Overflow driving me crazy, how can i fix problem?

[Redemption]

Originally Posted by rick parker

This would further my inquiry about the pump not being sufficient....If the pump were large enough you would have the opposite affect, too much water in the display. That is were a ball valve on the return of the pump comes into play.

You might be on to something, what size pump do i need for a 144 galon tank?

Some success and what does it means? I lowered both of the pipes as low as they go "1/3 of the way down in the overflow canister. The noise ios now gone! It still goes up and down a little but no more toilet effect! The only problem is that I do not think that the pipes should be that low? and of course the toilet effect is replaced by the niagarra falls effect. Altough the drop in water is not nearlly as anoying as the toilet effect. I am happy, can I run the tank this way? or should i get a bigger pump?

[rick parker]

This would have to be answered by someone with more experience than myself. I just experienced the lack of pump power at one point and made me think of this.

Rick

[skeety]

Originally Posted by Redemption

I lowered both of the pipes as low as they go "1/3 of the way down in the overflow canister.

All that matters here is that the hole in the top of those elbows is ABOVE the water line in your display. If they are still above, then they're not too low, and you've fixed the problem. If they are below the water line, then I think Oceanic was right. When I first started reading this post, that was MY initial take...that both pipes were not at the same height. The reason it's working having them as low as they'll go is your guaranteed that they're the same height.

So, in summary, if the holes above teh water line, do nothing. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your new tank.

If they're below, raise them so they're above, and keep playing with them until they're pretty much exactly the same height. Any considerable difference, and you'll have the exact effect you're seeing.

Keep us posted! And welcome BACK into the hobby!!! (a lot's changed in 3 years. I'm sure you'll find it easier, and have much more sucess this time! ESPECIALLY since you found TRT!!!)

[Twitterbait]

How about some dynamite. it may be noisy for a sec but then it always gets really quiet... I actually have the niagra effect (which is why the tank has it's own room) and the opposite problem where my pump is too much for my tank. play with it, it will eventually work. i would recommend getting a bigger pump with a ball valve.

[Redemption]

Originally Posted by skeety

All that matters here is that the hole in the top of those elbows is ABOVE the water line in your display. If they are still above, then they're not too low, and you've fixed the problem. If they are below the water line, then I think Oceanic was right. When I first started reading this post, that was MY initial take...that both pipes were not at the same height. The reason it's working having them as low as they'll go is your guaranteed that they're the same height.

So, in summary, if the holes above teh water line, do nothing. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your new tank.

If they're below, raise them so they're above, and keep playing with them until they're pretty much exactly the same height. Any considerable difference, and you'll have the exact effect you're seeing.

Keep us posted! And welcome BACK into the hobby!!! (a lot's changed in 3 years. I'm sure you'll find it easier, and have much more sucess this time! ESPECIALLY since you found TRT!!!)

Well thre months later and I finally fixed the problem, hope this is not a negative solution lol

I had the the pipes all the way down in my return and it was working nice with no flush effect except when I fed my fish. For some reason at feeding time I would get the effect untill food was gone. Anyway altough things where working fine, I was a little anoyed that then I would turn the pump off to work in the sump a considerable amount of back flush water would drain into the sump "probably 5 galons",

Anywho today I decided to mess with it and brough the two pipes as far up as I could, immediatelly after doing this the one side started to flush and make the anoying noice. I noticed that as soon as I would place my finger over the air hole ontop the T, the flush would happen. I decided to drill the hole a little larger to see if it would help. Sure enough the flush is GONE! Wohoo, for some reason the one side was not getting enough air?

The only thing that I see different in the sump, is that there are more air bubbles comming out the line that was drilled. I do not think this is a problem right?

[tdwyatt]

not a problem. You will need to watch for salt buildup in the hole over time, if you notice that the drains start to flush again, check the hole for buildup. I have started drilling 3/8" holes in the top of my durso's and tapping them with a 3/8" pipe thread and installing the jaco fittings with a ball valve on them, This makes adjustments easy, and you can put some 3/8" pipe in to the top of the fitting that goes outside the tank for air (and even to and outside source of air for systems that experience pH issues with high indoor CO2 environments.) If the microbubbles become an issue, have the overflows drain into a small baffle of a 4" pvc pipe inside a bucket in your sump. Make sure to slot or drill the bottom of the bucket so that the water must first exit your drain pipe about an inch from the bottom of the 4" PVC, then go over the top of that piece of 4" PVC, yet exit the bucket through the bottom edge of the bucket. In this manner, the water slows enough and is forced to the surface initially when exiting your overflow pipe to degas most of the bubbles out of the water.


HTH, glad to see resolution for the issue!