Noisy Bubble Magus QQ1

[so_so_reef]

I’ve been running this little hang on back skimmer for a few days and although it’s working great, it’s producing a very loud vibrational hum. I’ve tried putting some sound absorbing material between the skimmer and glass but it makes the noise even if I hold it so it’s not in contact. I think it’s just coming from the pump, and is reverberating through the housing. I’ve seen some people say these skimmers are “silent”, including a recent BRS product spotlight. I realise it won’t actually be silent but this seems unreasonably loud considering the “silent” label. I know skimmers need to break in and I’ve been told to give it time, but I can’t imagine this noise suddenly resolving itself. Any other QQ1 users out there have a similar experience? Did it quieten down?

 

[oceanleaf]

I have used two units of Bubble Magus QQ1 in the past. They were both reasonably quiet, and I had no complaints about their noise.

Here are a few suggestions I can think of.
1. Dissemble the unit and clean the pump. It is possible that something like a large grain of sand is stuck in the needle wheel.
2. Reseat the pump in the unit firmly. It is possible that the pump is not properly seated out of the box.
3. Make sure the water level is correct. If the water is not deep enough, the pump has to put in extra work.

If nothing works, then it is possible that you got a defective pump and might consider contacting the vendor for a replacement.

 

[so_so_reef]

I have used two units of Bubble Magus QQ1 in the past. They were both reasonably quiet, and I had no complaints about their noise.

Here are a few suggestions I can think of.
1. Dissemble the unit and clean the pump. It is possible that something like a large grain of sand is stuck in the needle wheel.
2. Reseat the pump in the unit firmly. It is possible that the pump is not properly seated out of the box.
3. Make sure the water level is correct. If the water is not deep enough, the pump has to put in extra work.

If nothing works, then it is possible that you got a defective pump and might consider contacting the vendor for a replacement.

Many thanks, I will try dissembling the unit and reseating again, as well as giving it a clean.

 

[mosj]

Many thanks, I will try dissembling the unit and reseating again, as well as giving it a clean.

Sorry for bumping up the thread, but did you end up finding a solution? I'm facing the same problem with my QQ1.

 

[so_so_reef]

Sorry for bumping up the thread, but did you end up finding a solution? I'm facing the same problem with my QQ1.

Yeah, I have wedged some sponge between the skimmer and the glass on the dry side and this has more or less solved the issue. It also takes a while to bed in, a week or so, and then goes pretty quiet. I don't really notice it and think it's a pretty quiet skimmer and works amazingly well at pulling crap out! When I clean it, some noise comes back, so I guess it just needs time to build up a biofilm. You could also take a look at the needle wheel housing, as I think I had a couple of bits of raised plastic from the mould that was causing some of my rattlings – these have been worn down/snapped off by the needle wheel by the looks of it, and I wonder if that's what was rattling when I first set it up.

 

[mosj]

Yeah, I have wedged some sponge between the skimmer and the glass on the dry side and this has more or less solved the issue. It also takes a while to bed in, a week or so, and then goes pretty quiet. I don't really notice it and think it's a pretty quiet skimmer and works amazingly well at pulling crap out! When I clean it, some noise comes back, so I guess it just needs time to build up a biofilm. You could also take a look at the needle wheel housing, as I think I had a couple of bits of raised plastic from the mould that was causing some of my rattlings – these have been worn down/snapped off by the needle wheel by the looks of it, and I wonder if that's what was rattling when I first set it up.

Thanks for the update! I've got mine in my bedroom and this first night was pretty annoying. I'll disassemble it and give the pump a checkup.