Gyre messing with my bean animal?

[zalick]

Yes, and get progressively louder until I do something about it. It can affect the sump level to the point that my ATO will kick on. I've tried leaving it for as long as 12hrs and the only thing that happened was my nerves getting more and more frayed as the vortex noises got louder.

Let's assume your system is running for a few days without you touching anything and it's running quietly. Then all of a sudden you get a vortex in primary drain. This indicates your return pump flow decreased.

Same scenario but now you are getting noise in the secondary. This indicates your return pump flow increased.

These are the only two possibilities given the circumstances you've describe. (assuming you done have something clogging either drain, which you don't IMO)

*The above assume no filter sock that could alter the height of water in relation to the drain pipe.

 

[zalick]

It can affect the sump level to the point that my ATO will kick on.

This means your return flow is increasing or your primary drain flow rate is decreasing. A strainer in the drain clogging with a little algae will cause the slower drain flow.

 

[SallyWho]

This means your return flow is increasing or your primary drain flow rate is decreasing. A strainer in the drain clogging with a little algae will cause the slower drain flow.

Yeah, that sounds reasonable. If I'm not clogging stuff up, it should definitely be remaining steady. This problem is relatively recent (since fall, maybe?). I wonder if my cheap return pump would wear out in about a year? Two or three times I've taken it apart for thorough cleaning and it really hasn't been that dirty, so it's probably not gunked up. Just....cheap, I guess.

 

[SallyWho]

Okay, update! I removed the U-bend on the 2° drain and it was a lot more stable (and thus quieter). It's so much easier to adjust when you can see the amount of water going down the 2° drain, and I've only had to nudge the gate valve on the 1° drain once, maybe twice, a week. But for the past few weeks.... well, the video isn't great but maybe it'll explain in fewer words than trying to type it all out. Surely the flushing can't be a coincidence when it occurs only when the gyre is ramped up? What's the solution here? I can't seem to find a good balance between the two drains that doesn't result in a distracting and frustrating amount of noise. If I turn down the gyre, the other side of the tank doesn't get much flow. Lowering it on the glass doesn't work, either. I have a second gyre I could use with the same controller- add the second gyre and lower the max speed of both? Just learn to deal with either flushing or popping vortexes?

 

[Coral Reef Keepers]

My gyre definitely affects my overflow. I use my gyre to push water across the top of my tank which is 72". When I put the gyre in feed mode, I can literally watch my sump level rise about half an inch and the level in my overflow box changes as well. Since I have my gyre so close to the top of the water, it literally forces water down the overflow. When the gyre is off it no longer forces water down, slowing the flow and thus changing levels in the sump and overflow box. It took some tuning with my gate valve but I got it to the point where the main drain no longer sucks air when the gyre is off.

 

[SallyWho]

My gyre definitely affects my overflow. I use my gyre to push water across the top of my tank which is 72". When I put the gyre in feed mode, I can literally watch my sump level rise about half an inch and the level in my overflow box changes as well. Since I have my gyre so close to the top of the water, it literally forces water down the overflow. When the gyre is off it no longer forces water down, slowing the flow and thus changing levels in the sump and overflow box. It took some tuning with my gate valve but I got it to the point where the main drain no longer sucks air when the gyre is off.

But if I adjust my gate valve on the primary while the gyre is off, I'm still going to have the flushing down the secondary when the water gets moving again. Do you experience the same? Once you had your gate valve tuned when the gyre was off, did it stay tuned when the gyre came back on?

 

[Coral Reef Keepers]

But if I adjust my gate valve on the primary while the gyre is off, I'm still going to have the flushing down the secondary when the water gets moving again. Do you experience the same? Once you had your gate valve tuned when the gyre was off, did it stay tuned when the gyre came back on?

No. I have it tuned so the secondary is just a trickle with the gyre on. Try raising your secondary height a little bit. My main is only like an inch tall and my secondary is like 4 or 5. You may just have to play with it a bit to find the sweet spot.

 

[SallyWho]

No. I have it tuned so the secondary is just a trickle with the gyre on. Try raising your secondary height a little bit. My main is only like an inch tall and my secondary is like 4 or 5. You may just have to play with it a bit to find the sweet spot.

I'll have to go buy some pvc in the right size. You think a longer (taller) pipe for the secondary drain will help?

 

[Coral Reef Keepers]

I'll have to go buy some pvc in the right size. You think a longer (taller) pipe for the secondary drain will help?

It's worth a shot. If your getting high flow down the secondary you only have a couple options. Adjust the gate valve, raise the secondary, slow down the gyre or slow down your return pump (if its DC).

 

[SallyWho]

I got a taller pipe for the secondary drain. It's not a problem for the primary drain to be handling all the flow, is it? Because the primary is handling all the flow and it's finally quiet. I think once or twice the water has risen enough to pour down the secondary drain and make noise, but I just open the gate valve a teensy bit and the water level drops below the top inch of the secondary pipe again.

 

[Cell]

Sounds a bit R-rated.

 

[Coral Reef Keepers]

I got a taller pipe for the secondary drain. It's not a problem for the primary drain to be handling all the flow, is it? Because the primary is handling all the flow and it's finally quiet. I think once or twice the water has risen enough to pour down the secondary drain and make noise, but I just open the gate valve a teensy bit and the water level drops below the top inch of the secondary pipe again.

That is how you want it. The primary is a full siphon, and completely submerged. The secondary should just be a trickle. I keep my water level in my overflow box right at the brim of the secondary standpipe.