Icecap 3k Noisy

ReeferReefer · Nov 26, 2018

I just picked up the Icecap 3k from SaltWaterAquarium.com and installed it last night. I installed a 7 mesh plastic guard over it to protect my BTAs. I love the low but this thing is noisy! At 40% it's distracting in the same room. I'm using it on gradual pulse up to 60% for my 90g softie tank.

If I play with the modes a but if I set it to alternating gyre and let it run for a bit, then switch back to gradual pulse, the pump quiets down.

The problem is that it will get noisy again after some time.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Also, what flow mode is the most popular? I have the pump 3 inches from the surface on the left side of the tank.

hdsoftail1065 · Nov 26, 2018

ReeferReefer said:
I just picked up the Icecap 3k from SaltWaterAquarium.com and installed it last night. I installed a 7 mesh plastic guard over it to protect my BTAs. I love the low but this thing is noisy! At 40% it's distracting in the same room. I'm using it on gradual pulse up to 60% for my 90g softie tank.

If I play with the modes a but if I set it to alternating gyre and let it run for a bit, then switch back to gradual pulse, the pump quiets down.

The problem is that it will get noisy again after some time.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Also, what flow mode is the most popular? I have the pump 3 inches from the surface on the left side of the tank.

I run 2 in my 144, they seemed to quite down after they ran for awhile. But with 2 I'm only ramping up to 30% on Gyre mode.

Regg · Nov 26, 2018

I bought 2 and sold both they are too nosiy I tried mine never quite down I have a buddy who have one is quiet

wesman42 · Nov 26, 2018

All gyre-type powerheads make some noise in my opinion...I'd just rather not spend $300 and go with a cheaper brand. Cleaning may help but probably not

Katrina71 · Nov 26, 2018

I think they are noticable too. Not loud, but not silent.

DSC reef · Nov 26, 2018

Another suggestion, when you turn off the flow do you see air bubbles coming from the unit? It was a common problem and got loud until I removed the grates and cleaned them. I know it's new but I also trapped air in the 3k when the covers were not adjusted properly.

JimFuller · Nov 26, 2018

I have one. It took about 45 days at 100 percent to break in. Since then it has been quiet. I run 100 percent during the day and 30 percent at night. It is in a 75 Gallon tank.

fermentedhiker · Nov 26, 2018

I just got two and installed them in alternating gyre mode at 50% I'm probably going to drop it down to 30% as it's kicking up the sand a bit. I put mesh on one and it whines a bit but has gotten quieter over the last hour. I have to add the mesh to the other one which was quiet from the start and see if that makes it worse.

ReeferReefer · Nov 27, 2018

I'll give it a try and see if any air is caught in it.

DSC reef said:
Another suggestion, when you turn off the flow do you see air bubbles coming from the unit? It was a common problem and got loud until I removed the grates and cleaned them. I know it's new but I also trapped air in the 3k when the covers were not adjusted properly.

ReeferReefer · Dec 3, 2018

Just following up. My pump seems to go through periods of being noisy and being quite. I had seen some posts stating that running the pump in Alternating Gyre mode would make it more quite so I gave it a shot. I have left the pump in its default configuration and set it to Alternating, going down to only -10% and ramping up to 90%. This has made the pump virtually silent.

I am not sure if there is a problem with my unit but I will be running it in this mode for the foreseeable future.

I wonder if others have had a similar experience with it? Maybe I'll try to play with the settings a bit more after a few months of break in.

Alex Costa · Jan 1, 2019

I have 2 of them and they're are NOISY......
It took a long time for me to notice that the rotors, after some time of operation, were trapping air inside of them.
If I turn off and on the pumps repeatedly (sometimes, 20 or 30 times), the air runs out and the pump goes on quietly.
But an hour later the air is trapped again and the pump makes a noise again.

I uploaded some videos showing the problem on Flickr:

Air trapped

Air coming out

DSC reef · Jan 1, 2019

I noticed with the 3k that once it got noisy and started trapping air then it was time to clean the impeller. Once cleaned it would usually stay quite for about 3 weeks