How Quiet Can you Get a Sump Realistically?

[ahud]

Hello,

I do not have much experience with sumps. I have had two, both were loud enough that I blame them partly for ditching the tank. Both ran Durso drains.

So just how quiet can you get a sump if you skip a skimmer? Will they ever be as quiet as a canister filter? I'm really sensitive to noise and tricking water sounds irritate me.

 

[Goaway]

I have a herby style sump. All I hear is my protein skimmer.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Some noise and overflow noise are two totally different beasts.

A Herbie overflow can get darn quiet, Bean animal is silent so there's that.

There's some noise is coming from one of two things, equipment and water flow.

If you want to throw money at the problem you can buy high-end very quiet equipment. Water flow noise through the sump Can usually be fixed by adding some volume. For instance if you have a 40 gallon sump and are throwing 700 gallons an hour through it; it's going to be louder than if you've got a 75 gallon some running 700 gallons an hour for it. The water will slow down and shut up all this OR ( put doors on your stand with rubber guards around the outside to Make it quieter)

 

[ahud]

Some noise and overflow noise are two totally different beasts.

A Herbie overflow can get darn quiet, Bean animal is silent so there's that.

There's some noise is coming from one of two things, equipment and water flow.

If you want to throw money at the problem you can buy high-end very quiet equipment. Water flow noise through the sump Can usually be fixed by adding some volume. For instance if you have a 40 gallon sump and are throwing 700 gallons an hour through it; it's going to be louder than if you've got a 75 gallon some running 700 gallons an hour for it. The water will slow down and shut up all this OR ( put doors on your stand with rubber guards around the outside to Make it quieter)

Do you think even half of the sumps out there with herbie/bean overflows (siphon styles) are as quiet as a canister?

 

[Mr Cypher]

My tank makes almost no noise have a WB 130.4 standard waterbox sump spent the money for the nyos skimmer makes almost no noise unless you have the cabinet open and your right infront of it

 

[Pistondog]

Hello,

I do not have much experience with sumps. I have had two, both were loud enough that I blame them partly for ditching the tank. Both ran Durso drains.

So just how quiet can you get a sump if you skip a skimmer? Will they ever be as quiet as a canister filter? I'm really sensitive to noise and tricking water sounds irritate me.

So stupid piston lived with gurgling drains and falling water sounds for years, not in a main room.
1. Made a herbie out of the 2 drain ports.
2. The falling water is in the sump, where years ago I removed the filter sock I don't want to use. Bought a big pore, nylon mesh sock and cut the bottom. Just catches the water and guides it down

Now it isn't silent, but I have to Chek to make sure things are running.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Do you think even half of the sumps out there with herbie/bean overflows (siphon styles) are as quiet as a canister?

Homie if you're dead set on a canister filter, Go for it. I've run a fx4 for a period of time and it was just fine. I also clean every Saturday morning neurotically.

I'm running a Herbie on my reefer 250 and you can't even hear a thing from the overflow. There is a silent trickle from the sump that gets louder as the filter socks get more backed up, that is totally silent with the doors closed. Fully clean it's silent with them open. The sump and cabinet were built for that.

I don't quite understand or need for complete silence but if that's what it is, enclose your stand or transfer your tank onto a stand purpose built to be silent.

There's no question the options of running a sump hugely outweigh the drawbacks for most. If ANY sound is a deal breaker, find the most quiet canister, clean it all the time, Be happy!

 

[NowGlazeIT]

As quiet as the skimmer is

 

[Chrisv.]

Set up properly (e.g. a direct siphon for overflow and an emergency non siphoned drain for redundancy) an overflow can be essentially silent. Your choice of pumps will make a HUGE difference in terms of how loud your return is and your various other sump equipment is. Frankly, expensive pumps that advertise being silent are exactly that. I know nobody is using a mag 18 anymore, but seriously, high end pumps marketed for silence are silent.

Use an ATO to keep sump water level high in your return chamber and set up your baffles such that there is minimal turbulence.

Then it's just a skimmer that's making noise. Some skimmers can be well silenced too.

 

[Chrisv.]

Do you think even half of the sumps out there with herbie/bean overflows (siphon styles) are as quiet as a canister?

If people set them up properly, then 100% yes. Given that you posted this thread, I guess you will be motivated to do it right?

 

[Kfactor]

i have a 125 gallon total volume with herbi over flow and my tank is dead silent . i have my cor 20 almost maxed out too

 

[Chrisv.]

For what's it's worth I'm also psychotic about my tank being dead silent. It can be done. Throw money at the problem and it will go away.

 

[Goaway]

Do you think even half of the sumps out there with herbie/bean overflows (siphon styles) are as quiet as a canister?

Depends on several things. Cabinet, return pump and skimmer. Herbie and bean animal are fine tuned by a gate or ball valvue to control water flow to stop toilet flushing sounds.

R2r had a question of the day on "how quiet is your sump" mind you. That time frame my sump was as bad as a flushing toilet. I learned how to use a ball valve

 

[Cabinetman]

Closing the stand in makes a huge difference and running herbie style over flows

 

[Goaway]

For what's it's worth I'm also psychotic about my tank being dead silent. It can be done. Throw money at the problem and it will go away.

Only cost me $6 and some r2r help. So happy for this forum.

 

[Chrisv.]

Only cost me $6 and some r2r help. So happy for this forum.

I saw a huge difference when I shifted from mag drive pumps of various sizes running everything to Sicce silent pumps. Can't wait to see what the DC world has to offer.

 

[rishma]

For what's it's worth I'm also psychotic about my tank being dead silent. It can be done. Throw money at the problem and it will go away.

Exactly

 

[ahud]

Homie if you're dead set on a canister filter, Go for it. I've run a fx4 for a period of time and it was just fine. I also clean every Saturday morning neurotically.

I'm running a Herbie on my reefer 250 and you can't even hear a thing from the overflow. There is a silent trickle from the sump that gets louder as the filter socks get more backed up, that is totally silent with the doors closed. Fully clean it's silent with them open. The sump and cabinet were built for that.

I don't quite understand or need for complete silence but if that's what it is, enclose your stand or transfer your tank onto a stand purpose built to be silent.

There's no question the options of running a sump hugely outweigh the drawbacks for most. If ANY sound is a deal breaker, find the most quiet canister, clean it all the time, Be happy!

I have not committed to anything yet, so just feeling out the options.

Silence is such a high priority because the tank is going into my office, I work from home. I like it quiet while working.

Can you point me towards how you built the stand? I have not built mine yet.

 

[Wyvern]

I have a bean animal on a external overflow box running 1000GPM and water noises are dead silent IF you don't disturb surface of water, which I do with a gyre, it then sounds like waves in a pool.

The other equipment is a faint hum as I use an A/C skimmer.

Now the loudest piece of equipment is my ozone generator, it sounds like a tattoo gun, I actually put mine in a camera bag!

The sump itself makes no sound. Bashsea Bio-fuge.

 

[parkwaytrash]

I converted my dual durso to a Herbie. The durso was way to loud. as soon as I did the conversion i was amazed at how quiet it became. I run a dc return pump that I can never tell if it's running it's so quiet. I just installed a DC motor skimmer and it's super quiet.

I am very sensitive to noise and with this new to me tank and sump I am extremely pleased