Tank Noise

[BillE]

:duh: We are installing a 240-gallon reef tank in our den. Salt water obviously. Unfortunately, we did not anticipate the noise level from the pumps and water. Does anyone have any ideas as to the materials we can use to dampen the noise below the tank and above the tank? Help!! Seems to me that the materials above the tank will be suceptable to more heat and the salt then below but not sure. Any help will be greatly appreciated as I'd like to be able to have a conversation while watching my reef. Thanks. Bill.

[RothChyld]

I have one in my family room with no lid and a 1/4 open canopy. You can walk around it although one side has a couch button up against it where the TV is.

If you have an overflow you can put sponges in the overflow to quiet the downpour a little. I used the same types of sponge that you would put over your pumps in the wet/dry (since I had some left). Also although I havent done this quite as high yet you can put liverock in there to let it flow over the liverock and break it up a bit. Of course if you have a lid keep it closed but I wouldn't recommend so you can have a better gas exchange.

Underneath the tank is another story. Most of the noise seems to come from the pump hitting the bottom of the filter. You can put rubber underneath any external pumps that you have to make them quieter. You can also use the same mesh material that I recommended above to put underneath them if inside the wet-dry. I would hesitate to put rubber inside any part of the tank as I don't know if that would decompose. Maybe Mogurnda knows the answer to that one.

Mike

[mogurnda]

There are a few things you can do, but you need to localize the sound first.

I was getting a racket from the flow of the water into the sump, and made a few changes that really cut the gurgling down. I'd need to know more about your design, though.

If you are getting a lot of noise from your overflow, you should try a durso standpipe (http://www.dursostandpipes.com/) (if you don't have one already), or you may be putting more flow through it than it can handle. You might need to throttle it down with a ball valve.

Neoprene has worked for me under pumps in the sump. Just cut up an old wetsuit, and put pieces between the pumps and the sump.

Then there's my main circulation pump. It makes an audible hum that I haven't been able to muffle. I bought some foam rubber to act as soundproofing, but haven't done much yet.

A few ideas to start with.

[RothChyld]

Dave, Thanks for the reference to the Durso Standpipe. I built one last week and it works great. I think it cost 10 bucks. Great recommendation! :clap:

Mike

[mogurnda]

Some ideas really work. I like that.

[leorlevi]

Go to Home Depot and buy some egg crate foam.