a_sidwell Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I just set up a 55 gallon TruVue with a 20 gallon sump. This was a setup I bought off CL and I have never owned a saltwater tank with a sump. The problem I am having is the tank is drilled on the back upper left and upper right with 1" bulkheads. The inlet is just a straight bulkhead coming in with a hose attached to a 90 degree barbed fitting that pushes water diectly in at the water line. The overflow back to the sump is a bulkhead with an overflow strainer also with a 90 degree barbed fitting and a drain hose to the filter sock in the sump. I have done alot of research online about noise but with the tank up and running I'm not sure what my best options are. The return pump is a Blueline Model 20 external pump and it pulls from the bottom of the sump. The water line covers about 80% of the inlet to the tank and it is introducing alot of air bubbles into the water due to it not being fully submerged. Good for O2 but bad for looks. The way he water drains is through a small vortex created just above the strainer screen on the overflow bulkhead. I have tried a few diffeent things but can't get it to stop the sucking/gurgling at the fitting. What the original owner of the tank had done was he installed a t-fitting after the return pump which is great for easy water changes but he was using it to reduce the flow to the main tank by diverting some of the return water back to the sump which I don't like because it reduces water movement and turnover rate in the tank. I was wondering if there were any fittings I could add to the bulkheads on the inside of the tank to alleviate the noise? I have heard of people drilling a hole in the top of the elbow on the overflow and putting in an ailine with an air regulator and was wondering if this is something I should do or if I am mis-understanding the reason I have read people do this. Thanks for all your help. My tank has a 3" clown trigger and a 4.25" Fuzzy dwarf lionfish. Right now about 50 lbs. of live rock with a shallow sandbed. Corals are 3 different Zoas, a frogspawn, hammer, and devils hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanareef Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Just add an over flow box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_sidwell Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 wanareef, can that be done while the tank is set up and running? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 You don't want to rely on your return pump for circulation in the display. Use a closed loop or powerheads for this. Your flow thru the sump should match the GPH of your skimmer, otherwise you are not processing all of that water and things become less efficient. You could add an overflow box while its still full. You will need to drain it down so you can work and let it dry, then fill it back up. Another option is to add a T behind the tank like this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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