Drilled Overflow and Return

[jeep454]

I have just completed the daunting task of drilling 2 holes in my 30G. Consists of two 3/4 inch bulkheads that lead to two 5/8 inch hoses. Connected everything to the sump and turned everything on. After adjusting everything to make sure the water level is just right I am hearing intermittent gurgling from the overflow. FYI - I do not have an overflow box installed. It just goes from strainer to elbow and slopes down to the sock in my sump. I understand it is the siphon going in and out. Should I use an overflow box or install a gate valve?

 

[penguinexdeus]

Even with an overflow box you're likely to need a gate valve and a valve will help with adjustments anytime needed. I'd start with the valve and go from there.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

You need a gate valve for sure. You may have over sized that plumbing a bit. You need to match your over-flow rate to your pump rate. If you are gurgling your overflow is taking on water faster than your pump is giving it. Restrict and fine tune flow with a valve. Depending on head height, 3/4 pvc can handle about 400 gallons an hour gravity only. Increase the head and gravity will make it move more water (not the pump).

 

[jeep454]

You need a gate valve for sure. You may have over sized that plumbing a bit. You need to match your over-flow rate to your pump rate. If you are gurgling your overflow is taking on water faster than your pump is giving it. Restrict and fine tune flow with a valve. Depending on head height, 3/4 pvc can handle about 400 gallons an hour gravity only. Increase the head and gravity will make it move more water (not the pump).

So I'm running a pump rated to 400 GPH at its largest hose diameter which allows for 5/8 inch. I decided on 3/4 bulkhead but pump only allows for 5/8 hose. So I just reduced the 3/4 bulkhead to 5/8 hose via pvc elbow on both overflow and return. Is this okay or should I be running 3/4 hose for both and add a gate valve?

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

So I'm running a pump rated to 400 GPH at its largest hose diameter which allows for 5/8 inch. I decided on 3/4 bulkhead but pump only allows for 5/8 hose. So I just reduced the 3/4 bulkhead to 5/8 hose via pvc elbow on both overflow and return. Is this okay or should I be running 3/4 hose for both and add a gate valve?

Just add a gate valve slow the water to match pump output and your gurgling will stop.

 

[Adamc13o3]

The gurgling is the sound of air mixing with water. Add a gate valve (make sure to use a GATE valve and NOT a ball valve) as as gate valve will allow more precise tuning. As others have said your are draining the tank faster then you are filling it. Once you adjust the valve it will slow down the draining a bit but will however create a siphon. You sound very handy to me as your drilled a tank. If I were you I would add a second drain and turn this into a bean animal / herbie overflow. That style is dead quiet and has basically become the standard and so many tanks these days. The way it works is there are 3 drains (you can get away with 2). First drain has a gate valve on it, you adjust the valve so that drain line is just under sized for the return lines water volume. Since it is just a tad undersized it's always at full siphon which means there is no air in the line and no gurgling sounds. The second line pickup the small amount of extra water that the main drain isn't handling. Since it is a small amount only the water falls through the pipe and glides down the inner walls of the pipe without air mixing in and you have a silent overflow system. Bean animal added a third drain which is a safety drain, that is in case something gets clogged the water will go down the third drain. Since you are DIYing and in your early stages of this tank I would definitely consider this system, you will not regret it. This is a very quick description of how this works. You can get more info here

https://beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system/


Adam

 

[jeep454]

The gurgling is the sound of air mixing with water. Add a gate valve (make sure to use a GATE valve and NOT a ball valve) as as gate valve will allow more precise tuning. As others have said your are draining the tank faster then you are filling it. Once you adjust the valve it will slow down the draining a bit but will however create a siphon. You sound very handy to me as your drilled a tank. If I were you I would add a second drain and turn this into a bean animal / herbie overflow. That style is dead quiet and has basically become the standard and so many tanks these days. The way it works is there are 3 drains (you can get away with 2). First drain has a gate valve on it, you adjust the valve so that drain line is just under sized for the return lines water volume. Since it is just a tad undersized it's always at full siphon which means there is no air in the line and no gurgling sounds. The second line pickup the small amount of extra water that the main drain isn't handling. Since it is a small amount only the water falls through the pipe and glides down the inner walls of the pipe without air mixing in and you have a silent overflow system. Bean animal added a third drain which is a safety drain, that is in case something gets clogged the water will go down the third drain. Since you are DIYing and in your early stages of this tank I would definitely consider this system, you will not regret it. This is a very quick description of how this works. You can get more info here

https://beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system/


Adam

This is what I have been working with since adding the sump. Overflow has no box and seemingly impossible to adjust... I make one adjustment and either the pump chamber starts running dry and sucks air into DT or the DT water level runs low and overflow makes noise (I did use a ball valve... so I will be swapping that out for a gate)
The one Overflow hole is stationed dead center near where the water level would theoretically be and return hole is on the left side just below the return. Would this still work for adding the mentioned overflow methods? Given the link you sent I would assume I just fabricate an acrylic internal overflow box to encompass both drain holes?
(This would give me an excuse to also paint the back of the tank cause i hate the tacky backround)

 

[Adamc13o3]

You can make an acrylic box and mount it to the back and have the bulkheads go through the back wall of the tank into the box. Synergy reef sells the entire kit, but I am pretty sure you needed to have it before you drilled that hole, as the holes need to match the box. The return hole on the left side seems very low unless it's just the angle of the picture. Can your sump handle the volume of water draining when you turn off the return pump?

 

[jeep454]

You can make an acrylic box and mount it to the back and have the bulkheads go through the back wall of the tank into the box. Synergy reef sells the entire kit, but I am pretty sure you needed to have it before you drilled that hole, as the holes need to match the box. The return hole on the left side seems very low unless it's just the angle of the picture. Can your sump handle the volume of water draining when you turn off the return pump?

Yes, the sump can handle the water level falling to the return if there is a power loss. Attached is a better water level view of return and overflow and a picture of the water level in sump. So given that I already have drilled into the back of the tank at this point I need to drill a second drain on the opposite side of return, fabricate a acrylic box, swap ball for gate valve and just get the correct pvc parts for the overflow box method.

 

[Adamc13o3]

The second drain goes right near the first one. Should look like this. You should see what you can get ready made. I see that they came down in price. You may be able to get one of these to work with the hole that you already drilled. I am sure the templates are online somewhere for the manufacturer that you use.