265 gallon giving me a big headache

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Stingray12

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 27, 2007
579
0
16
Saranac Lake, NY
Have it set up but not running. It has saltwater in it but the filtration is wanting to make me just sell it.

I need a new overflow box, i dont think that its doing the gph its supposed to, and its extremely loud.

The tubing the goes into the sump from the overflow box leaks, where it is connected to the overflow box, I have it clamped and siliconed around it.

Im thinking about using pvc pipe with pvc cement. Will this work? I will lose much flexibility though.

Also when you turn off the return pumps, water comes in from the tank into the sump out of the return pumps? Is there anything you can buy to stop this?
 
Stingray12;3030868; said:
Have it set up but not running. It has saltwater in it but the filtration is wanting to make me just sell it.

I need a new overflow box, i dont think that its doing the gph its supposed to, and its extremely loud.

The tubing the goes into the sump from the overflow box leaks, where it is connected to the overflow box, I have it clamped and siliconed around it.

Im thinking about using pvc pipe with pvc cement. Will this work? I will lose much flexibility though.

Also when you turn off the return pumps, water comes in from the tank into the sump out of the return pumps? Is there anything you can buy to stop this?
Click to expand...

IMO_
Overflow boxes are always loud......Also if pump is not matched to overflow-it will create problems and noises.

Overflow box where it leaks-Should just have to replace bulkhead IMO...or atleast thats how my old one is setup......

When you turn the pumps off-There will always be water that returns to the sump-
One should have enough room in their sump for this to happen if setup properly...
 
on a 265 i would use at minimum a 55 gallon for a sump, a 75 being ideal. The deeper in the water the return nozzles are the more water the will "back syphon" into the sump. This is normal but the exact reason you need have a large enough sump. one method that is outlined is drilling an 1/8 inch hole on the underside of the nozzel. this is done were it connects to the elbows on the return stack pipe. It sounds confusing but its not, i wish i had a picture for you but my system is not setup this way, sorry.

The noise is common, there have been a few designs on drain silencers, aka, a durso. Google overflow silencer and you will find designs, drawings, pics etc... make one and see if it works. there are a few designs out there and im pretty sure the name durso is one of them. I have a mag 18 on a 120 full open, with 2 mega overflows both rated for 900gph. The overflow should be able to handle only slightly more GPH then the pump can make. Example, if your pushing 1200gph into the tank, your overflow(s) need to be able to handle 1400-1600 Anymore then that and you could get a gurgling noise.

the leak on the overflow box, which im guessing is an after market HOB overflow box can be fixed by replacing the bulk head. After the old one is removed, take a cotton ball with some rubbing alchol or white vinegar on it and clean around the hole to ensure that water, grime and evertyhing else is removed and put on a new bulkhead. Be sure to get the rubber washer on the proper side, Most are designed to be on the inside vs on the outside, this creates a good seal once properly tightened.
 
Thanks for the info, the bulk head is not leaking on the overflow, the tubing the connects to the bulkhead is leaking, its clamped and siliconed and it still leaks.

The overflow is a cpr overflow 1200 gph that came with the tank. POS IMHO.

Im planning on buying a lifereef overflow box 1200 gph and a lifereef 600 gph overflow, making a total of 1800 gph, almost a 7 time turnover

The sump is going to be made out of a 55 gallon since that it was I have. I tried making it but I got the silicon from a hardware store(aquarium safe) and it leaks, dont think it was made for this, wasted $20. What kind of silicon do you reccomend?

Also, Im extremely broke atm, buying this drained my money and it wasnt that great of a buy since I have to replace most of the equipment.

I have the tank filled up with sw. If I have circulation in the tank, will it be ok for a while? I dont what to drain it, because the sw cost a lot of money.
 
use pvc glue, make sure its dry and you will likely never have to worry about it again. as for silicone use ge silicone II just make sure the tube dosen't have the "Bio guard" and the key to using it is wetting your finger to spread it out on the glass. hope this helps.
 
there is an overflow box available on bigalsonline.com to which the water doesn't flow back into the sump in case you unplug it or if there's a power outage.
 
cant seem to find it, what category is it in?
 
Ok so heres my plan,

have the two lifereef overflow boxes pushing 1800 gph into the top of the sump, through the sump. Any have a good setup design that doesnt require drilling? Then Ill have the return pump as a mag 18. Does this sound good?
 
i have a 180 that had a waterfall as the overflow! lol.. it was deafening. my hubby and i researched on this site "Durso Stand pipe" and made one from pvc- its much quieter now. i mean it was so loud you could hear it upstairs (and the tank is in the basement lol)

we had some problems with leaks in the pvc under the tank leading to the sump too. you have to take it apart, DRY it really well- and use pvc cement glue and let it set before letting the water flow again-

as far as glue-i think you used that aquarium safe glue stuff and that wont work for pvc. i went to a hardware store and looked in the plumbing section. it was either purple or blue looking glue made specifically for pvc piping, and used for drains and plumbing. i really want to say its a dark purple glue. but the pvc has to be bone dry and clean -and we had to do it a few times because it leaked a little..
 
one thing i will mention is that for 1800gph a mag 18 is not enough. On a large tank like yours, you will have a ton of head loss, meaning your only running around 1000-1100 gph, which IMO is not nearly enough for a 265. I would do a twin return and run either 2 mag 18s or a mag 18 and a mag 9.5, this will give you increased gph and more tunable control over which end of the tank is getting more water flow, as this will be handy when the tank is stocked full of water.

the only fix as i mentioned earlier for the noise is the durso, Ask Navygirl where and how they made theres. I have not heard any negatives about this design yet.

as long as the tank has "sufficient" water movement you will be fine. Do you have any livestock yet?? if you do this adds a bit of a risk. cost is always a factor. Big tanks a very exspensive initially.

do you have all the equiptment that you need??
 
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