LF quiet skimmer

NirvanaFan

NirvanaFan

Reef Ninja
Premium Member
Well, the wife is getting annoyed at the noise my skimmer is making. It hasn't been running for the past couple of months. I just bought a gate valve mod, and it definitely cuts down on the noise, but I'm not sure that it is going to be enough. I'm currently using an Octopus NW-150. This is for my 75g tank with 29 gallon under the stand sump.

So, what is the quietest skimmer you have ever used?
 
Does it have a silencer? My asms are pretty loud but much quieter since I put CO2 scrubbers on the air intake; they act just like a silencer ; cutting down on the air draw noise.
 
It doesn't really have a silencer. I did put the airline tubing into a soda bottle filled with foam batting, but it doesn't really help.

Do you have a link to your co2 scrubber?
 
I thought that the nw150 that I had was pretty quiet. Just curious, what kind of noise? Splashing, pump vibration, or air intake? Do you have the air muffler on it?

edit: saw your last post. If you google skimmer silencers you can find some for a few bucks. If you're happy with the skimmers performance, I'd give that a try.
 
NirvanaFan said:
It's coming from where the air gets inject into the impeller or into the skimmer body. I think.
Click to expand...

Have you given the venturi a vinegar soak recently? My old octo's used to get buildup in there. It used to impact performance, but I don't recall it impacting the sound. Just a thought.
 
cardiffgiant said:
Have you given the venturi a vinegar soak recently? My old octo's used to get buildup in there. It used to impact performance, but I don't recall it impacting the sound. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

I give the venturi a soak in vinegar, hot water, or diluted muriatic acid once every few weeks. They definitely get buildup in there after a while. I've never noticed a difference in the sound level. Thanks for the idea though.
 
I'll post the link . I tried several differnt bottles when I diy'd it. If the intake line is placed in a narrow end of the bottle,like at the top of the cone in a soda bottle , it actually amplifies the air intake noise. Pushing it down to the wide area quiets it. Air intake noise might not be your problem but then it might.

Here's is the link:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1889552&highlight=co2+scrubber&page=5

Picture is in post #102. You can't see it there but a pice of tubing goes down into the widest section of the juice bottle . The air intake hose fits snuggly into it near the outside of the cap.
 
I have a NWB-150 and it came with a "muffler" that's attached to the end of the airline...Not sure if that's what you are looking for but if I take that off its incredibly louder! I had an issue with mine and I PM'd Jeremy @ CoralVue and he sent me all the parts, FREE OF CHARGE!! It even came with a cap to cover one of the two intake holes and it makes it even quieter.
I hope this helps you in some way...
 
I've made simple but effective silencers for skimmers. Just take your airline and run it into a piece of PVC then put some cotton balls on either end of the pipe. You'll have to make sure you use a large enough pipe that will allow your skimmer to draw enough air. You'll also want to make sure none of the cotton balls are too close to the air intake or they'll be grabbed by the suction.
 
I like teh pvc idea;not crazy about cotton ballsgetting dirty or sucked in but it should work.
 
Send her to my house and let her listen to my vfd closed loop pump for a while. She'll be REALLY happy you don't have one of those and more likely to overlook a "noisy" skimmer. :lol:
 
tmz said:
I like teh pvc idea;not crazy about cotton ballsgetting dirty or sucked in but it should work.
Click to expand...

I've got some open cell foam blocks that should work well if I stuff them in a pvc or bottle.

der_wille_zur_macht said:
Send her to my house and let her listen to my vfd closed loop pump for a while. She'll be REALLY happy you don't have one of those and more likely to overlook a "noisy" skimmer. :lol:
Click to expand...

I wish it were that easy. She would just call you crazy for dealing with it.



Part of the problem is that she sits on the couch about 6 feet away from the tank. When the TV, dishwasher, and other stuff is on, the noise is drowned out. But, when the dishwasher is off, the kid goes to sleep and isn't making noise, and the TV is at a normal volume level, you can hear a constant noise.

I wonder if putting something that dampens sound inside of the stand would help. Something like http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Homewor...60676269&sr=1-6&keywords=sound+dampening+foam or maybe just an eggcrate mattress pad.
 
The skimmers I've found that are silent are pricey...

I purchased my BubbleKing 200 Deluxe partially because it was dead silent. Haven't found a quieter one.

ATBs are quiet. Tunzes are quiet.

Deltec and H&S are mid-pack.

Most of the Asian NW skimmers range from moderate to downright noisy, in my experience (For a NW, mind you.)

I agree with an above poster; my MRC MR-2 Dual-Beckett with a Sequence pump sounded like a typhoon coming down the street (And worked awesome, too, but required a part-time job for the electricity.)

That's my experience; take it for what it's worth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
Adapting a Venturi to old reef octopus skimmer
Replies
2
Views
289
wvned
wvned
revclyburn
Need some thoghts on skimmers
Replies
7
Views
503
Timfish
Timfish
I
Plumbing an internal skimmer externally
Replies
4
Views
423
wvned
wvned
Z
Old Elos 70 - how to raise water level and reduce water noise?
Replies
9
Views
583
discotu
discotu
ClownBubbaJoe
Skimmer, TALL skimmer vs short under cabinet type ?
Replies
13
Views
828
BeanAnimal
B
Back
Top