Soundproofing Tank

[Callum]

I'm interested in soundproofing my tank as with the air pump + the external running it can get quite noisy, (loud enough to be heard). How would I go about soundproofing the cabinet section of the aquarium stand? I'm looking for a really soundproof solution.

 

[Crazybob]

hey, you might think about getting some insulation, like for housing, that should help it a lot. altho i dont know if it will be soundproof or not

 

[Colin_T]

you can try normal insulation for the cabinet/stand. Polystyrene foam & Polyurethane foam rubber also works.

If you have a noisy air pump look for another brand. Rena & Whisper are both quiet. Rena being the better brand but also more expensive.

Coverglass on the tank will reduce the noise from the bubbles in the tank. Polystyrene foam can be stuck to the back and sides to help quiet things a bit more.

 

[jameshiggins]

I'm interested in soundproofing my tank as with the air pump + the external running it can get quite noisy, (loud enough to be heard). How would I go about soundproofing the cabinet section of the aquarium stand? I'm looking for a really soundproof solution.

i too am interseted in thi topic, my air pump is quite nosiy to i keep it in one of the cupboards along with the pump and light unit. being a carpet fitter i xcan get sum soundproof underlay which is made from recycled tyres and felt, i was thinking of lining the inside of the drawer with this, but will it all overheat in there or anything?

 

[Callum]

I'm currently using a Rena airpump, still very noisy. Also will there be any overheating trouble? that is worrying.

 

[jameshiggins]

my light box thingy lol seems to get very hot as it is

 

[Million]

my light box thingy lol seems to get very hot as it is

I think the thing to do is stop the vibration of the air pump from transmitting to the cabinet, which will act as an amplifier. Does it get quieter if you lift the pump off the wood? If so, there are a sew ways to stop it. Basically you want some soft rubber between the pump and wood, ideally soft rubber grommets if you can get them, if not, get 2 squash balls, cut them in half, and use them as 'feet' for the pump

 

[Colin_T]

As long as the pump isn't wrapped in insulation, and as long as there is some airflow into the area with the pump, it should be fine and not overheat. However, if it is in a sealed cupboard then it can get hot and some cheaper brands have been known to melt.

For Callum
I'm surprised the Rena is noisy. They are normally very quiet. Does the pump have a damaged diaphragm or air chamber inside. This will cause it to make a lot of noise.
Also a blocked or kinked airline will cause pumps to make more noise due to the back pressure on them. Blocked airstones can do a similar thing.
I like the multi coloured plastic airstones that can be taken apart and cleaned.

 

[Callum]

To be honest I havn't ever opened the pump as the instructions were terrible. I don't think it's damaged its just a lot of vibration noise and the filter next to it doesn't help.

 

[rchambers]

Most of the (very little) noise in my setup is caused by the wood cabinet resonating with the filter. If you open the cabinet door the low pitched sound goes but obviously the direct filter sound increases. My cabinet is open backed too so the sound is bouncing back off of the wall. I plan to tackle this in a similar way to car audio setups. I am going the line the internal surfaces and the wall behind the cabinet with roofing felt to deaden the vibrations. That way the air can still flow in and out but the resonance will be cut down a lot. The squash ball mounting really helps too, I've used that on my eheim ecco and it quietens it a lot. Doesn't do anything for the Tetratec EX1200 though. I will let people know the results when I finally get round to doing it.

 

[Million]

my light box thingy lol seems to get very hot as it is

I think the thing to do is stop the vibration of the air pump from transmitting to the cabinet, which will act as an amplifier. Does it get quieter if you lift the pump off the wood? If so, there are a sew ways to stop it. Basically you want some soft rubber between the pump and wood, ideally soft rubber grommets if you can get them, if not, get 2 squash balls, cut them in half, and use them as 'feet' for the pump

Most of the (very little) noise in my setup is caused by the wood cabinet resonating with the filter. If you open the cabinet door the low pitched sound goes but obviously the direct filter sound increases. My cabinet is open backed too so the sound is bouncing back off of the wall. I plan to tackle this in a similar way to car audio setups. I am going the line the internal surfaces and the wall behind the cabinet with roofing felt to deaden the vibrations. That way the air can still flow in and out but the resonance will be cut down a lot. The squash ball mounting really helps too, I've used that on my eheim ecco and it quietens it a lot. Doesn't do anything for the Tetratec EX1200 though. I will let people know the results when I finally get round to doing it.

Like I said above, the easiest way to do this is to isolate the vibrating unit, not dampening the entire cabinet - believe me, it'll be more effective, quicker and cheaper

 

[Callum]

Update: I put some corregated cardboard around the back of the cabinet where the noise escapes and the filter noise seems to be quiter , However the air pump still makes a lot of vibration noise. It's a Rena Air 200 by the way. How do I check it's working correctly?

 

[Genesis]

How would I go about insulating the hood of my aquaria?
I have the Jewel 2Plus and 3Plus filters which enable you to let airbubbles come out of the filter output which is good for oxygenation.

However I find they are exceptionally noisy, is there a way to add insulation to the lid?

 

[Colin_T]

you don't want to insulate the hood otherwise you will cook the lights.

 

[Tolak]

Hang the air pump by a string, no transfer of vibration.