SUMP - smell, noise, bubbles

[The River Reef]

I recently added a 10 gallon sump to my 56 gallon DT. It is located in my living room and now I am battling a few issues that I could use some help with: Smell, noise, and micro-bubbles.

Smell - the setup is located in my living room and it now smells like my LFS in there. It is def coming from the newly added sump in the stand. It did not smell at all before I added the sump. I am also running a Fluval 405 cannister filter. Once I dial in my skimmer, I plan to use the cannister as a closed loop with carbon and bio-media. Right now it has filters, carbon and bio-media in the cannister. I need some suggestions to minimize the smell before my girlfriend flips her lid. It really does have a strong fish tank smell in there now.

Noise - Also since adding the sump the noise level is really loud. I would say that it is 60 percent noise from the pumps and 40 percent from the water movement. My overflow is a life reef with the silencer add-on. It still makes a little bit of noise but isn't too bad. I still would like other reduction tips... I was wondering if adding lids to the open outer box would help? The water entering the sump is below the water level but still makes allot of noise that resembles splashing from the heavy circulation. I read that some people put mouse pads under the pumps, this sounds risky too me. I did add a rubber tool box drawer liner under the entire glass aquarium sump. What are other "safe" quieting methods for the pump vibration and/or the water?

Micro-Bubbles - Due to minimum space when designing the sump, I didn't put the standard 3 baffles to help with bubbles. Now I am paying for it... my tank is full of bubbles even though it doesn't look like any are coming out of the sump return inlet. I put a flashlight on the sump and can see some very tiny bubbles getting to the return pump. I was thinking about gluing an extra piece of glass I have to work like a baffle. See the pictures below:

 

[JohnK]

Running lots of carbon is the way to deal with the smell. Your current carbon maybe used up.

Search for "reverse duroso", adding one will usually quiet the drain noise.

for the water movement noise, and the micro bubbles try adjusting the water level so that there is only a very slight drop after the baffle. Also, you can add an "under baffle" (have it so that it goes down to about 1.5" off of the bottom of the sump) before the existing one (not after as shown in the pic) and this will help with the bubbles (bubbles want to rise, so adding an under baffle will draw water from the bottom of the skimmer section where there are less bubbles, currrently it's skimming the water from the top of the skimmer section where there will be the most bubbles). Also look at where the skimmer output is, can you rotate the skimmer so that the output is farther away from the baffles?

 

[Turbosnail]

+1 To everything John said.

 

[uhupong]

wow

These are exact problems that i have.

1. I put lots of carbon in. It helps at some extent
2. Noise from Eheim 1252, debating if i should put mouse pad under.
3. Micro bubbles, installing filter sox over skimmer output tonight.

Ill let you know how things turn out.

Pong

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[FinsUp!]

For the noise issue, if possible, shorten your return plumbing from the pump up to the tank so that your pump is "hanging" by the plumbing and not touching the ground. I'm running a mag12 this way and it's dead silent. For me, it also makes it easier to remove the pump for cleaning.

 

[Bruno]

wow

These are exact problems that i have.

1. I put lots of carbon in. It helps at some extent
2. Noise from Eheim 1252, debating if i should put mouse pad under.
3. Micro bubbles, installing filter sox over skimmer output tonight.

Ill let you know how things turn out.

Pong

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

2. Use a 6" piece of Spa Flex for your output then connect to PVC

 

[uhupong]

how's OP doing?i dont want to hijack the post.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Tcancel]

In terms of odors my only experience has come from my skimmer. Make sure you clean the skim collection cup frequently. Becuse the cover of the cup has vent holes, sometimes you get either a fishy or even a rotten smell.

 

[The River Reef]

The blue is the input. I change it yesterday to be PVC with a union right after the ball valve. I then have a 45 bringing it forward and another 45 sending the flow towards the far left side of the sump. Before it was several flex tubing pieces with 2 90 angle bends.
The red lines indicate how I want to alter the baffle. I would like to take the suggestion of drawing the water from the bottom by raising it an inch or so. Then I want to add the 4"tall baffle I have laying around to hold back my gravel bed. If this doesn't do the trick, I figured I could stuff some filter pad between the 2 baffles.
I do not understand what the flex tubing will do for the return pump? Right now I have the opposite, PVC to flexible tubing all the way to a ball valve right before the inlet in the tank.
The odor def seems to be coming from the skimmer cup. I was considering making some sort of cover/ box around it or something of the sort!? The collection cup is above the shelf in the stand, I had to cut a section out to fit my 24" tall Euro Reef skimmer.
This is my first saltwater tank and my first sump. Allot more money and effort than I expected, but allot more rewarding than I ever dreamed

 

[JohnK]

You want the baffles to overlap more so that the under baffle goes close to the bottom of the sump, and the over baffle will go from the bottom of the sump up to the height you will be keeping water level at in the return pump section. The top of the under baffle does not need to go up much past the water level, but having it's bottom lower will make the bubble trap work better.