# Pump is loud - normal?



## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

This is probably a stupid question.

So we filled the 90g all the way up last night and have the whole system up and running (previously only had the 29g sump running and cycling)

I have a Mag Drive 700 pump in the tank running our undergravel jets. It's so LOUD. The rest of the system is not nearly this bad, in fact we were congratulating ourselves on how great and quiet our setup is, before turning on this pump. Now the buzz is quite pervasive and intolerable

Did I just buy a really loud pump? Or is this normal? I have an 
Eheim 3000 in the sump returning water to the tank and it's not nearly this loud...

Can I do something to muffle/dampen it?
It's bad enough that I will just buy a new pump if I have to.


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

Uggghhh continued research is telling me people think this pump is really loud! I research everything, how did I not see this before?!?

I don't know what I can do to dampen it - the Mag pump is hooked up to our gravel jets system which is a PVC system so it is hard wired. There aren't any flexible elements. It's also not on the floor of the tank so I can't really attach it to anything.

I'm seeing good things for the Tunze Silence pump but I just can't afford that one. I'm also seeing a lot for the Eheim 3000 which is exactly what is in my sump. I wonder if I can somehow dampen the Mag 7 enough to use in the sump and put the Eheim in the tank as the jets pump...


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

OK. I need some recommendations on how to either dampen a pump that is "suspended" rather than being attached to the floor of the tank, or a pump that WILL work well suspended.


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## Goby (Mar 21, 2012)

Threnjen said:


> OK. I need some recommendations on how to either dampen a pump that is "suspended" rather than being attached to the floor of the tank, or a pump that WILL work well suspended.


Noisey aquarium pumps drive me absolutely insane. We used to open them up and fill in all the dead space inside the pump around the components with hot glue so nothing could rattle around. Placing them on some rubbery foam also helps. Nothing is 100% when it comes resistance other than smashing it with a hammer and buying a new one. Returning it for a refund might also work.


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

Yes I think I'm just going to return this Mag 7. Luckily I purchased it really recently so that should be no issue. The noise is intolerable.

Now I need to decide what to replace it with. Grrrrr


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

Thinking about an Eheim 1260

Trying to decide between that and the 1262.

I could move the Eheim 3000 which is about 750gph at 0 head space into the tank to replace this Mag 700, and put the new Eheim 1260 or 1262 in the sump.
We actually had to dial back the 3000 in the sump because it was too powerful and the overflow box couldn't keep up, so it makes me nervous to replace it with something non-adjustable. But I think the 1260 would be just about right. It should have 475gph at 4ft head space which is probably right around what the 3000 is set at.

Then, of course, the 3000 could run in the tank without being adjusted back, which is better for the pump.

Thoughts?


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## Goby (Mar 21, 2012)

I can't say enough good about Tunze products. The ones I've aquired have exceeded my expectations. I use their Comline skimmers, their waterproof LED strips for spot lighting, their nano powerstreams in my smaller tanks, their salt, their test kits and there's a couple other Tunze products on my Xmas list. For 30some bucks I'd definitely go for the Tunze silent pump. 

I don't have any recent experience with any of the pumps you mentioned.


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

Can the Tunze silent have a nipple/thread placed on the intake so I can put a prefilter sponge on it?
It will be in the main display tank so I need to be able to catch any gunk so it doesn't go into the pump and into my jets system.
I've been looking at pics of the Tunze silent pumps (the ones that aren't $220) and they seem to pull in water all around the pump, unless I just don't understand them very well.


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

I guess if it doesn't have a prefilter capability I can put the eheim 3000 in the tank with the jets system. Urrrgghh


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## Goby (Mar 21, 2012)

Threnjen said:


> Can the Tunze silent have a nipple/thread placed on the intake so I can put a prefilter sponge on it?
> It will be in the main display tank so I need to be able to catch any gunk so it doesn't go into the pump and into my jets system.
> I've been looking at pics of the Tunze silent pumps (the ones that aren't $220) and they seem to pull in water all around the pump, unless I just don't understand them very well.


TUNZE GmbH High-Tech Aquarium Technology: Catalog

Tunze customer service is great about answering technical questions like that.


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

Thanks for all of your help and recommendations. I've been researching this for the past 2 hours I feel!
I ordered a Tunze Silence 1073.04 from Marine Depot. Now to go get the Mag 7 out of the tank and cleaned and dried off for return. Good thing Drs Foster and Smith are so good with returns.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Don't like to recommend things I've not used. So this is not a recommendation but only a question. Have you investigated
Pondmaster pumps ? The reviews are very good. Yes I use reviews and no I don't 100% trust them.
I will contact my brother(not 100% reliable for returning messages) as he's had ponds for years and must know which pump
last the longest by now. May have noise info on them.


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

I read somewhere that the Pondmaster pump is exactly the same as a Mag pump, just packaged differently (same manufacturer). So basically the pump I am mad at is a Pondmaster.
However, I can't recall exactly where I read this. I have been doing nothing but reading for the last couple weeks so it all runs together!!


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## Goby (Mar 21, 2012)

When you get the Tunze pump please update the thread and let us know how it works. I also get frustrated when buying equipment...so much out there.


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

Will do! I'm hopeful.
I was originally going to use a powerhead in reverse mode to run the jets... for like $30... now I have a $150 pump coming.
Grr, arrgh


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## Goby (Mar 21, 2012)

Threnjen said:


> Will do! I'm hopeful.
> I was originally going to use a powerhead in reverse mode to run the jets... for like $30... now I have a $150 pump coming.
> Grr, arrgh


Tunze definitely costs more. But thus far I've had great experiences with their products so I've continued to invest in them. I'm anxious to hear how the pump does.


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## Avraptorhal (Jan 24, 2013)

I'd like to help but I don't understand your setup, especially "undergravel jets". I hope you find your way out of the problem.

Good luck!!


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

Update for you Goby!

I literally just installed the pump. It is seriously so quiet that when I had hubby come over so we could assess, he had me unplug it to compare sound level with it both off and on and I thought I had unplugged the wrong cord. It makes only the barest hint of a hum in there. It is basically silent.

Soooo satisfied. Thank you so much for talking me in to this pump. I can tell it will be 100% worth the investment. The tank no longer sounds like a washing machine, dishwasher and lawn mower all running at the same time.


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## Goby (Mar 21, 2012)

That's so awesome!

I'm going to order a couple right now. They've been on my wish list for awhile and your excitement just put me in the shopping (spending money) mood. 

Thanks for the update. It's nice when hobbiests can sincerely help each other. 




Threnjen said:


> Update for you Goby!
> 
> I literally just installed the pump. It is seriously so quiet that when I had hubby come over so we could assess, he had me unplug it to compare sound level with it both off and on and I thought I had unplugged the wrong cord. It makes only the barest hint of a hum in there. It is basically silent.
> 
> Soooo satisfied. Thank you so much for talking me in to this pump. I can tell it will be 100% worth the investment. The tank no longer sounds like a washing machine, dishwasher and lawn mower all running at the same time.


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## choutman (Mar 6, 2012)

super cool glad it worked out!!


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## Threnjen (Jan 10, 2013)

Goby said:


> That's so awesome!
> 
> I'm going to order a couple right now. They've been on my wish list for awhile and your excitement just put me in the shopping (spending money) mood.
> 
> Thanks for the update. It's nice when hobbiests can sincerely help each other.


Yeah! I hope you love it too!
It is so quiet, we were marveling again last night how it makes no noise. The noisiest part of our system now is the waterfall in our sump or our overflow box. 

That Mag 7 pump was awful, do not recommend!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I think you just got a hold of a bad manufacturer for your mag. Mag pumps are made by many different companies. I used a Mag 7 the last time I ran a wet/dry and I couldn't hear it run over the noise of the overflow and wet/dry trickle sounds. The great thing about Mag pumps is parts are available everywhere to rebuild them and they are universal.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I use several mags for my sumps(largest is model 24).They're not the quietest pump,but also not all that bad.The true draw back to mags that I have discovered is they tend to raise tank temp 4-6 degrees.
Good luck with the new pump,I'm looking into the speedwave DC or diablo at the moment.I don't need to replace the mags,but always open to improvement.


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## Goby (Mar 21, 2012)

Threnjen said:


> Yeah! I hope you love it too!
> It is so quiet, we were marveling again last night how it makes no noise. The noisiest part of our system now is the waterfall in our sump or our overflow box.
> 
> That Mag 7 pump was awful, do not recommend!



Some sump ideas you might find helpful...

I no longer use a sump in my 55-gallon saltwater tank but when I did, the noise from the splash seemed so loud. So instead of allowing the water to overflow directly into the sump, I caught the water with a 2-quart Tupperware pitcher that was sitting inside the sump. Initially I filled the pitcher with live rock, which worked well to catch amphipods that would then colonize. (I seeded many hobbyist's tanks with pods via those rocks.) Anyway...I leaned the pitcher just slightly so the water would gently pour out of it's spout and onto more live rock and macro algae sitting in the common area of the sump. This all but alleviated the noise. I also used the pitcher to hold bags of media when needed- charcoal, Purigen etc. If your sump is tiny, a drinking glass might serve the same purpose.

Then last summer I rigged it so the pitcher sat inside a very large felt filter sock. The water from the tank would overflow into the pitcher. The spout of the pitcher would pour the water into the surrounding filter sock where it would seep through the sock and into the common area of the sump. The pull from the return pump assisted the seep. I had a second filter sock also in the sump that actually housed that return pump. The return pump would pull water out of the common area of the sump, into the sock, and then pump the twice-polished water back to the tank. Hands down the best prefilter I've worked with sans the maintenance of keeping the socks clean- a degree of difficulty that depended on how badly I wanted to save displaced pods. Every week or two I'd do partial water changes targeting the water from the common area of the sump; frequency depended on how much junk/silt had collected on the bottom of the sump outside the filter sock. FYI- I use a Shop Vac to do water changes; a trick I learned as a kid. I used Rubber Maid totes for a sump. Anyway, I wouldn't always suck out all the sump water, sometimes I'd just suck the mess off the bottom and replace the spent water with new. I'd remove and clean both socks prior to doing the water change cuz removing those dusty socks would cloud the sump water. If the sump water was allowed to get too silty, the membrane of the socks would get clogged. I could tell when they were getting clogged because the first sock would suck/collapse inward and the water level of the 2nd sock would increase. Once that started, I still had up to a few days to clean them. I did this both with and without a skimmer sitting in the sump but when I had a skimmer in there, I had it sitting in it's own raised basket up off the silty sump floor. The skimmer would drain into the same filter sock as the overflow.

Just thought I'd share some of my sump ideas with ya. I experimented with several sizes of Rubber Maid totes and favored small. I kept it beside my tank beneath a drop-leaf table- well hidden but easily accessed. I'm fairly new to the saltwater scene. My first reef is barely into it's 3rd year. I have a long history in freshwater although never utilized individual sumps for individual tanks. Had some multisystem FW sumps but I didn't have much to do with them.


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## seove (Sep 22, 2014)

Threnjen said:


> OK. I need some recommendations on how to either dampen a pump that is "suspended" rather than being attached to the floor of the tank, or a pump that WILL work well suspended.


My Rio pump was loud. Turns out that the outlet tube was touching the port hole of the lid for my sump and also touching the edge of the aquarium. I insulated it with some foam filter tubular media


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