Could really use some help with Drain line suckin air.

Set up my new 90 gallon tank today and started running the return pump. The magaflow kit is sucking air in the 2 holes making a loud noise. Also on the drain line in to the sump you can tell it is also sucking and making a loud noise.

I have my drain line split See picture. At first i had both lines going underneath the water line. That was causing the the water in the drain section of the display tank to fluctuate up and done So i raised the one drain going into the skimmer section above the water line and that stopped the water from fluctuating up and down. But i am still getting a lot of sucking air.

Does anyone have any suggestions to fix the sucking problem? Could it be that i have the drain line split the way i do?

 

I went a little different route so it might not be the case. (My system is Bean Animal.)

When my overflow box gets too low, it starts REALLY loud slurping noise. Its so loud and unbearable.
This happens when:
-overflow pipe(s) drains too fast into the sump.
-the return is not pushing up too slow.
-the whole system's water gets too low (time for topping off).
-combination of one, two or all of the above.
Luckily my system is fully adjustable, both the drain rate and the return rate (with the throttle back tee). If I have to adjust, its only a hair twist of valves, wait for a few minutes. It would stop doing it by itself.

Again, it might not be the case, hope it helps a bit, good luck

 

the water fluctuation was being caused by backpreassure building up. The air the overflow sucks in, finds the resistence of the water at the end of the hose and has nowhere to go.

I don't know the type of overflow that you have, but if big enough, you can Google "durso pipe" and that would help reduce some of the noise.

Can you post a pic of the overflow part?

Sent from my phone using my two opposable digits

 

I'm not 100% on the Mega-flow kit....is that right? But, I'm guessing this noise from the overflow can be limited by reducing the size of those 2 vent holes for the draining... Small enough to allow air to drain smoothly, but not creating a siphon.

As for the drain lines, I found that the ball valve (closed some) was helping to trap air in that particular line every time the return pump shut off... This air was throwing of the flow in the larger (non restricted line) causing a lot of gurgling and water level changes in the sump while the drain lines attempted to find a "sweet spot" so to say....

Hope that helps you some...

Like mentioned about, a pic of your overflow may help too...

Good luck!