Help Tank overflowing! 60G cube

[92reefer]

Help needed. Just Filled my ML 60G cube tank and I have flow issues. Tank water rises and fills the return chamber at back of tank. Water level goes over the little clear air tube and then water rushes down the pipe and level in chamber drops about an inch. The water level then starts rising over the clear tube again and water in both tank and return chamber keeps rising to the point where I have to pull the plug on the pump so it doesn't overflow the tank.

What the heck is going on? I tried adjusting the clear air tube all the way and all the way down, same results.

I'm running a Mag-7 pump. I can't believe that the Mag 7 is pumping more water than the the overflow can handle? Other think I'm wondering is there's a bend in the flexible hose that came with my sump. I'm wondering if that is causing problems? I don't know how to get the bend out though with the placement of the tube and my sump inlet.

For now my tank is filled with Saltwater and rock and nothings moving!

[njudson]

Sounds like you are pumping up more water than your drain can handle. Although I don't know enough about this tank to know what you mean by return chamber. (many of us use that to mean the section of the sump where the return pump sits)

Do you have a way to dial down you return? I know on my 60 cube I cannot run my return wide open and its only a CA2200.

[RtReef]

A 7 should not be returning faster then draining. I would say check your connections and hoses.

Any pics to give us a visual of your problem?

[92reefer]

The return chamber I was referring to is the overflow section built into the back of the tank.

I think my problem has to do with the draining of the tank and the fact that the corrugated flexible hose that came with my Eshopps sump had a dip in the loop.

I took the sump end of the hose out of the acrylic sock holder and placed it directly in the sump to eliminate the sagging or dip so it's more or less a smooth line down.

Started tank back up and it's noisy but it mostly remains at a given level now without overflowing. No overflowing the tank anymore so proves the flow rate of the Mag 7 isn't too much but the sucking sound coming from the small acrylic tube is unbearable!! Guess I should have built the 90 elbow with standpipe and hole in top like I saw other cube owners do?

Last pic shows where I just ran the flexible hose straight into the sump and got rid of the bend in the hose.

Attaching pics...

[sirreal63]

If you know you have a kink in the drain line, and from reading it seems that you do, then you know where the problem is. Pics of the setup will really help, there is a solution but you haven't really given us enough information to help. :-)

Use a powerhead to get the tank water moving, that will solve that problem, it doesn't have to be strong, just enough to get some water movement on the top of the water for gas exchange.

[sirreal63]

I don't see any kinks? How is the connection of the flex to the pvc made?

[92reefer]

Originally Posted by sirreal63

I don't see any kinks? How is the connection of the flex to the pvc made?

The kink or bend is in the second pic. The third pic is where I removed the Acrylic bulkhead/holder and just ran the end of the flexible hose right into the filter sock, so in essence that straightened the kink/bend in the hose.

The noise is unbearable though from that acrylic tube in the overflow. I'm going to have to find a solution for that!

[Plumbcrazy]

dead silent overflow

[ddavefish]

Yea nothing like the Bean Animal for Silence ....

[sirreal63]

Originally Posted by Plumbcrazy

dead silent overflow

The tank is empty so I would imagine it is silent.

The Bean is the way to go if you have the room for it, it is perfect flow but the OP isn't asking about setting up one, he doesn't have that setup. He needed help with what he does have, but thanks for helping, I think.

[92reefer]

So the MAG 7 is running fine and not overflowing the tank. Phew!

But I have to modify the drain somehow, especially if I want to go back to using Eshopps acrylic sock holder and I have to get rid of the God awful sucking sound coming from the acrylic vent tube. But then I'll have to deal with the bend in the flexible hose again.

Any ML 60G cube owners on here have any advice or can share their pictures of the overflow plumbing?

[92reefer]

So I've solved the overflowing issue and I'm going after the terrible noise.

I'm thinking that the noise is caused by the drain tube being submerged below the water level in the Eshopps sump because as soon as I raise the tube, the noise goes away.

So my plan is to shorten the drain tube enough so that I can use the acrylic bulkhead filter sock holder that came with the Eshopps refugium. This will keep the hose above the water level in sump.

Problem is I'm not sure how to shorten the drain plumbing. I was going to just cut the PVC portion on the back of tank but I can't get to it now that the tank is filled with water and rock. Option 2 is to cut 1" corrogated hose that came with the Eshopps.

Does anyone know if I can just cut the flexible drain hose and reuse the white pipe slip that's currently on the end of the hose? I'm hoping that piece isn't glued. If it's glued how can I attach the "cut" hose to the bulkhead?

[BigKev23]

You are getting the noise since you don't have a standpipe on your drain. That little plastic tube in the overflow doesn't really do anything. This is how I did mine and it is very quiet.

[IMG]http://i54.*******.com/2lka9uu.jpg[/IMG]

[tankmates]

if you have 2 drains,i will go with herbie method, google it, it is dead silent and will prevent overflows, but you need to dial the return and drain using valve to make it work perfectly. i use it for my tank and it is dead silent.

[92reefer]

Originally Posted by tankmates

if you have 2 drains,i will go with herbie method, google it, it is dead silent and will prevent overflows, but you need to dial the return and drain using valve to make it work perfectly. i use it for my tank and it is dead silent.

I only have 1 drain on tank so I can't do the Herbie.

[92reefer]

So was able to cut the hose down and shove the 1" piece of slip PVC into the tube and mounted to a 45 degree elbow to the bulkhead.

Nice and clean and guess what. The POS still makes noise.

I still can't believe the overflow makes this much noise!. I'm out of options now except to install a standpipe in the back but I really can't get to the back of the tank now.

Suggestions??

[sirreal63]

Let's see the actual overflow, am curious as to what you have. I haven't looked at new ML tanks to see the overflow and plumbing set up.

[MHG]

I had the same problems on my 60 cube. Bigger air hole in the durso fived the surging... slightly closing the drain valve made it more quiet..

[kc350twin]

Mag 7 is way too much for that tank in my opinion.
3-5 times turnover is all you need. 300gph is max.

I have the 45 cube and I can run a Sicce 2.0 568 gph pump wide open with no prob. Now I do have a "y" check valve so the gph is cut way down. I still limit the flow way down and let the Vortech's do the flow in the tank.




Kc3

[92reefer]

Originally Posted by MHG

I had the same problems on my 60 cube. Bigger air hole in the durso fived the surging... slightly closing the drain valve made it more quiet..

Did you add the standpipe to your tank or are you saying that you just modified the OEM ML elbow by drilling a bigger hole (clear plastic tube was in this hole)?

[92reefer]

Well I added a tee and standpipe like BIGKEV suggested and it's much quieter now.

The tank level is still very high though and I've make the drain hose a very steady drop to the sump with no dips or kinks so I can't understand why it's not draining efficiently. I guess the MAG 7 is a little to strong.

So I picked up a 3/4" inch ball valve and I'm going to throw that on the return line to slow it down a little. Hopefully that will solve the high water level problem

Thanks for all the help and advice so far!

[pulit]

i just set my 60 cube up this weekend and the prob with a smaller pump doing 300 to 400 gph is it wont go over the overflow , only the bottom vent feeds the drain . u need a decent size pump to get the water level up enough to go over the top, i ran my sump to the basement so i have 12 foot of head , i had to get a mag18 with a ball valve do dial it back , didnt take much either . the valve is only closed about 3/8 . the bigger stand pipe worked for my drain problem . dont put a ball valve on your drain, very bad idea , you want your water to drain freely . But bottom line is the overflow systems on these tanks are terrible . you cant get the bulkheads out without cutting the overflow out , i didnt glue to the bulkheads either . just incase something goes wrong or i did something wrong or if a better way comes along . sofar no leaks . my water lvl is alil high also , about 1/4 inch of the clear vent tube is showing. even the return sucks .... it back siphens if the nozzel is to low in the tank and its loud when its slightly out of the water .. marineland needs to rethink the 60 cube . i prolly wont keep this one too long , i dont trust it .