Zero Edge Aquarium is LOUD!

[dkelley]

Hey all, I just had a Red Sea 650 leak on me. It was a gen 1 and pretty old but still horrible to have water spraying out of the bottom of the tank.

So I went out yesterday and picked up an aquarium I have eyed for a long time at the LFS. It was used by them and has been for sale for a long while. A zero edge. Significantly smaller than my 650 so today I rehomed my larger fish and my zero edge is all setup and going.

Problem is it’s very loud. I don’t know who made it but some of you smart folks will understand what’s going on and better than me, you’ll know how to fix it.

I have two pics here and hopefully they make sense.

The overflow shoots down the back drain into a little compartment the compartment has two exit points down into the sump. It’s loud, forces a kind of toilet flush motion on both of the outlets.

I’m not 100% sure if there is something that is supposed to slow the water down but I’m thinking I might need a valve to slow the water from draining maybe??

Hopefully someone on here know. I can and will head back to the LFS with questions and to check out the other similar tank they have setup. I’ve been in a mess between the two tanks and don’t want to make the trip if I don’t have to. Still not fully setup yet.

 

[Lemons]

Yea, you'll need a valve of some sort to reduce the flow.

Otherwise you'll be suckin in air and making one heck of a racket lol

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'm sorry but I'm not sure what I'm looking at in either photo...

 

[TokenReefer]

I have a ton of questions but may not be helpful... Maybe there's air in the line. Mine sounded like a toilet flushing until the air in the overflow line worked it's way out (pipe terminated under water in sump making an air pocket); maybe someone has a method to do this... Time did it for me..

Ps. First question, if I may, from the first picture, is the tank sitting in a trough of water?

 

[Lemons]

I'm sorry but I'm not sure what I'm looking at in either photo...

Not sure what the first one is myself...

But the second looks like two bulk heads?

 

[dkelley]

Yea, you'll need a valve of some sort to reduce the flow.

Otherwise you'll be suckin in air and making one heck of a racket lol

Just what I figured. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Agree with lemons on the suction and gurgling potential

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Not sure what the first one is myself...

But the second looks like two bulk heads?

Yes, but how are they in relation to the tank? I need a bigger picture...

 

[Aquavaj]

I'm sorry but I'm not sure what I'm looking at in either photo...

Its the bottom tray that captures the water that flows over the top on these zero edge tanks.

 

[Lemons]

Its the bottom tray that captures the water that flows over the top on these zero edge tanks.

O h ??? Weird. Seems like a salt creep/ evaporation nightmare imo

 

[Lemons]

But if it were my tank, id add a valve of some sort onto the line that will be your main return line, then cut some PVC and stick it in the other to make a emergency drain line

 

[Derrick0580]

O h ??? Weird. Seems like a salt creep/ evaporation nightmare imo

First thing I thought as well!

 

[braaap]

O h ??? Weird. Seems like a salt creep/ evaporation nightmare imo

Not any more than the usual tank surprisingly enough. These tanks are very interesting. Most of the flow is made by the overflowing feature. It’s such a gradual flow that you don’t have splashing and evaporation isn’t overly bad.

They were just extremely expensive when they came on the market. I don’t know of any being commercially made now. But I’d love one.

 

[dkelley]

Sorry folks, somehow I didn’t get any notice that I had more replies.

The emergency overflow was what I thought of immediately but there isn’t access to the two down pipes to stuck pvc there above the regular return flow, the top tank is in the way. So I have to returns and I put ball valves on both and it’s quiet as a mouse now. Also two returns so hopefully that helps with the lack of emergency return.

So far so good.

I got this tank used, I don’t know if anyone making them either but it wasn’t very cheap even used. It’s unique and fun so we are excited to have it. I have an ATO in the sump so I don’t care about the evaporation, it’s probably less than the Red Sea 650 it replaced. 1/3 the total water volume as well.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Remember-- you have to clean BOTH sides of the acrylic!

 

[dkelley]

Remember-- you have to clean BOTH sides of the acrylic!

Still less glass than the 650 was!

 

[Snoopy 67]

If you say so.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

can I see a video of this in play? You’re saying that this is like an infinity pool? The water runs over the side of the tank? I can only see my wife’s face now when I filled it up and went to work. I’d have like 10k 911 texts. From there I would be breaking it down… I may actually try and see how fast I get shut down with this idea. A infinity reef tank… this should be fun.

 

[Snoopy 67]

They are nice to look at. The water just runs over the entire rim on all sides evenly when set up correctly.
Very quiet.

 

[9secv6]

Here is what they look like running. I also out some foam in the back tray to help quiet them down