How to quiet down maxijet 1200?

[hobbzz]

I have a BakPak with a 1200 venturi and I'd say...conservatively...it's about 3-4 times louder than my BRAND NEW, not broken in, Mag7. The skimmer does a great job on my 20L, and the skimmer itself is silent, but the vibration from the pump is louder than anything else in the tank...by far. The pump NEVER touches the glass so that's not it. The vibration/noise level goes up and down all the time. If it gets loud, you can grab the cord of the pump and pull on it with a little pressure, and lifting it just a millemeter will quiet it down until you let go. The same thing happens when you move the skimmer around too. The maxijet had a diy needle wheel when I bought it. Is there anything I can do to quiet that down? Any other pump I could use? Searches came up with nothing. Thanks.

[Joshua1023]

New MJ1200's are only like $20. That may not solve your problem though. A homemade gasket sounds like it is in order on this one. I have a roll of tool box liner that is 3mm thick that I got from Lowes. I've used that to quiet down several pumps.

[hobbzz]

Where do you put the gasket? I figured I'd ask before bying a new one just to find out they're always loud...

[Joshua1023]

I'm not familiar w/ your particular skimmer. I would assume though that a gasket placed between the body and the pump would work wonders just as a shock absorber. Also the MJ's are all pretty loud as far as pumps go, but you said that the noise disappears once you put a little pressure on the pump. Also a few dabs of silicone placed in between the two touching areas could work wonders.

You could always try and soak the pump in some vinegar w/ it running and this will clean it out good as new. You should do this once every 4-6 months anyway.

I don't know how your pump was modded, but I would look and see what the impeller is modded w/. If it seems kinda flimsy I'd be concerned about it coming apart in the vinegar bath.

[hobbzz]

So is there any quieter pump I can use on my bakpak?