Gurgling noise

[seanbaird]

Hey, I have recently bought a Red Sea Reefer 300. Everything in the sump is working fine, but when water drains from the outflow pipe into the sump it makes a gurgling noise. I believe I need to raise the water levels in the weir but I don’t know to what level or how to do so

 

[Dburr1014]

Pics?

 

[wazupjames]

Try turning the valve to the right just slightly to raise the water level, wait a few minutes for the water level to adjust in the overflow. Seems to be quietest when the water level is about 1/2-1 inch below the emergency drain line.

 

[seanbaird]

Try turning the valve to the right just slightly to raise the water level, wait a few minutes for the water level to adjust in the overflow. Seems to be quietest when the water level is about 1/2-1 inch below the emergency drain line.

Could you send a photo of what valve. I have tried turning the one just above the sump all the way and it seems to have no effect

 

[seanbaird]

Pics?

 

[davidcalgary29]

I think you mean the valve on the downspout, though.

Many owners have had problems with this. @OrchidMiss has a thread on this subject, and there are doubtless others out there. Some of the common points of problems occur with the overflow sponge in the sump (clean it!); the downspout valve; the emergency overflow (clean it!); water level in the sump, and pump return. My (used) tank gurgled incessantly when I first bought it, but subsided when I added the RSK900 to the sump. Coincidentally or not.

 

[wazupjames]

Could you send a photo of what valve. I have tried turning the one just above the sump all the way and it seems to have no effect

Yes the valve on the main drain line. Allow 10 minutes to pass for the water level in the overflow to adjust. So, turn it right to raise the level, left to drop the level - wait 10 minutes for each small adjustment - check the water level in overflow and try to get the water level as close as you can to the top of the emergency drain line without actually using the emergency drain. That is where I have found it to be most silent.

 

[seanbaird]

Pics?

Yes the valve on the main drain line. Allow 10 minutes to pass for the water level in the overflow to adjust. So, turn it right to raise the level, left to drop the level - wait 10 minutes for each small adjustment - check the water level in overflow and try to get the water level as close as you can to the top of the emergency drain line without actually using the emergency drain. That is where I have found it to be most silent.

This doesn’t seem to be working, I am willing to try again later, but could there be something wrong with the valve?

 

[Core]

Those valves are pretty finicky if it's turned all the way to the right and water isn't going up after a few minutes it probably is the valve. You want it half an inch below middle tube

 

[seanbaird]

Those valves are pretty finicky if it's turned all the way to the right and water isn't going up after a few minutes it probably is the valve. You want it half an inch below middle tube

So the water isn’t going up and it’s all the way to the right, so how do I fix the valve

 

[reefman888]

gurgling cause water is draining too fast. close up the valve on the main drain line more to reduce the amount of water rushing down the sump.

 

[edd59]

post a pic of the valve

 

[Floyd-]

If you turned the valve clockwise all the way and its not raising the water level in the tank overflow then there is an issue.

 

[jeffchapok]

I solved gurgling in my overflows by cutting a piece of airline tubing about 3 ft long and sticking it down the overflow line past the valve and extending a couple of inches above the water at the top. This serves as a breather tube to help keep it from trying to suck air down the main line, which is what causes the gurgling. You may have to experiment with the length and moving it up and down some to get it to work perfectly.

The only drawback is that I can't close the valves completely without pulling the tubing out first. But I never do so anyway so it's not a big deal for me.

 

[Clarkjw2002]

Take the valve pipe off and remove the four screws on each corner of the valve.

Remove cover to see what is going on. The valve is just a diaphragm with a bolt that pushes it further in as you turn the valve to the right. Maybe the nut has poked through the diaphragm so it is not working. Or you have no diaphragm.

You can remove the valve cover while connected to the overflow but if the diaphragm is perforated you'd get water coming out of the hole making a mess. Of course, if this is the case you'd probably have water leaking from the knob anyway I suspect.

Turn off the return if you want to remove while set up.

Other alternative is that your return is way to underpowered so can't push enough water to fill the overflow box. Just a thought.