Drain on my new tank is LOUD.

[SirLight1337]

i made a large durso standpipe and that works fantastic. Its the water as it trickles down the drain tube and into the sump that is loud. It sounds like the dishwasher is on constantly when you walk in my house. How can i quiet it down a bit ? i stuck a T on the end of the drain tube so no siphon flush. anything else i can do ?

[drake66]

run some 90's on the return pipe, and it'll slow down the water a bit. i have 3 90's on my return (1.5'') and its like a mini skimmer in the little return compartment in the sump, but its better than my old setup where water would just gush out of the little compartment and all over the floor since it was just a straight flex tube, so the 90's will help :)

[SirLight1337]

i think i have about 7 90 degree elbows in my return setup. and the tank is currently fully of water, rock, and livestock.

[cozmo1]

is your drain submerged below the water line in your sump?

[SirLight1337]

yep. its the actual water coming down the tube that is loud. damn flex vacume type hosing.

[NicoleC]

Yep, flex hose with the ridges is noisy. Flex PVC is quieter.

Also, to some extent it will get quieter with time, as it collects slime on the inside.

[Konadog]

Try spa flex if you need flex, much quieter.

[SirLight1337]

i tried the large spa flex and it is just not flexable enough for where my drain is drilled. Due to the construction of my stand i had to drill the drain on the back pane of acrylic. If i used the spa stuff the tank would be even further from the wall then it is now.

[NicoleC]

Can you do a hard PVC 90 degree elbow from the bulkhead, then use Flex PVC for the run down to the sump?

[drake66]

i did hard pvc all the way, try that?

[rtwodtwo99]

I had the same problem before I purchased 2 of the following standpipes.
http://www.nautilusreef.com/html/cjstandpipes.html
You could probably make them yourself. They really worked for me.

[ReefMeister2]

I am a big proponent of using ABS fittings for drain pipe applications. They come in so many different sweeps, angles, and configurations that you can hard plumb almost anything.
The only downside is that 1-1/2" is the smallest diameter it comes in so it is not applicable to most return plumbing, but for drainage plumbing it is top dog.

1) ditch the flex pipe you are now using...nothing is going to silence the friction noise that you are experiencing.

2) hard plumb as much as you possibly can and avoid hard 90 angles in the process (gray electrical PVC is available in sweeps of any diameter and glues the same as regular white PVC) and use Spa Flex only where absolutely necessary.

3) Experiment with different flow ratings. I actually silenced my system (and I mean COMPLETELY silent) by increasing my flow substantially. There will be MUCH less noice if you can successfuly eliminate the ventury effect when air and water mix together at the drain. The velocity of air rushing down the tube causes water turbulence and hence noise. Eliminating one or the other can lower perseptible noise considerably.

[bergzy]

lemme tell y'all,

reefmeister2 is an animal when it comes to plumbing things!!!

he really knows his stuff when it comes to plumbing a reef tank.

the grey pvc curves rather than the 45 degrees or 90 degrees elbows and will not only speed up water flow due to no angles to contend with but should alos quiet things down. in my logic anyway...gentle sweeps are much less abrupt hence less disruptive that sharp 90 or 45 degree angles.

[SirLight1337]

now that the tank has rock and livestock in it..... lol argh.

Maybe ill get it a whirl this weekend. we are talkin major surgery now. o well. at least all i have to do is yank the 1.5 inch bulkhead off the back. If im lucky, i may have left myself enough room to do this without moving/draining the tank. Thanks for the input all.

[ReefMeister2]

If you're anywhere near Garden Grove and run into any problems...give me a jingle. I may be able to stop by for a brief advisory visit if you like.
Good luck

[SirLight1337]

tank decided to top out at about 85+ degrees today. goody goody gum drops. all livestock appears to be ok, temp should come back down slowly.

going from a 150 to a 75 sure is odd.