Pump Noise

Im not an expert on external pumps but heres what i see. You have tried to dampen the noise of the pump but that doest help reduce the noise resonation of a vibrating pump hooked to a solid input or output ...I have wired many swimming pool pumps etc and we always use flexible conduit due the vibration pumps produce. So just a thought rather than glue it to sump etc a small piece of flexible tube to reduce the sound of a pump vibration resonation out of each end of the pump?

I would use a stretchable material like a bungee cord, not the solid plastic strapping which just transfers the vibration to the stand which then amplifies the vibration like a loudspeaker.
Sounds are caused by vibration. Pumps vibrate when the are out of balance. To check the balance, remove the pump and run it dry. If it runs smooth and is quiet, the problem may be in the impeller or volute or in the bearings. Remove and examine the volute and impeller. Check for cracks and broken parts.
If it runs noisy when dry it's definitely the bearings. Check for play in the shaft-bearing area by trying to wiggle the impeller back and forth. If the pump is older it's very likely the bearings are in need of replacement. It's easy to replace bearings.
If the pump is new, send it back.

We tried one of reeflo's suggestions to remove the fan cover, that didn't do much but I did notice that on our returns our two unions going up do in fact touch the stand.  This isn't all of the noise (pump is still loud, but definitely has some of the noise from the vibration).  Now before I chip away at the side of my stand I also noticed that the return pipes vibrate quite a bit as does the pump.  If it is something like the bearings, would having them replaced stop all pipe vibration?  Should pipes vibrate on the returns at all?

I noticed the pump is warm, but not so hot I can't tough it, mostly warm on the sides. 

I had a reeflo dart. It was noisy as well until i turned down the flow to about half, then it was ok. Problem was the gasket finally wore out i think from the pressure and started to leak salt creep after a long while. Also when i was able to pull the intake away from the wall that it was touching the sound went way down. So i finally down sized to a blueline pump that didn't push as much and it's still noisy unless i turn down the flow.

jdinchak wrote: Tonight though, we are starting our cycle...

I mean no offense but it pains me to read a statement like that. The start-up nitrogen cycle can be completely avoided by using the four live components, especially a good amount of Macroalgae which is so easily obtained from hobbyists here for free.
The "cycle" kills things. Tank "cycling" is totally unnecessary. There is a better way. That's what the WMAS Reefkeeping Tips thread "Secrets of an Affordable Reef Aquarium" is all about.

Thanks,
Mark

Mark Peterson wrote: I would use a stretchable material like a bungee cord, not the solid plastic strapping which just transfers the vibration to the stand which then amplifies the vibration like a loudspeaker. Sounds are caused by vibration. Pumps vibrate when the are out of balance. To check the balance, remove the pump and run it dry. If it runs smooth and is quiet, the problem may be in the impeller or volute or in the bearings. Remove and examine the volute and impeller. Check for cracks and broken parts. If it runs noisy when dry it's definitely the bearings. Check for play in the shaft-bearing area by trying to wiggle the impeller back and forth. If the pump is older it's very likely the bearings are in need of replacement. It's easy to replace bearings. If the pump is new, send it back.

Reeflo suggested the same things.  We took the back fan plate off and it helped a tiny amount but it was still loud, then we took off the front cover and ran it and it was still loud, then we took off the other piece (volute maybe?) and it still was noisy.  We got the same sound down to the motor.  I will contact Reeflo Monday and see what they say.  We could hear almost a metallic grinding sound. 

On the reef tour today I took a look at two other reeflo pumps (not the hammerhead/barracuda) and they had hardly any sound and vibration. 

Here is a video of our test.  Again the iPhone mic is not very good, it is louder. 



I hope we can get it fixed.  Thanks for your suggestion!


Edited by jdinchak - April 21 2012 at 9:20pm

DLindquist wrote: I remember cycling our first tank many years ago. I throughly enjoyed rinsing the new sand, curing the rock and even hauling the 100G drum full of RO water from the Aquarium. Patiently watching the tank come alive embedded a deep love and appreciation for this great hobby. Starting from scratch also helped me avoid so many pests and problems that some people endure when using live rock, sand or the such from other peoples tank. Keep us posted on your progress!

Thanks - I will keep updating my build thread.  We learned patience on this build, that is for sure!

I seem to be constantly going against the grain in this hobby. Even some of the most famous people in the hobby will say to "take it slow". Certainly patience is key, but the WMAS has never been status quo. We have always been at the leading edge of the hobby, trying things nobody else ever did in a way they had never thought of and finding that many of these techniques worked well. One of these is the use of the four living components to swiftly create a living reef. This technique uses the principles of biology to create a living ecosystem in simple steps in the time period of one week. It easily avoids algae blooms and other problems that the traditional old style techniques always seem to encounter.

- LS and LR filter the water. For this reason, transferring these items from another, established aquarium in buckets of plankton laden LW (without exposing LR and LS to air) allows biofiltration to continue uninterrupted.

- Algae filters the water. For this reason the more Macroalgae we can use from the start, the more established the tank will be right from the start.

- Coral filter the water. For this reason some of the soft corals can be introduced within days and do very well, actually helping clean the water from the start.

- Snails love algae. For this reason when soft surface algae starts to grow is the time to add a few snails.(More are added as needed to keep algae in check, eventually reaching about 1 snail/gal.)

- Fish are the polluters. They are the last to be added, but not more than a few on day 5 or 6 of the first week.

- Then we sit back and rest and let everything grow according to it's own measure.

This technique has worked for every hobbyist that has used it.
It's the way this earth was created.



Edited by Mark Peterson - April 24 2012 at 12:04pm