Quiet circulation pumps

[aculross]

Hey everyone,
I haven't been keeping up to date on the latest in circulation pumps and wonder if there has been any significant update is noise levels. I have a 120 that I'm using a GRI 518 on right now which was about the quiestest pump I could find some years back. (Pumps like the Little Giant were just too noisy for me) - Anything new a quiet that you could suggest ?

Thanks in advnace

 

[Anonymous]

Are you talking about circulating in the tank itself? Or from the sump to the tank?

 

[aculross]

Sorry, main circulation pump from sump under 120G tank to returns in both corners of an All-Glass.

 

[Anonymous]

Well that gets tricky, because if you ask 10 people what pump they like for quiet you'll get at least 5 different answers.. ok maybe that's over exaggerating.

I think first you need to find out if the pump is making the noise due to water moving, or due to vibrations with the surrounding environment.
If the pump is resting on the bottom of a sump the vibrations could be quite noisy, fix that by using some foam rubber padding under (basically a mouse pad) or perhaps try to keep it suspended in the water. Also your plumbing from the pump back to the tank can play into things as well, rigid PVC pipe tends to vibrate more with less damping than flexible PVC (which can vibrate too mind you.. but the flexibility tends to dampen out the sound a bit).

That being said, I've heard Eheim's are nice quiet pumps, although they are a tad on the pricey side.

 

[Anonymous]

I second Eheims. I have a few over 10 years old still in use. well worth the $$$

If you really want to quiet it down use a section of silicone tubing (1' or so) between your pump and the rest of the plumbing. No better way to silence a pump then that and a pad below it like Mike suggested

 

[Ben1]

Ehiems are very quiet pumps and should work for you. If you wanted an external I use a panworld and consider that pretty quiet.

 

[eric.m.s]

An Eheim 1262 would be an appropriate return for the 120. Although not as durable IME, the Oceanrunner line from AquaMedic are also worthy of consideration.

If you prefer more sump turnover look into Laguna Max Flo Pumps. They are low pressure pumps, but do well under 5ft of head in unrestrictive plumbing. Electric consumption decreases considerably with restriction.

 

[livingstone]

I've never experienced an Eheim but I have a couple of Aqua Medic OR3500s and OR2500s that I am exceptionally pleased with, including their lack of noise. (I had Iwaki's previously--oy vey! 8O ) I don't believe an OR3500 would be enough pump for your 120 with dual overflows (two of them would be) but I dare say an OR6500 could easily do the job for you provided you don't give it excessive head pressure.