Quietest pump

H

HowieB

New member
I need a new pump for my sump. Most of all, it needs to be quiet. I've got it narrowed down to:
Mag 7 (700 gph, 60 watts, 12.5' head, $60.00)
Eheim 1260 (634 gph, 65 watts, 12.1' head, $120.00)
Quiet one-3000 (780gph, 40 watts, 10' head, $40.00)
Vertical distance up to tank will be 5 feet, with 2 feet horizontal each way (left & right). Any of these should be able to do a good job but which is the quietest? Thanks
 
Here is a thread I started on this. Sounds like a Mag7 or an Ehiem is the way to go. I have heard that some of the Quiet Ones really aren't that quiet.
 
I would go with the Quiet One pumps, they are quiet run externally or internally. They are pumps made for external use as the mags arent a external pump.
The cost between the two is obvious that the Quiet One is cheaper.
The Queit One uses less wattage ansd costs less to run, as well as they dont hold as much heat as the mags do.

I have had mags before and out of the 3 I have had they all had noise louder than the Quiet ones, and got pretty warm.
I now own and run 3 Quiet one pumps, 2 are internal and the 6000 is run external for a closed loop. They all run quiet and work perfectly.
 
Definitely the Eheim 1260. You can barely tell its on. Mag7 is very noisy. No personal exp with QO, but they seem to be mixed. I've seen several posts of them not being quiet, and lots of complaints of them not starting after a power down.

Eheim reliability is measured in decades. People have had them running for 15 - 20 years. They also handle head pressure much better than the others and flow way more than the rating would suggest.
 
My Mag7 was silent. Just as silent as an eheim. Maybe something was wrong with yours. That being said, I still think the QO is the best pump for the $$.
 
Many people complain about Mag7 noise, some have had ones that are quiet. Mine sure wasn't. Neither was my Mag3 or 5. My 9.5 wasn't too bad. Possibly QC issues and luck of the draw? None were nearly as silent as the Ehiem. Not even close.

I personally wouldn't consider a pump that doesn't start after a power down. Reliability is Paramount.
 
well if you choose to go external route...ive been researching the poisidon ps4 pumps for my closed loop which pushes around 1225 gph at 3 ft...these pumps they say are less than 30db...which means you probably wouldnt hear it over other tank noise...they do have smaller units to. the only thing i have heard about them is they may raise the water temp a degree or 2 at max...but here in oregon i could use the little bump...take some stress off the heater

but if thats not the option i dont think you can go wrong with mags...i have a mag 12 and mag 9.5 aprox 4 feet from where i sleep...and i sleep like a baby...great pumps
 
mags dont restart either, theyre known for it.

that being said, i've never had a problem with either, but I know people who have.



And I;ve heard of eheims that wont restart. most of pumps that wont restart are because of user neglect.
 
I have a quiet one 3000 on my skimmer and an eheim on my return... my quiet one is quieter. (super quiet) I've never had any kind of trouble with either. No experience with MD, considered one when I got the quiet one... decided I'd take a chance with the cheaper of the two... got lucky!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6969392#post6969392 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
mags dont restart either, theyre known for it.

that being said, i've never had a problem with either, but I know people who have.



And I;ve heard of eheims that wont restart. most of pumps that wont restart are because of user neglect.
Click to expand...
Just by going on posts I've seen here, there are many about QO not starting, much of them being new pumps. Maybe a couple about mags not starting, but rare, and I've never personally have had it. Never once seen a post of an Eheim with that problem (do a search).

Eheim 1260 pumps are what Deltec and H&S use on their high end skimmers. The Eheim 1250 is what the "quiet PC" crowd use to water cool silent PC's

Here is a recent post of a Mag7 user:
pump world record held by Mag7!!

It's kind of unnofficial cause guiness wasn't at my house... But I (was) planning on using a mag7 as a sump return pump.. It was so loud my neighbor came over within 10 minutes and asked what the loud piece of... ... machinery... was in my house. No I'm not joking. This must be the loudest possible piece of gear ever sold for home aquarium... and the walls aren't that thin either. Functionally it was working fine, but as loud as a aircraft carrier flight deck... TOTALLY unnacceptable. And I VERY HIGHLY recommend taking a pass on these pumps when any of you are in the market for one.
Click to expand...

Another one:

Turning off the return pump at night...
What will happen if i have the return pump shut off when the lights go off and have it go back on when the lights go on again.

I am asking this because my Mag 7 makes this buzzing sound and it takes me about 2 extra hours to fall asleep. I have a Hang on filter and powerheads that will keep the water moving while the return pump is off, i was also thinking about putting a powerhead in the sump so that the water in the sump wont stay still while the return pump is off.

You guys think this would work??
Click to expand...
 
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Lots of people will say mags, they've been lucky. Mag's are good pumps, but not quiet IMO.

I've had both mags and eheim and eheim are far superior (and should be for the money). If you want quiet and don't want to risk being like me and having 3-4 noisy mags, get the eheim. Eheims also react better to pressure head, you'll not be getting that much GPH out of a mag at 5ft.
 
I think Mag pumps get a bad rap for not starting. I'm sure there are far more of these pumps in use than any other, and that is why you hear of an occassional problem. I have one that has run a skimmer for 2 1/2 years. I shut it down everytime I empty the collection cup and it has never failed to restart. (Believe it or not, it has also never been cleaned).
 
I don't know the brand of my return pump but it vibrates like crazy. It shakes the whole wet/dry filter. How do these compare with vibrations?
 
Well, I think I'll go with the Ehiem due to quality and less noise. I always like to have a second pump (same brand) as a backup, but the Eheims are to expensive. I think I'll get a cheaper pump as a backup and plumb it so the inlet & oulet will match up with the Eheim's.
 
I started my new tank a few months ago with a mag 5 as a return and a mag 3 on my skimmer. Lasted only 2 weeks. The noise for me was not going to cut it. I could hear them running in almost every room in the house. I tried dampening, supending, yadayada. Nothing worked I finally bought a Poseidon inline pump, teed it off to my skimmer and to the tank return. The silence is bliss.
 
sjm, theres a simple answer to those people. The first guy, return the damn pump, theres something wrong with it.

My mag 5 was loud, then I changed the plumbing to vinyl tube, and put it on a rubber pad. Now it is SILENT.

I think people are too slow to return defective products in this hobby.
 
My mag 7 is fairly loud...when it comes time to replace it i will prob. go with an Ehiem. They are quieter and supposedly not as hot.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6970627#post6970627 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
sjm, theres a simple answer to those people. The first guy, return the damn pump, theres something wrong with it.

My mag 5 was loud, then I changed the plumbing to vinyl tube, and put it on a rubber pad. Now it is SILENT.

I think people are too slow to return defective products in this hobby.
Click to expand...
Maybe. But my Mag3/5 and especially the 7 were all loud. Lots of people have the same comment about them. I think you have to be lucky to get a quiet Mag. BTW, my Mag7 sat on a rubber pad, submerged, with Spaflex tubing. Loud enough to be heard on the next level of the house. I connected the Eheim to the exact same plumbing without a rubber pad. No comparison between the two. The Eheim is almost dead silent. I think my MJ900 makes more noise.

Yes, he should return it, and get a quiet pump, not another Mag.
 
Yea i had a thread up about louds pumps too, i was thinking of redoing my plumbing but this time instead of using PVC i want to try rubber tubing like the garden-hose so that way i can kill the noise caused from the vibrating PVC, i am also going to replace my Mag7 with the Ehim 1250
 
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