180 g Acrylic set up

[TheWolfman]

Dc pumps wine, Ac pumps vibrate. The higher you have the dc pump set the louder it will ring. This is why people recommend going with a larger dc return pump and only run it on the low setting. The way you have your drains setup with a single drain you will always have some drain gurgling and chugging. It would help if you used a durso stand pipe to minimize the drain noise. You are experiencing what is know as bounce inside your weir. I’m not sure if your utilizing a gate valve but that would help dial in the flow to get that under control.

 

[DN328]

clm08k , we should be able to correct the drain issues no problem. To do so can you remind how you have it plumbed? I see that you have a full siphon drain in each overflow? Do you have gate valves or at least ball valves connected to each siphon drain? This is essentially the only way that you will be able to balance the return rate with the drain rate to control the water level in the overflow and eliminate the noise. Straight pipes you have are fine and no need to change.

The original height you had was actually preferred to the current higher level as you want the full siphon. However you want the water level to be only an inch or less lower than the weir so there is no splashing. Let's start with this.

 

[clm08k]

clm08k , we should be able to correct the drain issues no problem. To do so can you remind how you have it plumbed? I see that you have a full siphon drain in each overflow? Do you have gate valves or at least ball valves connected to each siphon drain? This is essentially the only way that you will be able to balance the return rate with the drain rate to control the water level in the overflow and eliminate the noise. Straight pipes you have are fine and no need to change.

The original height you had was actually preferred to the current higher level as you want the full siphon. However you want the water level to be only an inch or less lower than the weir so there is no splashing. Let's start with this.

Thank you. I am open to any help and rebuilding the entire thing if I have to.

I thought about using ball valves and actually purchased some. However, the ones I got from Home Depot were incredibly hard to turn, so I ended up returning them. I am amenable to purchasing them again if there is a way to fix this. My other hesitation is under the tank. The 1-inch drain pipes connect directly to the "pool hoses" of the wet-dry. Not really sure how this would work to connect with the ball valves. The 3/4 inch pipes that send water to the tank are connected to a T-valve that ends in the pump. Everything is secured with some ring clamps. I didn't set up this system and obviously don't know how to use it/adjust it.

This is going to sound dumb, but I can't figure out how to get the water level one inch or lower than the weir. That's why I ended up making the pipes really high. I tried this with multiple speed settings on the pump and just can't get the water level higher than the strainer. I will take a video tomorrow morning of the set up.

Dc pumps wine, Ac pumps vibrate. The higher you have the dc pump set the louder it will ring. This is why people recommend going with a larger dc return pump and only run it on the low setting. The way you have your drains setup with a single drain you will always have some drain gurgling and chugging. It would help if you used a durso stand pipe to minimize the drain noise. You are experiencing what is know as bounce inside your weir. I’m not sure if your utilizing a gate valve but that would help dial in the flow to get that under control.

Thank you for this knowledge. As mentioned, I don't know what I'm doing, so this is very helpful! I ended up sticking the pump on a sponge filter which I know is not a long term solution. The size of the wet dry is really small, which is why I didn't go with a larger pump. I am open to getting a bigger one or rigging a sump. At least with a filter sock, I have cleaned those before lol. Definitely will look into gate valves. As mentioned, I purchased some ball valves but couldn't turn them, so I returned them. Would gate valves work with the "pool hoses" under the tank?

 

[clm08k]

Thank you everyone for trying to help. I have the next 3-4 weeks where I can really work on things and hopefully

Interesting. I have two current usa pumps, the 1900 and 3100 gph models and they do produce that whine or ringing as you describe, especially louder at higher power. But yours sounds particularly loud...the only time I've heard mine that loud is with the 3100 on full power.

I have the 1900 gph mounted to a bulkhead inside the sump so that its suspended in the water just above the bottom. I think this helps with the noise. Its possible that with yours resting on the bottom that the sound is actually amplified a bit, resonating through the glass.

As far as the plumbing goes, I would lower the strainer a bit again, not as low as the first time you set it up, maybe an inch or so lower, so the top of the strainer is a little below the weir. Too low and you'll have a waterfall as you've found out, too high and its easier for air to get in.

What is your water level in sump/pump section? I've always found that the more water you have in the sump the easier it is to fine tune your plumbing and its actually easier on your pump too. I always fill the sump as much as possible, leaving just enough room to not flood in a power outage.

How are your drains coming into the sump? They should be submerged well below the waterline imo. if the drains are not submerged, air will get in and you will have gurgling and not be able to tune the sump for a consistent flow.

For the record, I do not like baffled sumps for freshwater setups. I constructed one before but got frustrated with many problems, namely the pump section running dry too fast because the baffles restricted flow. I only think they are really advantageous in marine setups where you would need to isolate different equipment and control the water level in each section.

My pump was on the bottom of the wet-dry sump, with suction cups. However, it was slanted and unable to stand straight due to the warping of the pond hose T-valve. I ended up putting it on a filter sponge for now which has quieted it substantially.
After reading this, I added a lot more water to the sump/tank. Originally the level was up to one bioball (about an inch above the pump). Now it is about 3 inches higher and a lot quieter. This sump is super small and doesn't seem to leave a lot of room for error tbh. Besides flooding, my other concern is the height from the surface. I have bichirs and they need at least 1 inch of space at the surface in order to breathe. What does a baffled sump mean? I will post a video of the sump drains tomorrow when it is day light. Thanks for the help!

 

[twentyleagues]

Thank you. I am open to any help and rebuilding the entire thing if I have to.

I thought about using ball valves and actually purchased some. However, the ones I got from Home Depot were incredibly hard to turn, so I ended up returning them. I am amenable to purchasing them again if there is a way to fix this. My other hesitation is under the tank. The 1-inch drain pipes connect directly to the "pool hoses" of the wet-dry. Not really sure how this would work to connect with the ball valves. The 3/4 inch pipes that send water to the tank are connected to a T-valve that ends in the pump. Everything is secured with some ring clamps. I didn't set up this system and obviously don't know how to use it/adjust it.

This is going to sound dumb, but I can't figure out how to get the water level one inch or lower than the weir. That's why I ended up making the pipes really high. I tried this with multiple speed settings on the pump and just can't get the water level higher than the strainer. I will take a video tomorrow morning of the set up.


Thank you for this knowledge. As mentioned, I don't know what I'm doing, so this is very helpful! I ended up sticking the pump on a sponge filter which I know is not a long term solution. The size of the wet dry is really small, which is why I didn't go with a larger pump. I am open to getting a bigger one or rigging a sump. At least with a filter sock, I have cleaned those before lol. Definitely will look into gate valves. As mentioned, I purchased some ball valves but couldn't turn them, so I returned them. Would gate valves work with the "pool hoses" under the tank?

You will put the gate valves in the pipe. Cut the pipe glue in the gate valve and you are good. Ball valves are not as adjustable you should really spend the extra on gate valves.

The opening to your drain pipe should be no lower then an inch below the strainer to help stop the noise of the water falling into the overflow.

You should read up on full syphon drain systems. But to do it that way you should really use the smaller return pipes as an emergency drain if you look at this type of set up. Full syphon will be much quieter then how you are running it now. Oh and you will just run the return over the back of the tank.

Wet drys will just be louder then most any sump system you run. The water falling over the non submerged media will create noise. But it's a very efficient way to filter a tank.

 

[clm08k]

You will put the gate valves in the pipe. Cut the pipe glue in the gate valve and you are good. Ball valves are not as adjustable you should really spend the extra on gate valves.

The opening to your drain pipe should be no lower then an inch below the strainer to help stop the noise of the water falling into the overflow.

You should read up on full syphon drain systems. But to do it that way you should really use the smaller return pipes as an emergency drain if you look at this type of set up. Full syphon will be much quieter then how you are running it now. Oh and you will just run the return over the back of the tank.

Wet drys will just be louder then most any sump system you run. The water falling over the non submerged media will create noise. But it's a very efficient way to filter a tank.

will look into full siphon! Thank you! Any particular pipe glue you recommend that's fish safe?

with the drain pipe: do you mean the top of the pvc should be no lower than an inch below the weir? the strainer is the "screen" that's on top of the drain pvc pipe? I'm still learning terminology.

 

[twentyleagues]

will look into full siphon! Thank you! Any particular pipe glue you recommend that's fish safe?

with the drain pipe: do you mean the top of the pvc should be no lower than an inch below the weir? the strainer is the "screen" that's on top of the drain pvc pipe? I'm still learning terminology.

Yes the weir.
If you go full syphon the above is invalid.

 

[clm08k]

Here’s a video of the setup and some other pics.

 

[clm08k]

clm08k , we should be able to correct the drain issues no problem. To do so can you remind how you have it plumbed? I see that you have a full siphon drain in each overflow? Do you have gate valves or at least ball valves connected to each siphon drain? This is essentially the only way that you will be able to balance the return rate with the drain rate to control the water level in the overflow and eliminate the noise. Straight pipes you have are fine and no need to change.

The original height you had was actually preferred to the current higher level as you want the full siphon. However you want the water level to be only an inch or less lower than the weir so there is no splashing. Let's start with this.

I can put the shorter pipes back in. Would the addition of the gate valve accomplish the water level being an inch less than the weir?
2. Do I put the gate valve underneath the bulkhead of the drain standpipe? I'm guessing I will have to cut a piece of PVC to attach this to the pool hose?
3. Is full siphon synonymous with herbie, bean animal, or durso?
Sorry for all the questions and all the posts.

I tried to do some research on the full siphon thing and found this thread. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dual-overflow-help.346810/
That setup looks very similar to my tank, but it seems like everybody is telling the person something different hah.

 

[DN328]

I can put the shorter pipes back in. Would the addition of the gate valve accomplish the water level being an inch less than the weir?
2. Do I put the gate valve underneath the bulkhead of the drain standpipe? I'm guessing I will have to cut a piece of PVC to attach this to the pool hose?
3. Is full siphon synonymous with herbie, bean animal, or durso?
Sorry for all the questions and all the posts.

I tried to do some research on the full siphon thing and found this thread. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dual-overflow-help.346810/
That setup looks very similar to my tank, but it seems like everybody is telling the person something different hah.

Generally it's good to have the full siphon drain ~6" below the water level within your overflow. This also helps create a full siphon quicker than if it was higher AND I'm OCD and I like the strainer fully submerged when fully running. Having said that, as long as it's fully siphoning it does not have to be 6".

The pictures/video you shared were helpful. Correct, ideally you'll want to connect a gate-vale to the PVC for finer control to adjust the rate in which it drains to your wet-dry sump. If you have a valve you could adjust down such that water level rises in your overflow. BE CAREFUL, as you have two primary drains and no e-drain, you'll want to make sure they will be able to take on the water returning from the return pump into your tank/oveflow.

Both the Herbie and BA have a primary full siphon and emergency drain. Technically the BA has a third completely dry e-drain. From what I've seen/read most people use the durso for the BA method. I prefer to use a hybrid. I use 3 straight pipes (like you) and it's essentially silent. It takes less room and easier to adjust as you can see the water trickling in the second drain pipe.

Here's a visual for general reference. I have an external overflow that's not too deep, so I just use a strainer for my primary drain. The other two pipes on the trickle drain and completely dry drain. The key is that I use a gate valve to control the water level. I hope this helped. Ask more questions if something isn't clear.