Please help, it won’t shut up

[Reefaddict585]

All right first off I’d like to apologize for my crappy plumbing, it’s far from pretty but it gets the job done on a budget. I’m currently in the process of setting up this 180 gallon reef system and decided to go for Durso style drains so I could have a return on both sides of the aquarium. I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing wrong so I want to include as many pictures and videos as I can to explain what’s going on. I have tried several different sizes of holes In the star pipes and even different elbows to adjust the drain pattern, I have turned my return pump down to about 900 gph (as low as it will go) and adjusted the water level in the sump and tank but I still can not get this “boiling” effect to stop in the sump so being a do it myself type person, this is a last ditch effort to see if I’m missing anything. The drains are 1.5 inch at the top and are reduced to 1 inch as they enter the hose going to the sump. The returns are 1 inch all the way till the lock line at which point they are reduced to 3/4 inch. Hopefully this post will help someone in the future dealing with the same issue. I know dursos are never silent but as it stands now it’s just too noisy for my living room.

Right side drain

Left side drain and return

Water line on both sides

underneath shot of all the plumbing

Side view of drain area with the aforementioned boiling effect

Links to the videos of the issue

 

[Darsh]

If there's air coming out the bottom, then it's not a full siphon.
What happens when you turn the pump up?

 

[Reefaddict585]

If there's air coming out the bottom, then it's not a full siphon.
What happens when you turn the pump up?

The bubbling in the sump get bigger and more frequent.

 

[NB Reefer]

I have had a few Durso drains that I was able to tune to almost silent. Here are the few things I see on yours. Up top where the air hole is, get some airline tubing to put in the hole. This needs to be right where the waterline is more or less. Get it just the right size so its snug but you can move it up or down. This lets you tune the top and the amount of air it is pulling.

On the bottom that sag in the tubing, especially on the left, is creating a huge pocket of air that is causing come of your boiling effect. Usually, Durso drains are hard plumbed. You may be able to do it with soft plumbing though.

The other thing I have done is add a reverse Durso on the bottom. I am not sure you will be able to do that with your sump but it is worth googling. It also needs to be done with hard plumbing. I have not seen a soft plumbing version. Essentially it allows air near the bottom of the drain to escape before it goes into the sump.

Also, Is your sump rated for the flow you are trying to achieve?

I hope that helps. Sorry for being winded.

 

[lpsouth1978]

If there's air coming out the bottom, then it's not a full siphon.
What happens when you turn the pump up?

You don't want a full siphon with a durso. Hopefully someone will chime in that can help. Dursos are difficult to get quiet, but I know there are things that can help. Alternatively, I would use both standpipes inside the overflows for drains and make it a herbie. Then go over the top for the returns.

maybe someone in the #reefsquad can help.

 

[Reefaddict585]

You don't want a full siphon with a durso. Hopefully someone will chime in that can help. Dursos are difficult to get quiet, but I know there are things that can help. Alternatively, I would use both standpipes inside the overflows for drains and make it a herbie. Then go over the top for the returns.

maybe someone in the #reefsquad can help.

What do you mean by over the top, like hang on overflows?

 

[Darsh]

You don't want a full siphon with a durso. Hopefully someone will chime in that can help. Dursos are difficult to get quiet, but I know there are things that can help. Alternatively, I would use both standpipes inside the overflows for drains and make it a herbie. Then go over the top for the returns.

maybe someone in the #reefsquad can help.

Oops, my bad, I was thinking about herbie.

I would also consider doing a herbie in one of the overflows. I prefer full bean animal

 

[NB Reefer]

Thought of another thing. Those drain pipes are pretty far down in your sump for a Durso. Usually, you want them closer to the surface. Again to allow air to escape. Since it is so far down that air comes racing to the surface causing the boiling effect.

 

[lpsouth1978]

What do you mean by over the top, like hang on overflows?

You can make your own returns using PVC and fittings that basically hang on the rim of the tank. this would allow you to use all the bulkheads in the overflow box for drains. I am sure someone with this type of setup can post pictures of theirs to show what I am talking about.

 

[gabrieltackitt]

I am by far no expert in overflow plumbing, but could you possibly make a Herbie with one pipe in each overflow? So say, have your full siphon come out of the left overflow and the secondary drain come out of the right? I can’t see there being any problem with this, Just be sure to have a Gate valve on the full siphon so you can tune it until it is silent.

Anyone please correct me if this is wrong but I don’t see any reason that this wouldn’t work?

 

[NB Reefer]

I am by far no expert in overflow plumbing, but could you possibly make a Herbie with one pipe in each overflow? So say, have your full siphon come out of the left overflow and the secondary drain come out of the right? I can’t see there being any problem with this, Just be sure to have a Gate valve on the full siphon so you can tune it until it is silent.

Anyone please correct me if this is wrong but I don’t see any reason that this wouldn’t work?

I think this would work. The 1-inch pipe would be able to handle the flow rate he is looking for.

 

[Reefaddict585]

I have had a few Durso drains that I was able to tune to almost silent. Here are the few things I see on yours. Up top where the air hole is, get some airline tubing to put in the hole. This needs to be right where the waterline is more or less. Get it just the right size so its snug but you can move it up or down. This lets you tune the top and the amount of air it is pulling.

On the bottom that sag in the tubing, especially on the left, is creating a huge pocket of air that is causing come of your boiling effect. Usually, Durso drains are hard plumbed. You may be able to do it with soft plumbing though.

The other thing I have done is add a reverse Durso on the bottom. I am not sure you will be able to do that with your sump but it is worth googling. It also needs to be done with hard plumbing. I have not seen a soft plumbing version. Essentially it allows air near the bottom of the drain to escape before it goes into the sump.

Also, Is your sump rated for the flow you are trying to achieve?

I hope that helps. Sorry for being winded.

The sump I’m using is a 3rd gen rs-200 which is supposedly rated up to 225g aquariums. I did try using air line but just restricting the airflow with just the tube was enough to make the problem way worse. I have been wondering if that sag in the line would create an issue but now that you say that it makes sense. And on the reversed durso I had already thought of that and unfortunately it won’t work in my sump

 

[Reefaddict585]

I am by far no expert in overflow plumbing, but could you possibly make a Herbie with one pipe in each overflow? So say, have your full siphon come out of the left overflow and the secondary drain come out of the right? I can’t see there being any problem with this, Just be sure to have a Gate valve on the full siphon so you can tune it until it is silent.

Anyone please correct me if this is wrong but I don’t see any reason that this wouldn’t work?

I had planned on doing this initially but considering there’s only two holes on each side it would make it so that I could only have a return coming out of one side of the tank and one drain. Minus the emergency. Not a huge problem but thought that a dual return would look better, now starting to regret my decision.

 

[JoshH]

I am by far no expert in overflow plumbing, but could you possibly make a Herbie with one pipe in each overflow? So say, have your full siphon come out of the left overflow and the secondary drain come out of the right? I can’t see there being any problem with this, Just be sure to have a Gate valve on the full siphon so you can tune it until it is silent.

Anyone please correct me if this is wrong but I don’t see any reason that this wouldn’t work?

Pretty much the standard suggested setup with these dual overflow tanks now adays so you're not wrong at all.

 

[JoshH]

I had planned on doing this initially but considering there’s only two holes on each side it would make it so that I could only have a return coming out of one side of the tank and one drain. Minus the emergency. Not a huge problem but thought that a dual return would look better, now starting to regret my decision.

Herbie drain setups only require two drain pipes so you can maintain your dual return setup. Just make one of the drains on one side your full siphon and the other your secondary.

 

[Reefaddict585]

I had planned on doing this initially but considering there’s only two holes on each side it would make it so that I could only have a return coming out of one side of the tank and one drain. Minus the emergency. Not a huge problem but thought that a dual return would look better, now starting to regret my decision.

Sorry just reread that, that’s actually a great idea I hadn’t thought of that yet.

 

[Reefaddict585]

Herbie drain setups only require two drain pipes so you can maintain your dual return setup. Just make one of the drains on one side your full siphon and the other your secondary.

Yeah sorry, I read that initial response wrong. Would one 1 inch drain drain enough for what I need?

 

[JCOLE]

I am by far no expert in overflow plumbing, but could you possibly make a Herbie with one pipe in each overflow? So say, have your full siphon come out of the left overflow and the secondary drain come out of the right? I can’t see there being any problem with this, Just be sure to have a Gate valve on the full siphon so you can tune it until it is silent.

Anyone please correct me if this is wrong but I don’t see any reason that this wouldn’t work?

That is how mine is set up.

 

[NB Reefer]

Yeah sorry, I read that initial response wrong. Would one 1 inch drain drain enough for what I need?

The max flow on a straight 1-inch pipe is around 2,200 gph. You should be fine.

 

[gabrieltackitt]

The one inch drains on my current tank will handle at least 800gph just with the siphon, nothing going down the secondary at all so I think you should be fine. I would just plan on using the saggier side as the secondary so that the extra air in it doesn’t become a huge issue, but if you could, moving it or shortening it to cut out that extra bend would be best.

It’s good to hear that I’m not crazy sometimes!