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Advice for installing overflow box to reduce water surging noise

jellygeee

jellygeee

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Hi All,

Want to ask for same advice in regards to installing an overflow box.
I have had problems with the sound of water surging from the overflow. You can see some pics of my tank in the link below:
http://www.bareefers.org/home/node/12937

Since I don't have an overflow box installed, I can constantly hear the surging sound from time to time. I recalled seeing someone's post about buying an overflow box on ebay (3 sided and gluing it to their tank to reduce the noise). I found one from an ebay listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1200-GPH-AQUARIUM-OVERFLOW-BOX-SURFACE-SKIMMER-/290389680963?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item439c92e343

Couple of questions that I have:
1) Can I get a 3 sided overflow box from someone locally in Bay Area?
2) What size of overflow box should I get?
3) Any advice on how to install it/position it (i.e. inline with my overlow pipe line or install the box where the overflow pipe will be in the center of the box). Apologize if I am explaining it in a wrong way. I want to make sure my tank is not overflowing from the water pumped thru the return pump.
I had a valve stopper installed at the end of the overflow, depending on how fast or slow the water is flowing thru the overflow box, I will adjust the valve stopper so that I can eliminate the sound of water surging.

Thanks in advance.
Rudy
 
I say get a normal four sider, then drill through the back of it and your tank. If you use an extra gasket between box and tank wall and one inside box and put nut for. Ulkhead outside tank it works great! Use the biggest hole you can (1.5" if possible).
 
May I ask the reason for using the four side overflow?
Wouldn't it be almost the same to glue the 3 sided overflow w acrylic glue to somewhere in the middle section of the overflow gasket?I thought the function will be similar.
 
Similar. Harder to remove. More likely to fail IMO. Acrylic tanks can and will bow, makes it risky to glue a box on IMO. Definitly will work the same
 
I recognize this tank! Anyway, is the noise at the intake or the sump outlet? You could put a strainer on the intake and a filter mesh on the strainer.

How close to the flow capacity are you?

You mention a ball valve on the overflow. Do you not mean on the return pump? You should be regulating flow by restricting the return pump NOT at the drain side. Doing on the drain side has a greater chance of the return pump pouring water on to the floor.
 
The gurgle is from air in the drain line. This can be fixed by changing the drain 90 degree elbow with a T that has a cap with 3 small holes to allow for air to escape. An overflow box is nice aestheticly but not necessary. And it won't eliminate the gurgle. The gurgle noise is related to the release of trapped air.
 
0a22ad59.jpg


Rudy,

This is the fancy plumbing Erin is talking about. ;)
 
Thank you all for the fast responses.

Mike: I believe the noise is from the intake. I used to have a strainer, but that ended up getting clogged with the algae and could be dangerous if it's not cleaned (tank will overflow eventually). The size of the intake is pretty big (bigger than the returning line.

I do have a ball valve on both the intake and return pump. Only the return pump's valve is restricted.

Erin: YES... your explanation couldn't be any better.
Jim: Thank you for the picture. I was trying to figure out Erin's explanation and the pic you attached just explanied the entire thing. Talk about fancy plumbing.

Now since my intake pipe is glued, is it safe to just drill a hole on top of the 45 degree pvc angle? It should be similar to the pic that Jim uploaded, but instead with a T shape joint, I have the regular 45 degree joint. I
mean the water always reach till half of the intake anyway, so it never reaches the top section of the 45 degree joint.
 
Rudy,

If you have some pics of your plumbing it would go a long ways to figure out the problem. I also have ball valves on both the return and drain lines. I had major slurping until I was able to equal the flow on both ends.
 
Rudy,

If you drill a hole in an ell (are you sure it's 45 degrees not the much more normal 90?) water can leak out as soon as the pipe fills with water. The pic Jim posted uses the 't' connection like the vent pipe in house plumbing. It prevents a siphon and allows air in. Water would have to travel some distance UPhill to spill out of the little holes.

For a really silent overflow you might want to consider either a 'Herbie' or 'BeanAnimal' (don't you just love those names!) overflow. Herbie requires two holes, BeanAnimal needs three. Search Reef Central for extensive discussions on both.
 
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