Super quiet skimmer and return pump
 

Hello everyone,
Looking for all your feedback on an actual quiet skimmer. I have been looking at nyos quantum 160, rlss r8i, skimmers with dc pumps. Any experience with these skimmers or suggestions for one?
Also looking for a silent return pump. I've looked at red dragon dc pump( dream list) ecotech vectra m1, and waveline dc pumps. Any experience or suggestions for a silent pump.
Thanks!

Silent Pump
 

I run my system using a Jacod DC9000 for my 150 ds tank,75 refugium and the 40 gal sump is in my half basement (split level house). It has a controller with 10 power levels and it is dead silent. It doesn't turn on suddenly but powers itself up with a slight 'whine'. Cost was US$179.00 with free shipping.

My Vertex Omege 130 is also very quiet and extremely efficient.

AquaAddict

Great! Thanks for the information

Great advise BUT, You paid $180 US...so over $240 for a $135 pump? You should shop in Canada :-(

DC pumps are definitely quiet. For AC pumps, Eheim are on par with DC. I have an Eheim Compact 3000 for a return on my own tank, and when I turn it on after a water change I have to look to see if there's flow because I can't hear it kick in. Unfortunately, Eheim aren't very big, so they aren't a good choice for large reefs. In a "silent" setup, the noisiest piece of equipment will always be the skimmer because of the air suction. The best thing you can do is choose a skimmer with a quiet pump (duh), and make sure it has an air intake silencer on it. I have an ATB skimmer which uses an Eheim 1250 or 1260, can't remember. There is a silencer on it, but I find it's quieter in the winter when I have a CO2 scrubber attached to it (I use a TLF canister with 1/2" hosing). If a silencer is noisy, you can often quiet it down by running a larger diameter airline hanging off the silencer since most of the noise is the suction of air through the end of the small airline.

Thanks, that is a good idea to quiet the silencer down

Wooden air diffuser skimmer. I put the air pump in the basement & skimmer only needs a small powerhead to move water thru it. Vewy qwuiet!

I just re-read, and edited above. I meant run a piece of larger hose going into the silencer, not between the silencer and the venturi. I have a 1/2" line attached to the Silencer that is about 2 feet long, and it either goes to the CO2 scrubber in the winter, or in the summer I just tuck it behind the sump. Either way it is quieter than only using the silencer.

^^^ I do the same thing. Works like a charm

RD are super quiet. I use the RD3 as a return and like Myka I have to check if it's running. I also have 2 RD (vertex) pumps on the skimmer... For a huge skimmer (alpha come 300) it also crazy quiet. Worth the $$$$ to keep the wife happy😉