jude Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 The new tank I've set up has a triangular corner sectioned off and the water flows into that, falls to the bottom, then into a pipe and into the sump. Does anyone have any ideas for stopping the noise of the water pouring over the top and landing on the bottom? I've tried keeping overflow area full of water but the pump isn't powerful enough to return the water fast enough, so I had to restrict the flow into the sump. This is working but not very well. It decreases the turnover of water and if a fish manages to get through the grill it will cause a blockage. Any brilliant suggestions for ways to quiet the waterfall down? Cheers Jude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Filter wool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feelers Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 The return pump should not be how you set the water level in the overflow. It is a bad idea to restrict the pipe down into the sump, as a blockage could make your display overflow and your sump empty out. Normally you set the hight of the water with the height of the pipe in your overflow. Hanve a look here... http://www.dursostandpipes.com/ this is what I'd say the majority of reefers use. http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html this is a good link, there is an article down the bottom "everything you wanted to know about sumps but were afraid to ask" or something which is very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 I agree Feelers but there is no pipe - except for the one joined to the hole in the bottom of the tank. And there's no room to add one short of taking the whole thing to pieces, dismantling the tank, and starting again. So I need the next best option please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 I tried filter wool spidersweb and it slowed the flow down too much More suggestions please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Your bulkhead (the plumbing that goes through the bottom of the tank) should have a fitting on it so you can add a pipe. You can get bulkheads that just end with a flat dome, if this it what you have think about lowering the water level in the tank till it is below the top of the over flow, then remove and swap over the bulkhead for the other type. IMO this is the best way to make it quiet, but the other option I have seem to to fill the overflow with bioballs, have some filter wool on top, this gives you a nice trickel filter as well but could still make noise. Plus there is a little risk that if you forget to change the filter wool or have a lot of stuff go through it from a tank clean etc it might block up enough to overflow the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 That sounds to me like it might be the easiest option. I'm wondering about putting the bioballs in a mesh bag so they could be pulled out and rinsed when it got too yucky. The overflow is very visible so I'd hate it to look grungy. In the meantime I've been to the chemist and bought one of those scrunched up mesh bath cleaner thingies. I will try wedging that near the top of the overflow and see what happens. Cheers Jude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 The easiest solution I can see is to: GET A NEW TANK!!!! :lol: :lol: :bounce: :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 You can install a ball valve on the pipe at the bottom of the overflow weir. By slowly closing it, this will raise the water level. You will still need a cover over the pipe intake because if anything gets into the pipe it will block the valve and cause either: the pump to drain the sump or an overflow. I am running this setup but have an emergency overflow pipe as well. The water level keeps dead level (evaporation will cause it to go up and down unless topped up regularly) so haven't needed the backup yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 The trouble is, I can't. The triangular overflow section is fairly small and its directly under the bracing - which runs around all 4 sides of the tank. It's impossible to even get a syphon hose in there. Cheers Jude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Hmm I have the same problem but I can actually get into my overflow, the sound of the water rushing down the triangle overflow and hitting the bottom is quite loud and the sound of the water hitting the filter media below as well. I was planning to make a spray bar type arrangement at the bottom to stop that noise but was unsure how to stop the noise in the overflow, whats the ball valve supposed to do? Also my plumbing has a tap in it which I can use to adjust the water flow from the pump, is this bad for the pump because I close it a little to stop the water building up too much in the overflow and gurgling through the pipe into the bottom. I dont have the sump running at the moment because its in the lounge and too noise just have an external filter on the tank but would love to get the sump going just keep forgetting to post so im sorry to steal your post Jude but you reminded me.. :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 That's OK, you are welcome to borrow it any time :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 I told you how to do a standpipe, Jude. They're really easy to make and with the small return pump you're using should be very quiet. You should be able to get all the bits you need at Mitre-10 mega or bunnings. Make something like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Is that an air inlet valve on the top. On backflow prevention by air gap seperation it would be normal to have an outlet pipe of 4 times the diameter of the inlet. What is the relationship you use on sumps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Yes I know you did Ira - but you didn't tell me how to get it into the overflow area - we just can't access it at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 LOL Mystic - glad somebody understand me :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Yep, if I could find something like that it might work well. My son has suggested holey cheese ........ :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Thanks Mystic, I will have a look at them - hadn't thought of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Hmmm, From what I remember it didn't look like it'd be too hard to get a standpipe in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Hi Ira You would be more than welcome to come and look but we can't see how to get anything in there - the overflow is a triangle in the corner - approx 8cm out from the corner of the tank. Most of it is covered by the bracing which runs along the back and the end of the tank and is approx 4cm wide. Here's a rough sketch - not in proportion and I'm no tech drawer, but it gives an idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevan Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 How about doing a u bend with air hole to stop siphoning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 That's clever - like a standpipe but outside the tank? Cheers Jude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Yeah, that should work. Just set it up so the middle of the top U-bend is just below the top of the overflow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted September 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Cool - were you impressed with my tech drawing skills? :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 I don't know how confident I would be running a setup like that, you would wont to make sure you used really big pipe so you didn't get any back pressure and have a one way valve on the syphon hole so if the water did backup it wont flow out the hole. You could look at either removing the over flow so you can get access to put in a stand pipe, if could do this without having to empty that tank. You empty the over flow, replace the bulkhead (if you need to), cut out the overflow, put in the plumbing, glue back the over flow. Silicon will set under water and I have used wet silicon in my tanks many times without affecting the fish. You could also change the overflow to either be bigger to have a removable comb on top to you can access it in the future. The other option would be to drill the back of the tank in the over flow at the level you want and run your drain pipe from there instead of the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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