How To Silent External Overflow

[Aaron-A2]

I've been messing around with my Eshopps Eclipse overflow box and I can't get the overflow silent. Sound is coming from two locations:

Overflow Box
I've tried increasing the height of the secondary drain, but I can still hear a trickle on the wet side of the box.

Secondary Drain
Lots of air going through my secondary drain into the sump. Causes that fish store sound. The drain line is 1" or less below the surface

Any suggestion on either of these problems would be appreciated!

 

[Crabs McJones]

If you raise the water level in the outside box, the inside box noise should go away. I had the same issue with mine. You have to get it so that the water level is over the opening of the bulkhead going into the outside box. the airspace in the bulkhead is where you're noise is coming from. as far as the secondary drain, have you tried messing with your gate valve? If its sucking air on your secondary then perhaps your primary is to restricted?

 

[Reeferdood]

Sounds like you are overdriving it, can you try to back the flow off and see if that helps?

 

[Aaron-A2]

@Crabs Mcjones I hear you. I'm a little hesitant to raise the display level as it's already pretty high. Thoughts?

 

[Aaron-A2]

Sounds like you are overdriving it, can you try to back the flow off and see if that helps?

What do you mean by overdriving ? As in my return pump is too strong?

 

[Reeferdood]

What do you mean by overdriving ? As in my return pump is too strong?

Exactly, try throttling it back a tad and see if it quiets down...

 

[Crabs McJones]

@Crabs Mcjones I hear you. I'm a little hesitant to raise the display level as it's already pretty high. Thoughts?

Not the display level, the level in the outside box of the overflow.

 

[Aaron-A2]

@Crabs Mcjones I can give it a shot. This is my first time using a bean animal overflow. Would I restrict the primary (full siphon) too raise that level?

 

[Crabs McJones]

@Crabs Mcjones I can give it a shot. This is my first time using a bean animal overflow. Would I restrict the primary (full siphon) too raise that level?

correct, just watch it carefully

 

[Aaron-A2]

@Crabs Mcjones So I stopped the secondary drain sound, but not the trickle on the wet side of the overflow box.

Right now, if I restrict the primary any more, too much water starts going down the secondary causing even more sound. I'm honestly not sure what do here lol.

 

[Crabs McJones]

@Crabs Mcjones So I stopped the secondary drain sound, but not the trickle on the wet side of the overflow box.

Right now, if I restrict the primary any more, too much water starts going down the secondary causing even more sound. I'm honestly not sure what do here lol.

Did you raise the water level in the outside box? the water level in the outside box will match the inside box, and the less the water has to fall the quieter it'll be.

 

[Aaron-A2]

It's pretty dang high lol

The water level outside is not in line with inside the wet side of the box. Would increasing the return pump power solve this?

 

[Retro Reefer]

Covering your overflow box and sump if possible will help quiet it down

 

[Crabs McJones]

It's pretty dang high lol

Not the level in the display tank, the level in the overflow box, where your bean animal overflow is. Its kind of hard to explain.

So in this picture the long black line is your tank wall. the red box is the inside overflow box, the blue box is the exterior box where your plumbing is. the green line is your water level. You want to raise it so that the water in the red box (inside the tank) doesn't have to fall as much, the less the fall the less the noise this is adjusted by your gate valves on your primary and secondary drains I hope this helps explain it better

 

[Aaron-A2]

I understand. I believe right now, I may have to add height to my secondary drain. It will be a little higher than I'd like but it should work.

 

[ca1ore]

I'm sorry to say that in part it is a design flaw in this overflow. The external box sits too far down which makes raising the water level problematic. I get that they drop it down to clear any tank trim/rim, but it then creates the trickling noise problem. Based on the pictures in the original post, I'd not recommend raising the external box level any more than that. Otherwise you run the risk of the back up drains not starting before the box overflows.

 

[Aaron-A2]

I'm sorry to say that in part it is a design flaw in this overflow. The external box sits too far down which makes raising the water level problematic. I get that they drop it down to clear any tank trim/rim, but it then creates the trickling noise problem. Based on the pictures in the original post, I'd not recommend raising the external box level any more than that. Otherwise you run the risk of the back up drains not starting before the box overflows.

Interesting. Is there a workaround option? Would perhaps adding some amount of filter floss be a safe method to reduce the sound?

 

[Reeferdood]

Did the overflow come with a cover like Retro said, on either or both of the sides?
I would not put any floss in there, it will clog and eventually lead to a flood dilemma.

 

[Jimbo662]

I had this same exact issue with my Planet Aquarium Tideline overflow that designed almost identical to yours. I've got a Varios 6 pump that i had been running at 58%. This caused too much water to flow into the tank and raised the level of water on the weirs which was causing a waterfall inside. Once I turned the pump down it lowered the level and the noise immediately went away. I'd been dealing with this for 6 months and was seriously considering replacing the tank with one that had an internal box. I've got the drain set so the level in the external box is probably just slightly higher than yours. That way it keeps a higher level on the internal box. I'd maybe suggest replacing the red emergency pipe with one slightly longer so you can get a little more water height on the outside.

 

[ca1ore]

Interesting. Is there a workaround option? Would perhaps adding some amount of filter floss be a safe method to reduce the sound?

You'd have to do surgery on the external box. I did this on one. Basically I glued a new piece of acrylic over the face of the box that goes against the tank and then redrilled the bulkhead holes lower down in the box. It's a poor design for trim less tanks.