AIO or Herbie for bedroom?

[Reefer PT]

Hi all, Not really new to the hobby but thought this was a better place for this question. My son wants a SW reef tank in his bedroom as he is fascinated with my nano and 93gal reef. He would like either a 29g long or 45 breeder but I am concerned about the noise as my 93 is very loud. my nano is quiet as it only uses an internal skimmer and a powerhead for filtration but he wants more then 1-2 fish.
I was looking at the IM fusion series and know they are not very loud but do have a waterfall sound and the skimmer i saw(aquagadget) was also a bit noisy but not too bad. They are also are limited when compared to a system with a sump. If I drilled a 29 gal tank to set up a full siphon/herbie overflow would this be quieter then the IM tanks if I use an ehiem return pump. As for the cost I know the IM tanks are about 5 bills but by the time you have a standard aquarium drilled, plumbed and set up a decent sump and return pump it all works out about the same.
What would you advise for a bedroom situation. Also open to other styles of setups or any other advice to keep things quiet.
Thanks So much
Dave

 

[swk]

I would never setup a tank in a bedroom that wasn't a herbie or bean setup. I can hear my vortech over my return

 

[shesacharmer]

BRS has a video regaling the Herbie/Eheim combo on a 40B as one of the quietest out there. It's the video where they add a sump to an existing tank.

 

[W1ngz]

I'd go bean with a sump for anything that wasn't in a basement. Any overflow, drip or flood is gonna ruin carpets and furniture. Bean has that 3rd drain safety blanket, and being able to work down on the floor by the sump for water changes will make it a lot less likely to have spills and drips. I'm saying all this based on the assumption that the bedroom is quite possibly on the second floor of a home.

I would also set this up in the basement or garage (if you have) initially to pre-set any return pumps and flow rates, while learning the system's behavior. You could use just plain tap water while you are playing around to get a firm understanding of the water flow, and move to salted RO/DI once it's installed in the correct location.

 

[ca1ore]

I think a bean animal is overkill for a smaller tank. You just end up losing too much real estate to the overflow. Do a Herbie, and don't over size the main pump and you'll be fine.

 

[m0nkie]

I think a bean animal is overkill for a smaller tank. You just end up losing too much real estate to the overflow. Do a Herbie, and don't over size the main pump and you'll be fine.

+1

I have BA for my 100gal. my main drain is 70% closed.. the other 2 pipes are dry.

Stick to Herbie!

I currently use Sicce Syncra 4 Silent pump and Eshopp Skimmer. My fish tank is 10ft away from my bed. very quiet with doors closed

 

[Reefer PT]

Thanks, that settles it then, sump it is!
Dave

 

[m0nkie]

use a flex tube between your main pump to the return pipe. It will eliminate a lot of vibration noise.

I highly recommend Vertex Skimmer for quiet operation. It is by far the most quiet skimmer I've heard in person. If the price tag is an issue, you can get an Eshopp. It does the job but feels cheaper.

 

[Reefer PT]

Flex Tube? Are you referring to spaflex pipe, black ABS, Polyvinyl (clear tubing) or 1 1/4 "pool style" ribbed tubing.
Thanks for clarifying
Dave

 

[jrp1588]

Flex Tube? Are you referring to spaflex pipe, black ABS, Polyvinyl (clear tubing) or 1 1/4 "pool style" ribbed tubing.
Thanks for clarifying
Dave

For the return, clear vinyl works great.