Looking to setup/buy a silent tank. Is this possible and what equipment would I need?

Zip233

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I'm looking to setup a silent reef tank since it will be in the same room as I work and can't focus which noise. I'm looking to put together a reef tank that's 40-50 gallons. I would prefer something affordable (Maybe up to $500ish or less?) that's complete if possible.

I've been told to get the Innovative Marine Fusion Pro AIO, but I feel like a lot is missing for the high price like a protein skimmer, lights, thermometer, heater, etc... and by the time I get their matching stand, its well above $1000 without the extra things I need to buy.

Any suggestions for something silent? I don't mind buying pieces and putting it together myself, but not sure if there are any hanging filters and skimmers that are silent. I'm even okay with a canister filter if its quieter.


Thank you all for the help and I genuinely appreciate it
 
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vetteguy53081

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You won’t have it completely silent but focusing on plumbing and baffles- noise will be reduced
 

Townes_Van_Camp

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This is my innovative marine 14. I have an air pump running a skimmer. Those are loud.

6E4848A5-8764-4C8B-8DC7-7D54F818F1E3.png

Pretty close to silent.

if you are handy you can save money by building a stand. You can also save by using an HOB filter instead of a skimmer, but they aren’t silent. There will be a constant trickle sound. You could also use PAR bulbs or used black boxes for lighting. Under 500 would be tricky, but with carefull planning and some patience it can be done.
 
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SchrutesReefs

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Like most things, you get what you pay for in this hobby. $500 is not going to get you much in terms of equipment, let alone the quality of that equipment. You could have some good luck finding some solid used stuff.
 

reefruss

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I can't imagine how to completely eliminate all noises. The only thing you really notice in my tank is the Wav pumps humming and a little water noise in the overflows. I moved my sumps to the garage below my tank and that was an amazing difference in the sound level.
 

ClownWrangler

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I know this is limited to smaller tanks, but I have 8 completely silent tanks with Aquaclear HOB filters. They have surprisingly high flow for how quiet they are. You would need the largest one for that size tank, the Aquaclear 110, but it will hold chaeto in the compartment and you just need a small LED grow light for it.

Do not get the Coralife 30G Marine Filter with Protein Skimmer. It will literally drive you insane if you don't like noise.
 

workhz

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I think anything with a sump will create noise. You can seal it all up but then you might have heat issues and poor gas exchange. I have mine in-wall and still near it.

maybe invest in earplugs?
 

-XENOMORPH-

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A tank with sump=noise.
AIO= quiter.. but some noise.
.....hmmmmmm.
A pet tarantula? No noise.
 

Idech

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I’m just like you, I’ve always wanted a silent tank. Unfortunately there is no such thing.

What I have righ now in my living room is pretty much as silent as it will get and it’s 42 db 6-8 feet away from me. Mind you it’s a freshwater tank (will be converted soon) with a canister inside a cabinet but a saltwater tank would not be less noisy.
 

sghera64

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I'm looking to setup a silent reef tank since it will be in the same room as I work and can't focus which noise. I'm looking to put together a reef tank that's 40-50 gallons. I would prefer something affordable (Maybe up to $500ish or less?) that's complete if possible.

I've been told to get the Innovative Marine Fusion Pro AIO, but I feel like a lot is missing for the high price like a protein skimmer, lights, thermometer, heater, etc... and by the time I get their matching stand, its well above $1000 without the extra things I need to buy.

Any suggestions for something silent? I don't mind buying pieces and putting it together myself, but not sure if there are any hanging filters and skimmers that are silent. I'm even okay with a canister filter if its quieter.


Thank you all for the help and I genuinely appreciate it
Some people who can't focus with background noise find that "white noise" actually increases focus. So, I'm not sure if you mean you cannot focus when there is intelligible noise like talking, TV, music, singing or other patterned sound, or if you need to have no audible stimuli. Have you tested this by using a sound track of ocean waves or rain in the background (e.g. from a phone)?

Most aquarium set ups have a certain hum. If you go sumpless and have only intern recirculating pumps, you might still hear a very faint whirring of the impellers. I have my tank set into a wall and with all the pumps off except the internal DC pumps that is the only thing I hear. Note that some LED lights have fans that when they come on you can hear those too.

There are fish and shrimp that also make occasional "clicking" noises.

If you only need a few hours of silence at a time, you can simply turn off the sump return and skimmer and just leave the tank's internal pumps on. It won't hurt the system to be "sumpless" for a few hours, but remember to turn them back on. This is only risky if the tank is overstocked with fish.
 

ClownSchool

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I'm looking to setup a silent reef tank since it will be in the same room as I work and can't focus which noise. I'm looking to put together a reef tank that's 40-50 gallons. I would prefer something affordable (Maybe up to $500ish or less?) that's complete if possible.

I've been told to get the Innovative Marine Fusion Pro AIO, but I feel like a lot is missing for the high price like a protein skimmer, lights, thermometer, heater, etc... and by the time I get their matching stand, its well above $1000 without the extra things I need to buy.

Any suggestions for something silent? I don't mind buying pieces and putting it together myself, but not sure if there are any hanging filters and skimmers that are silent. I'm even okay with a canister filter if its quieter.


Thank you all for the help and I genuinely appreciate it
My Fluval FX4 canister is really quiet and cycles about 1,000 gph. The only ‘slight’ hymn on my tank is the skimmer. It’s an Aqua Excel I bought for $100, but if I invest in an upgraded pump, I’m sure I’d only hear the foam.
my setup is right beneath my TV and causes no problems.
 

DocRose

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Depends on if you mean you want the whole system quiet, or just minimal noise in the room where the display is going to be. If it's the latter... The best way is to have the display in a separate room from the sump.
 

ClownSchool

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Some people who can't focus with background noise find that "white noise" actually increases focus. So, I'm not sure if you mean you cannot focus when there is intelligible noise like talking, TV, music, singing or other patterned sound, or if you need to have no audible stimuli. Have you tested this by using a sound track of ocean waves or rain in the background (e.g. from a phone)?

Most aquarium set ups have a certain hum. If you go sumpless and have only intern recirculating pumps, you might still hear a very faint whirring of the impellers. I have my tank set into a wall and with all the pumps off except the internal DC pumps that is the only thing I hear. Note that some LED lights have fans that when they come on you can hear those too.

There are fish and shrimp that also make occasional "clicking" noises.

If you only need a few hours of silence at a time, you can simply turn off the sump return and skimmer and just leave the tank's internal pumps on. It won't hurt the system to be "sumpless" for a few hours, but remember to turn them back on. This is only risky if the tank is overstocked with fish.
Putting them on a timer to shut off automatically during work hours would be an easy, no-hassle solution, too.
 

LionfishMan

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Remember seeing a video of a German saltwater tank with sump where the cabinet had been sound proofed and they had used a lot of soft plumbing- soft tubing not pvc which meant they could put bends and stop “straight drops” of water to the sump. Seemed to be pretty effective.
 
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md2882

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I'm looking to setup a silent reef tank since it will be in the same room as I work and can't focus which noise. I'm looking to put together a reef tank that's 40-50 gallons. I would prefer something affordable (Maybe up to $500ish or less?) that's complete if possible.

I've been told to get the Innovative Marine Fusion Pro AIO, but I feel like a lot is missing for the high price like a protein skimmer, lights, thermometer, heater, etc... and by the time I get their matching stand, its well above $1000 without the extra things I need to buy.

Any suggestions for something silent? I don't mind buying pieces and putting it together myself, but not sure if there are any hanging filters and skimmers that are silent. I'm even okay with a canister filter if its quieter.


Thank you all for the help and I genuinely appreciate it
My 170 gallon is completely silent. A properly tuned bean animal overflow makes no discernible noise. I set my overflow so the water only drops about an inch. A canopy will eliminate the minimal noise from that. DC pumps on everything will minimize noise. I need to hold my ear next to the air intake my reef octopus elite 200 to hear any noise from that. The only noise I EVER hear is if my temp gets up and my canopy fans turn on. That noise could be eliminated with better quality fans. On a system the size you are talking about you could probably get away with no skimmer and run a fuge.
 
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