Trashed the Bio-Balls.

[Kakalakasha]

I finally got to getting rid of my bio balls.
But I guess the balls cushioned the fall of the water.
My sump is a lot louder then before.
I'm wondering what types of things I can do to help silence the sump.


The sump has a little tray that you can slide under the part where the water falls and it disperses amongst a bunch of holes the size of a pencil eraser.
So I took that and put some uh..
Fibery-sponge thing that came with the tank.
So it silenced it some.

Then I grabbed some styrofoam from my garage and cut it in the shape of my overflow and cut out a little square the size of the U-Tube and that muffled the sound of the water getting sucked up.
But it's still slightly and uncomfortably noisy.
Not loud.
But when you're looking at the tank trying to relax, all you can hear is the sound of running water.
And I personally don't like that.

So anyone have any mods they want to share?

[Phishnoob]

I would take out the styrofoam. It will crumble into all kinds of equipment clogging bits.

Why not stick some live rock in there under the return, or else run a filter sock.

[Kakalakasha]

Originally Posted by Phishnoob

I would take out the styrofoam. It will crumble into all kinds of equipment clogging bits.

Why not stick some live rock in there under the return, or else run a filter sock.

Okay.
Good point!

I'm planning on running a filter sock I'm just not sure how to connect it to my sump.

And isn't live rock going to do the same thing bio balls do?
Cause a spike?

[Loverotties]

Extend the pipe!

[Jadinop]

Do not stick live rock in the trickle tower in place of the bioballs. In the same oxygen rich enviorment, small pieces of live rock will house the same bacteria as bioballs. In other words, it will produce nitrate instead of removing it.

Extend the pipe down to the water level or incorporate a filter sock if you don't mind cleaning it regularly.

[fchidsey]

Na the live rock will help more than it hurts. I run a filter sock and it is quiet. I also run the Durso type return system.

[Jadinop]

Originally Posted by fchidsey

Na the live rock will help more than it hurts.

Sorry, but you are incorrect. It's not the plastic bioballs that are the problem in a trickle tower, it's the emersed oxygen rich enviorment. Live rock needs to be fully submerged without oxygen rich water being dumped over it.

[fchidsey]

ok I'll stand corrected. Raise the Level in the sump then

[Kakalakasha]

I don't get what you mean by extending the pipe.
I guess I could just raise the water level of the sump, but then I'd be asking for an overflow in the case of a power outage.

And you said don't put in the trickle tower--does that mean I can place liverock directly in the sumps water and have some extra filtering?

[Jadinop]

Use a piece of pvc pipe on the inside of the sump to extend the drain down. Depending on the style of your sump, this may involve using some fittings or replacing the drain connection.

It's best to leave the live rock in the tank. It's easier to keep the sump clean.

[Kakalakasha]

Originally Posted by Jadinop

Use a piece of pvc pipe on the inside of the sump to extend the drain down. Depending on the style of your sump, this may involve using some fittings or replacing the drain connection.

It's best to leave the live rock in the tank. It's easier to keep the sump clean.

Okay.
So I should just find some PVC of the right length and run it down to the surface of the water?
Or should I bend the PVC right before the surface of the water so I don't hear the "splashing" sound?

[Jadinop]

Instead of bending the pvc, you can use a 45 degree fitting.

[Seamore]

Don't raise the water level in the sump, that is counterproductive when not if the power goes out as you said. Both of my returns are connected to semi ridged pool drain hose from HD and deliver the water below the reg. water level in the sump or into a filter sock that I change every two days max. The hose makes it easy to change the bags.

[chrisd]

Originally Posted by Seamore

Don't raise the water level in the sump, that is counterproductive when not if the power goes out as you said. Both of my returns are connected to semi ridged pool drain hose from HD and deliver the water below the reg. water level in the sump or into a filter sock that I change every two days max. The hose makes it easy to change the bags.

thats how i did it.

[Kakalakasha]

Originally Posted by Jadinop

Instead of bending the pvc, you can use a 45 degree fitting.

That's what I meant to say.
So I want it to be at pretty much surface level?