and it has a flat cap on the top that seems to disperse the water back into the tank. The right corner has a pipe that extends to the water line and has an overflow built around it. Looks kind of like a crown ontop of the pipe. Anyway, the drain is REALLY REALLY LOUD. I think understand most of the different options for overflows (beananimal, herbie, durso pipe) but my question is, since this tank has no builtin overflow, except the one around the top of the standpipe, what should I do? I've thought about just plugging the holes and then drilling the back, or drilling an additional hole next to the drain pipe and then installing an additional standpipe and running the herbie overflow. I've also thought about cutting the return pipe off just below the waterline and using that as the primary drain and the other as the emergency (herbie). Then run a new pipe up the back of the tank and over the top for the return. Either way, I run into the problem with it not having a true overflow box.What do you guys think?

I'm probably not explaining it very well, I'll try to post pictures of the current standpipes this evening. I've searched the web and I just can't find a tank with only two standpipes, each on opposite sides of the tank, with no overflows.

 

[Fizz71]

I think I follow.

Did you ever consider installing your own overflow? It's not like overflows are anything special, you can buy kits or build your own. The simplest method would be to wrap both pipes in an overflow and run both as dursos. In order to run anything else you're going to have to drill. I personally would not like ANY holes in the bottom of my tank NOT wrapped in an overflow--I hope you have the heavy duty bulkheads on those!

If you decide to drill I'd see if the back is drillable (not tempered) and go with something from glass holes. Maybe convert the bottom holes to a closed loop or just seal them up.

3rd option would be to add more holes to the bottom and wrap them in overflows then you could go beananimal or herbie.

 

[Fizz71]

BTW...in theory you could put a "crown" (your words) on top of BOTH pipes with the one a little higher than the other. Then on the lower one use a gate to restrict the flow and leave the other one dry as an emergency drain. That would basically be a "herbie" concept.

Actually...now that I think of it...to hell with the second crown since it's an emergency drain anyway. Just restrict your drain pipe and leave the other one open above the water line. So that means converting your return to an emergency drain and adding new returns...a 75g herbie.

 

[MondoBongo]

i've actually been fighting a similar battle myself, but with a HOB overflow.

i got some Dynamat like stuff (the real deal was too much $$ so i went for a knockoff) and covered the inside of my stand with it, and placed some behind the stand where the back is open to the wall. this helped a little bit.

i made a herbie style pipe for both the drains on my HOB overflow box.

but by far the biggest improvement was when i throttled back my return pump.

i am using a mag7 on my return which has a 1/2" outlet on it. i added a 1/2" to 1" adapter, that joined it to a 1" ball valve on a true union, then on the other side of that a 1" to 1/2" adapter to hook it in to my 1/2"ID return line.

cutting down the amount of water being returned gave me the best gurgle reduction so far.

 

[coralsnaked]

I would install my own overflow and utilize a maggie muffler on top for the drain side and on the return side I would change the flat cap to an acellerator style nozzle. All are easy cheap fixes.

 

[kingrl2]

Thanks for the responses guys, I really appreciate the help.

I think I'm liking the idea of turning this into a herbie. When running the new return line up the back, I could run it up the center and then split it using loc-line and then send the water across both sides of the tank. My wife will be happy, she loved the looks of the pipes in the back of the tank (they are covered with several layers of coraline). If the wife is happy, I'm happy lol

Now I just go to install some overflows. Anyone know where I can purchase those curved corner overflows? I've found allot of the square ones, but none of the rounded ones.

 

[Fizz71]

You could ask Melev if he does curves...
http://www.melevsreef.com/shop/overflows.html

You could also contact Marineland..
http://www.marineland.com/contact-us-aquarium-help-and-support.aspx
...since I know they have them, I'm just not sure they'll sell you JUST the overflow. There's also no guarantee they make them the size you need.