Skimmer baseline noise

[Joseph_Joe]

Hi all,

I would like to know if it is normal to have a "boiling water bubble flow" sound when the skimmer is ON. It is my first tank and all the skimmer review videos in internet have all the time either the video owner speaking about the skimmer features, or a background music playing so actually I never had the chance to know how much noise a skimmer is supposed to do.
My skimmer is a Maxspect SK-400 for info, running at 30% in the attached video.
Thanks in advance.

 

[lapin]

Yes they make noise. Churning the water and adding air makes for some noise

 

[Joseph_Joe]

Yes they make noise. Churning the water and adding air makes for some noise

Thanks. So what should I need to do, as the sound is a little bit annoying and can be clearly heard in the room ? Should I install some acoustic insulating panel on the inner walls of the sump compartment to attenuate it ?

 

[Freenow54]

Hi all,

I would like to know if it is normal to have a "boiling water bubble flow" sound when the skimmer is ON. It is my first tank and all the skimmer review videos in internet have all the time either the video owner speaking about the skimmer features, or a background music playing so actually I never had the chance to know how much noise a skimmer is supposed to do.
My skimmer is a Maxspect SK-400 for info, running at 30% in the attached video.
Thanks in advance.

Hard to tell. Mine makes noise because of discharge water. I notice you don't have an air line input silencer. It seems to be a chamber with an outlet attached to the tubing. Goggle some skimmers and you will see. Oco uses them as well as most

 

[Joseph_Joe]

Hard to tell. Mine makes noise because of discharge water. I notice you don't have an air line input silencer. It seems to be a chamber with an outlet attached to the tubing. Goggle some skimmers and you will see. Oco uses them as well as most

As per the below picture, it has a silencer. It is that wide white band seen in the video just below the collecting vessel. But I think that if it is a silencer issue, I would hear a noisy sucking sound, while my noise is pure bubbling annoying noise.
For your case, since it is discharge water, I guess it is more like the noise that may do a lifting pump if I am not wrong. I don't know how you can get rid of it. Maybe by reducing the speed ?

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

Pending what your inhabitants are you may not need to run it all the time?

 

[Freenow54]

As per the below picture, it has a silencer. It is that wide white band seen in the video just below the collecting vessel. But I think that if it is a silencer issue, I would hear a noisy sucking sound, while my noise is pure bubbling annoying noise.
For your case, since it is discharge water, I guess it is more like the noise that may do a lifting pump if I am not wrong. I don't know how you can get rid of it. Maybe by reducing the speed ?

Mine discharges into an adjoining chamber witch I fill with batten cheap from local fabric store. It does a great filtering job as well. Mines quiet enogh for me

 

[Joseph_Joe]

Pending what your inhabitants are you may not need to run it all the time?

Currently yes, just running for 3 hrs per day, but once the tank top bé fully charged, I heard it needs to run 24hr/24. I still need to assess if that noise is considered normal or my ears are just sensitive

 

[Idech]

Some are more silent than others. I don’t hear mine and I sit 7-8 feet from it. I specifically searched for one that would be; it was my main criteria, besides skimming, lol !

 

[JayM]

Mine was a bit loud as well. I disconnected the air line from the silencer and ran it outside. I no longer hear the skimmer, and bumped my pH up a bit as well. Win, win.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

Currently yes, just running for 3 hrs per day, but once the tank top bé fully charged, I heard it needs to run 24hr/24. I still need to assess if that noise is considered normal or my ears are just sensitive

my pump is fairly loud but placing foam around it where it was contacting the sump quieted it some. One day I'll replace it with a DC pump to get it quieter. .

 

[lapin]

Mine empties into a filter sock to quiet that rushing bubbly water

 

[Joseph_Joe]

Mine was a bit loud as well. I disconnected the air line from the silencer and ran it outside. I no longer hear the skimmer, and bumped my pH up a bit as well. Win, win.

my pump is fairly loud but placing foam around it where it was contacting the sump quieted it some. One day I'll replace it with a DC pump to get it quieter. .

Mine empties into a filter sock to quiet that rushing bubbly water

Thanks all for the feedback, but all these symptoms seem like they are coming from around/limits of the skimmer. The noise I am complaining about is from the inside, the water column inside the skimmer that is bubbling just below the overflow. Is there a way to attenuate it ?

 

[Freenow54]

Thanks all for the feedback, but all these symptoms seem like they are coming from around/limits of the skimmer. The noise I am complaining about is from the inside, the water column inside the skimmer that is bubbling just below the overflow. Is there a way to attenuate it ?

Have you tried adjusting the air and or water? I did notice the affluent isn't very dark in your cup. Mines like black syrupy coffee

 

[Freenow54]

Here is another idea. here is a picture of my silencer. You could make one on the other hand I found one on

CORALVUE site for $29Canadian

 

[Joseph_Joe]

Have you tried adjusting the air and or water? I did notice the affluent isn't very dark in your cup. Mines like black syrupy coffee

It's a new cycling aquarium so yes the skimmed part is not heavily loaded. For my skimmer I checked the inside of the air intake and it doesn't seem locked.
Under investigation...

 

[Freenow54]

It's a new cycling aquarium so yes the skimmed part is not heavily loaded. For my skimmer I checked the inside of the air intake and it doesn't seem locked.
Under investigation...

Did you see the photo I sent of the octo buffer? No harm in trying it

 

[FUNGI]

I made a enclosure from acoustic foam and just covered my skimmer body and cup. Noise....90% less.

 

[Joseph_Joe]

I made a enclosure from acoustic foam and just covered my skimmer body and cup. Noise....90% less.

Nice! That what I am planning. Do you have some specifications and possibly a picture to share ?
Thanks

 

[Joseph_Joe]

Did you see the photo I sent of the octo buffer? No harm in trying it

Yes thanks. I will check if I have enough room to insert an extra silencer between the current one and pump intake