Gurgle, Gurgle. My lifereef is loud!!!

[royy]

Anyone out there know how to quiet a lifereef overflow down? I just got the single overflow and it is loud. I am using a mag 9.5 for return. The gurgle sound is way too loud. I can hear it from 2 rooms away. The worst part is that is in the tv room. I just tried to watch a movie and had to blast the volume to hear it. Please lend me your ideas fellow lifereefers.

Thanks
Roy

 

[moonpod1]

Look up a stockman mod of the durso standpipe. Designed for HOB overflows.

 

[gbundersea]

I too have a LifeReef single overflow, and found it a bit noisy. I'm using a Mag 7 for my return pump.

At first, I used Jeff's suggestion of hanging a piece of air tubing down in the standpipe. This works; you just have to fiddle with it a bit until it quiets the flow down. The tubing doesn't restrict flow at all; it just breaks up the noisy vortex. I found that the tubing doesn't stay in the optimum place, and unless you secure it, can slip down the standpipe.

I stopped using the air tubing, then took a rectangular piece of 1/4" plastic and simply laid it over the top of the outer box. It rests up against the U-tube, covering all but the last 1" of the open top of the box, which is where the U-tube is. It cut down on the noise a lot.

One of these days I'm going to trim it so that it covers the whole top while just allowing room for the U-tube itself. It definitely helps as-is though.

I am however intrigued by the standpipe mentioned in the previous post. I don't like the idea of losing the prefilter, so if I experiment with one it will be a modified something that works with the prefilter still there. If I get it working I'll let you know. Darn it, it's 3:22 AM, and now I'm curious to see if it WOULD work... ARGH!

One note: I did a lot of reading and research before buying an overflow. I have found the LifeReef overflows to be everything they were reputed to be, and more. They are topnotch in every way. The noise issue is a very minor one, and would be present with other overflows as well, except those which move the water too slowly and need powerheads to keep them going...

 

[royy]

I gotta say, it performs great. That noise just drives me nuts. I think I am going to try the Stockman design. I didn't like the part about algae clogging the holes though. I think I am going to cut slits in it instead. If it don't work than I will use the holes.

Any other ideas out there?

Roy

 

[Hal1]

I would have to disagree that the "noise issue" is a minor one. I have a dual Lifereef overflow that before modification, was soo loud that I could hear it in my bedroom upstairs. TV watching was impossible.

I tried the stockman mod with some success. However, I never was able to get the airholes to the right size. I ended up putting a stockman mod with three 3/8 holes in the cap, and airline tubing threaded through the holes (acts as a muffler for the airflow). This was for one of the overflows. For the other overflow, I ran 3 pieces of airline tubing about 6-12 inches down into the drain piping that leads to my sump. This combination works well for me.

Now, the only noise is water running in my drain pipes, because my flowrate is not quite high enough to keep them full (about 1000gph through 2 inch PVC).

 

[Anonymous]

I had good results making my Lifereef box quiet with a piece of 1/4" tubing off my RO/DI unit. I did have to fasten it to the U tube once I got it adjusted. The tubing ended up about 2' down the drain line, but I think that would vary depending on the type of drain you use. I used flexible tubing for my drain which makes a nice gentle 90 degree sweep behind the back of the tank. It's nearly silent.

 

[wickerj]

I don't like the idea of losing the prefilter

The one thing you don't want in a reef tank is a filter. Loose the filter, install a stand pipe. One less thing to clean.

Jeff

 

[royy]

I tried the stand pipe. The problem is that the biggest pipe I could fit in the Lifereef was the 1". The Durso page says for a 1" bulkhead you need to use a 1 1/4" pipe. The Durso page says it won't work correctly with the 1" and he is correct. I can't seem to get a quiet flow with the 1" Durso pipe. Maybe the Stockman pipe will work. This really sucks.

Roy

 

[Anonymous]

it works fine with a smaller diameter stockman, I do the same, due to space constraints, it'll quiet it down just the same.

I also use a oversized air vent, with a airline hooked to it, that draws air threw a small filter. This has 2 benifits, I dont have to worry about dust getting into the tank (I do the same on my skimmer, man it gets NASTY) and it works like a muffler, keeping the overflow silent.

L8r mega

 

[LFS42]

when I had an overflow box, I made a glass cover to go over the box, that seemed to help.
I know the sound well. It was in the bedroom.
Now I drill all my tanks





I know this wasn't much help.

 

[Anonymous]

You can put duroso's on external overflows, it makes them totally silent just like a drilled tank

 

[royy]

Megadeath, tell that to my Durso. It seems to get a bit loud.

Roy

 

[Anonymous]

what gets loud, the air opening? Or is it gurgling?

Either way, it's a matter of tuning it

 

[royy]

Megadeath, the problem is the Durso calls for a 1.25" PVC pipe. I can only fit a 1" in. If I adjust is so it is quiet, I get very little flow. I can't seem to get a decent flow, and a quiet flow at the same time.

Roy

 

[Anonymous]

It's "deth" not "death" fwiw

The duroso is not a formula you have to stick to, you can vary the design and it still works fine.

I use a 1" pvc for my durso, no problems, I dont have room to fit 1.5" pvc inside the overflow, my system uses a 1.5" bulkhead and pvc to the sump, but a 1.5>1" adapter inside the overflow, with 1" duroso

the duroso shouldnt limit the flow at all, something doesnt sound right, adjust it so it's loud and stick an airline on the airvalve, that will make it quiet

 

[CAPT PETE]

Mine was a bit loud also. What I did was cover the boxes in the tank and out of the tank with some lexan sheets I bought at Home Depot. You have to cut out where the overflow tubes are. It solved the problem. Try it.

 

[royy]

I got it pretty quiet today. What I did was put a 1" PVC coupler on the original Lifereef intake. I then put 3 pieces of ice maker tubing into the intake for air. I then adjusted the ball valve I put on the unit. I only had to turn down the ball valve a hair. It is totally quiet now.

I guess now I have to figure out a way to quiet the splash in the sump. Any suggestions there?

Roy

 

[wickerj]

You don't want a ball valve on your drain line and you sure don't want to have it part way closed. When (not if) a snail goes down your drain it's likely to get stuck in your ball valve restricting your water flow but your return pump will continue to pump water, your tank will fill then overflow until your sump runs dry and you burn up your pump.

Put either a Durso of Stockman mod on your overflow and your noise should stop.

Jeff

 

[mountainbiker619]

I guess now I have to figure out a way to quiet the splash in the sump. Any suggestions there?

Just run a hose or pvc pipe below the water line in your sump.

 

[MandarinFish]

gottaknow, etc...

Do you guys have pics?

I just got my Lifereef Double overflow going and it sounds terrible, and I usually like the water sounds of tanks.

Also - one of my tubes doesn't want to keep it's siphon. I am using a Mag12 pump... shouldn't that be enough to keep both tubes full?