Make it stop!

For about 6-7 months now my tank has been running and has always been very noisy but for some reason i recently snapped. I can't bare the noise another minute! it drives me crazy. Between the gurgling of the overflow, the buzzing of the protein skimmer, the trickeling of the water from the protein skimmer, and just EVERYTHING running is driving me insane. my tank is in my bedroom and i can't even get a second of quiet because of how loud the tank is. it's getting to the point where i'm losing interest in the tank because it is driving me so crazy. I really love the hobby but i can't deal with this. What can i do (by the way durso standpipe doesn't work for my tank cause i don't have a bulkhead. i tried placing some filter media over the pipe but it didn't do anything)

 

Move it out of the bedroom. I tried having one in my bedroom when I first bought my house. Even without a sump/overflow, the noise was enough to make me crazy so I got it out of there.

 

If the durso pipe does not work can you put bio balls in there. that will stop the noise too. Put a filter sock on the discharge of the skimmer if you can and that will stop that noise. Then you can find some sound dampening material for the buzzing sound.

Good luck.

 

Not really an option. I mean i'm 16 and i live with my parents and my 2 brothers. i mean we have a room in the basement i hang out in but my room is where i spend most of my time. i can't really move out.

 

Ah, I didn't realize that was the situation. Try some of the things that Vegasfish has suggested. Hopefully, that'll solve the problem. And maybe buy some ear plugs for when you sleep

 

haha well sleeping isn't a problem. I sleep with a fan about 5-6 inches from my face (a habit i developed when i was about 8) so the white noise of it cancels out the tank. it's when i'm sitting in my room at the computer that i'm pulling my hair out!

 

What's to keep the bio balls from going down into the hose leading to the sump and clogging it?

 

Do you have access to acoustic ceiling tiles? Before we put our sump/equipment down in the basement, we lined the inside of our stand with then and it did cut down on the noise a little.

 

I'm going to be putting automotive audio sound deadening that I have left over from my project car into my stand. You could try that?

 

1. I would suggest making sure your sump outlet coming from your overflow is under water
2. Take a full size towel and hang it over the back of your overflow (that will muffle that noise)
3. Take thin filter padding and put in under your return pump (clean it monthly though)
4. If you have a skimmer with a venturi, get a silencer for the end of the airline tubing.


You will never get rid of all of the noise unless you get rid of your skimmer and sump. You can only muffle it. Track down each noise individually and come up with a solution.