What protein skimmer brand is the most quiet sounding ?

[reef93]

I am using a ASM G3 skimmer for my 75 gallon and 40 gallon sump, it works perfect and skims very well. The only problem is, the noise from the returning pipe is like having a constant waterfall in my bedroom. I don't mind in the summer time, because the humming sound from the air conditioner is louder than the sound of water. But now the weather is getting cooler, I have a hard time to fall to sleep at night now that the air conditioner is turned off. I am looking for a skimmer that is not costing too much money and it has to be quiet. I perfer to ask someone from this forum first before I spend money on something I may regret later. I prefer the foot print is no bigger than my G3 right now.

[viperfish]

My buddy reefbyremote was in the exact same situation as you with his 90, he ordered a SWC 160 to cut down on noise and he has good things to say about it. Maybe he'll chime in and give you some feedback on his new skimmer.

[Aquattro]

Can you modify the output so that the water returns below the water line?

[whatcaneyedo]

I had the same skimmer once upon a time. Do a gate valve mod on it. Not only will that make it quieter but you'll save money by not buying a new skimmer and performing adjustments will become much easier. I did a quick google search and found this http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/diy-do-yourself/9128-diy-mod-asm-g3-skimmer-gate-valve-2.html

[Myka]

My two SWC skimmers are dead silent, however the bigger one (180 cone) has a noisy return pipe too, but that's just because I should have it in another inch if water. I just put a 45 degree elbow on it to aim the return down.

[kien]

Could you possibly wrap the outlet of the skimmer with some fabric, filter floss or a cut out filter sock (where the bottom is cut out) ? This acts as a muffler and helps to direct the outlet water down into the sump water more gently. Just make sure the muffler is submerged in the water. A lot of skimmers come with mufflers like the Hydor brand of skimmers. I used to have one and ya, without that muffler it was very noisy. With the muffler it was dead silent. The thicker the muffler the quieter it'll be :-D

K.

[phi delt reefer]

sorry i am going to piggy back on this -Myka is your swc units air intake loud? Mine is annoyingly loud.

[reef93]

I had moded the gate valve already but it is still making lots of noise when the water is splashing back up. My appartment is extremely quiet no matter day or night, I know it is difficult to find a skimmer that is completely quiet. I will try to muffler something as Kien said and let see if it works or not. Anyway, I would like to know if there is any skimmer that is quieter than the ASM, my birthday is coming in November I can ask as a gift :lol:

[mike31154]

Wooden air diffuser driven skimmers do not make much sound, just the sound of your air pump and those are generally fairly quiet. Old school technology, but uses little power & sound level is very low.

[whatcaneyedo]

Water splashing back up? Try modding your mod... This is how I did mine. No noise and basically no micro bubbles even.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh109/whatcaneyedo/pic042.jpg

[jtbadco]

I highly recommend the Tunze skimmers. I am running a Nano DOC skimmer on my 33 Gal reef and it is SILENT.

[reef93]

Water splashing back up? Try modding your mod... This is how I did mine. No noise and basically no micro bubbles even.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh109/whatcaneyedo/pic042.jpg


Please tell me how to mod my mod :redface:
Precisely please.

[whatcaneyedo]

I've shown you mine now you show me yours. :mrgreen:

[reef93]

I highly recommend the Tunze skimmers. I am running a Nano DOC skimmer on my 33 Gal reef and it is SILENT.

I may need to buy at least 3 tunze :biggrin: to run my heavy tank, there are 15 fish including 4 angel fish with lots of sps frags.

[reef93]

I've shown you mine now you show me yours. :mrgreen:


What does that mean :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

[whatcaneyedo]

Wow you're making this hard. I'm going to give up soon. I can't see exactly what you've done different and recommend a precise change unless I see a picture of your skimmer. Tunze readily makes skimmers for systems up to 2000gal so they most definitely have one that can handle your tank. http://www.tunze.com/149.html?&L=1&C=CA&user_tunzeprod_pi1%5Bpredid%5D=-infoxunter055

[Myka]

Whatcaneyedo...is the water going in on the right and coming out of the gate valve? Hard to see what's going on there...

sorry i am going to piggy back on this -Myka is your swc units air intake loud? Mine is annoyingly loud.

No, they both have an air silencer on the air intake. The one that comes on the skimmers are white and red, but these are the replacement ones so you can see how they are made.

http://www.saltwaterconnection.com/images/Accessories/160%20air%20silencer.JPG

[reef93]

Whatcaneyedo, thank you very much for showing your mod picture. But I cannot see very clear how can you mod it with your return pipe. What is the black stuff you are using ? Sorry, I don't have a camera right now to show you mine, I am waiting for this Boxing day coming to get one. Thanks for your time helping me, I hope I can mod mine like yours without buying a new skimmer. I can see from the picture, your surface is completely smooth has no movement of water at all ... that's what I want so badly.

[whatcaneyedo]

I lost most of my 2006 pictures in a Windows crash... :sad: Otherwise I'd show something better.

First I pushed the grey riser tube right to the bottom and got rid of the annoying sponge. The mod is as follows: 90 degree elbow on top of riser tube, a T off of the 90 degree, gate valve below the T, tie it all together with some short lengths of PVC pipe and add a an additional length to the top of the T. The location of the 90 degree and the T is probably interchangeable. I don't recall exactly why I put them where they were.

Restrict the gate valve to achieve the desired foam hight in the skimmer. Water comes up the grey riser tube, through the 90 degree elbow, into then partially up the T and then down and out the gate valve. Back then if I were to look down through the top of the T I'd see the water level slightly up into the top. Water would exit smoothly out of the bottom with only a trace amount of bubbles but no splashing or gurgling noise. The white speckles in my picture are little calcium tube building worms of some sort.

Now if the water level in your sump is a lot lower than mine was you might still have an issue. I had a 55gal as a sump so I think my skimmer was sitting in 10-12" of water.

I hope this helps.

[reef93]

Whatcaneyedo, I will follow your exact instruction. Instead of spending money on a new skimmer, I can use that money on something else. Thanks a lot for your time, I very appreciate it.

[reefbyremote]

My buddy reefbyremote was in the exact same situation as you with his 90, he ordered a SWC 160 to cut down on noise and he has good things to say about it. Maybe he'll chime in and give you some feedback on his new skimmer.

As medhatreefguy noted, I was in a similar situation and bought the SWC 160 cone. It is very quiet and we have guests sleeping right beside it. I have it in 7 inches of water, if I move it to about 8.5 the return will all below the water level and even quieter but I see no reason to do so. It also really pulls out the scum.

[reef93]

As medhatreefguy noted, I was in a similar situation and bought the SWC 160 cone. It is very quiet and we have guests sleeping right beside it. I have it in 7 inches of water, if I move it to about 8.5 the return will all below the water level and even quieter but I see no reason to do so. It also really pulls out the scum.


Wow ... you made me have a very high temptation when you said "can sleep right beside it" :mrgreen: it made me just want to get one right away. I haven't had time to follow whatcaneyedo's instruction to mod mine yet. But look in his picture, the water is not even moving, I hope I can save a lot of money without getting a new one. But if not, then I will definitely get the SWC cone like yours. Thanks for letting me know.

[reef93]

I lost most of my 2006 pictures in a Windows crash... :sad: Otherwise I'd show something better.

First I pushed the grey riser tube right to the bottom and got rid of the annoying sponge. The mod is as follows: 90 degree elbow on top of riser tube, a T off of the 90 degree, gate valve below the T, tie it all together with some short lengths of PVC pipe and add a an additional length to the top of the T. The location of the 90 degree and the T is probably interchangeable. I don't recall exactly why I put them where they were.

Restrict the gate valve to achieve the desired foam hight in the skimmer. Water comes up the grey riser tube, through the 90 degree elbow, into then partially up the T and then down and out the gate valve. Back then if I were to look down through the top of the T I'd see the water level slightly up into the top. Water would exit smoothly out of the bottom with only a trace amount of bubbles but no splashing or gurgling noise. The white speckles in my picture are little calcium tube building worms of some sort.

Now if the water level in your sump is a lot lower than mine was you might still have an issue. I had a 55gal as a sump so I think my skimmer was sitting in 10-12" of water.

I hope this helps.


I don't know how I can say that I am very appreciative for all your time to write down all the instructions plus an additional picture of your skimmer. Now my skimmer is deadly silent, I couldn't believe it after I had mod it. I can actually sleep right beside it now :mrgreen: (no exaggeration) and it is saved me a few hundred bucks not having to buy a new skimmer too.
Million, million thanks to you Whatcaneyedo.

[whatcaneyedo]

You're welcome. This site is all about sharing and learning from one another.