Suggestions for absolutely silent pumps/filtration.

[Kaisha]

Beginner here looking for advice on pumps/filtration.

I have a 120 gallon tank I'm setting up. Now its not gonna be a salt water tank... I know this is a reef forums, but you guys are the most active and most knowledgeable aquarium forum I found online, but rather a freshwater african cichlid tank. To that end I bought a CPR CS150 overflow (tank was tempered and couldn't be drilled) and 2 Mag 7's, and built a sump (bought some glass from a local place and silicone'd it together). It works, but the pumps are EXCEPTIONALLY loud.

I'm looking for a completely silent solution. Not a 'sort of quiet', or can't be heard in a room with people talking and TV running type quiet, but sub-30db type silent running. No gurgling, hissing, rushing, humming, or clinking, just pure silent bliss.

Since its a freshwater setup, throwing heat into the tank shouldn't be an issue. I also don't need absurd flow rates. I would like it to be low maintenance.

So with that in mind, what would you guys suggest?

[soulpatch]

I run both a FX6 and a XP5 on my 125 gallon planted tank and the only thing I hear in that room is the bubbles from the damn volcano bubbler my god son wanted in there.

I have had the FX6 plumbed into overflows without an issue and they have no gurgle or such in the overflow which is awesome. Though you have a sump and most likely want to keep with that...

Oh my two filters I prefer the FX6 for cleaning the tank as it has high overflow. It also has a drain on the bottom to pump out water for easy water changes and flushing the filter. It is a PITA to carry when full though and to move around in the stand.

[Mrramsey]

Find another hobby. What you look for does not exist at least nothing that will be large enough for a 120.

Nothing is completely silent. Sicce pumps are very quiet. I run a sicce hf-10 on my 120 at 8-900gph. From the viewing side @ 4' away I get about 52db which is technically quiet. Even if you went to the quietest room in your house and ran a sound meter you would be surprised that it will he about 42-45db of ambient noise.

Silent pumps? Its a relative term.

[ecksreef]

Is it hard plumbed? A few things you can do. Suspend the pumps so they are not touching the sump floor. Place a pad under the pump. Use air tubing under the pump like skis for it to rest on. What worked the most for me was using silicon tubing from the pump to the pvc.

[soulpatch]

Originally Posted by Mrramsey

Find another hobby. What you look for does not exist at least nothing that will be large enough for a 120.

For Freshwater that he wants a single FX6 would suffice and is damn near silent.

Nothing is completely silent. Sicce pumps are very quiet. I run a sicce hf-10 on my 120 at 8-900gph. From the viewing side @ 4' away I get about 52db which is technically quiet. Even if you went to the quietest room in your house and ran a sound meter you would be surprised that it will he about 42-45db of ambient noise.

Silent pumps? Its a relative term.

Once I close my stand door and go sit on my couch which is 3 feet in front of the tank you can not hear the canisters. I can hear my air pump though and when it fires on I can hear my CO2 system firing off. I cant hear the pumps though with the exception of the daily "clean out" that the FX6 goes though to clear air from the system.

I do have a rubber pad across the entire base of my stand for vibration reduction and the outer shell of my stand is MDF which is a bit better at deadening sound then plywood IMHO.

For a sump though I have never found anything to be silent. So if you are going to stay with that setup you are best to rubber line the base, suspend your pump, and put some dynamat or similar matting on the inside walls/doors of your stand.

[Mrramsey]

Originally Posted by soulpatch

For Freshwater that he wants a single FX6 would suffice and is damn near silent.



Once I close my stand door and go sit on my couch which is 3 feet in front of the tank you can not hear the canisters. I can hear my air pump though and when it fires on I can hear my CO2 system firing off. I cant hear the pumps though with the exception of the daily "clean out" that the FX6 goes though to clear air from the system.

I do have a rubber pad across the entire base of my stand for vibration reduction and the outer shell of my stand is MDF which is a bit better at deadening sound then plywood IMHO.

For a sump though I have never found anything to be silent. So if you are going to stay with that setup you are best to rubber line the base, suspend your pump, and put some dynamat or similar matting on the inside walls/doors of your stand.

Not saying an fx6 wouldn't suffice a Rena xp3 would do well also. Point being it's an oxymoron to say anything is silent as the op is requesting a sub 30db pump. You even said 'near silent' the op said 'not almost silent'.

[soulpatch]

Originally Posted by Mrramsey

Not saying an fx6 wouldn't suffice a Rena xp3 would do well also. Point being it's an oxymoron to say anything is silent as the op is requesting a sub 30db pump. You even said 'near silent' the op said 'not almost silent'.

If I cant hear it 2 feet away then I would count that as dead silent. I cant imagine the OP was saying that expecting the door to be open with his head next to the pump and not hearing anything.

A Rena XP3 would need help for that tank. it can not handle the waste of a cichlid tank on its own. It has neither the flow nor the filtration levels to handle it. Considering they also do not do well when plumped to an overflow I would avoid them for this tank.

I would be running 2 FX6 on my tank if I did not have the XP4 already. The only thing I like about the XP series is they easiness to clean.

[coffee_snob]

Originally Posted by soulpatch

and the only thing I hear in that room is the bubbles from the damn volcano bubbler my god son wanted in there.

lol

Our daughter had to have one of those in our freshwater tank too.

[Kaisha]

Thanks for the reply's but Mrramsey's probably right. I'm gonna tear it down and probably sell what I can.

As far as ambient noise, my computer is easily sub 40db, so I didn't forsee a tank in another room being 80db+, that just seems silly to me.

[Sk8r]

I'd recommend a submerged intake for the downflow, a basement sump if you can manage it, and one of the quieter pumps. Absolutely quiet isn't going to happen. But less than gurgle with pump sound, yes. If you want quieter than that, I'd recommend a fairly quiet small softie tank with a Penguin filter per 30 gallons no downflow, minimal fish load.

[tkeracer619]

Guys a library whisper at 3' is 30 db. A telephone dial tone is usually around 80db.

Normal conversation is 60db unless you are in one of those hipster bars where everyone wants the people at the next table to hear about their crossfit

You want a pure silent tank, sure, that is completely doable but it isn't going to happen if you want to give up so easily. This is not an easy thing to accomplish but it is possible. Electric pumps and waterflow aren't going to be your friend but you are running 2 mag 7s . That is like the harley davidson of water pumps.

I can hear my mag 12 through 12" concrete with bose noise cancelling headphones on.

[Mrramsey]

I will make one more suggestion . I just got a new sicce syncra pro 7000. These are new pumps but I have to say it is extremely quiet. It is more quiet than a syncra 5.0 I had tried. The only noise I hear now is a slight trickle of water in my filter socks and the air in my skimmer.

[gt93pony]

Originally Posted by Mrramsey

I will make one more suggestion . I just got a new sicce syncra pro 7000. These are new pumps but I have to say it is extremely quiet. It is more quiet than a syncra 5.0 I had tried. The only noise I hear now is a slight trickle of water in my filter socks and the air in my skimmer.

+1. I hear great things about the new Syncra pumps.