Putting pump and skimmer on a timer

iwantaneel · #1 03/31/2007, 07:07 PM

Has anyone done this? The tank is right next to my husband's TV spot, and the noise is driving him nuts - I want to give him 2 hours' peace during his prime TV shows.

I'm not too concerned about giving the skimmer a daily two-hour time out. But what about the pump? It would be like having a daily, scheduled, 2 hour power outage. Except the heater would still be going.

Is 2 hours too long? Could I get away with 3 hours? (That would let him watch Leno or the Daily Show in peace, too).

I have a 120 with a 40 gallon sump. Just starting to stock now but will end up with fish and softies.

I've bought and installed Stockman Aquasilencers. Most of the noise seems to be coming from the return pipes going into my sump. Maybe I should soundproof the inside of the stand . . .

THANKS.

reefnetworth · #2 03/31/2007, 07:41 PM

i wouldnt turn them off langer than an hour, your bacteria will begin to die and become toxic. kinda like a micro cycle evryday inside your skimmer. #2, depends on the pump, some can handle it, others will not. your suggestion would help some, probably even more if you insulated/sound proofed it. other than that, ask him to turn up the TV.

have a great night,
JDM...

...

supervdl · #3 03/31/2007, 07:53 PM

I think it is not good to turn off main circulation pumps longer than necessary, since kalk deposits will attach to the pump parts and increase the risk of a pump failure.

kwaters · #4 03/31/2007, 07:58 PM

I have been researching durso standpipes. Would that help your overflow noise?

www.dursostandpipes.com

Kris

iwantaneel · #5 03/31/2007, 08:05 PM

Actually, I've got the overflow noise under control with the Stockman pipes (which work similar to the Dursos). It's the sump noise that's getting me now. But thanks.

TKByrnes · #6 03/31/2007, 08:22 PM

i turn my skimmer off for an hour daily to feed marine snow. but never anymore than that.

Stanton · #7 03/31/2007, 08:47 PM

Iwantaneel...Is it bubble noise?

iwantaneel · #8 04/01/2007, 06:55 AM

I'm not sure WHAT it is, to be honest. It's not a gurgle. I'll try to post a picture. It's a light splashing - but it almost sounds like its inside the pipes. I've got the returns hard plumbed w/ PVC. The ends of the return are plumbed so that they are 1 inch under the water . . . there was a little splashing there but I've got that under control w/ some makeshift elbows and sponge filters (which I know I'll have to keep an eye on). - C

Frick-n-Frags · #9 04/01/2007, 07:02 AM

don't sweat it. nothing at all will happen by turning your skimmer off for a few hours.

-a few days, then the water in the skimmer gets ripe, still not much in the water to do any real damage though even if you did that.

Stanton · #10 04/01/2007, 04:37 PM

Slowing the drop in the pipes with 45's and 90's works well. I have 90, 45, 90, in that order to my sump. To further eliminate bubble noise I went from 1" pvc coupled up to a 3" T with the bottom of the 3" T about 2inches under water. It is silent and dang near bubble free. I'm going to extend the bottom a little deeper for a little mor e resistance to eliminat the remaining micro bubbles. Hope this makes a little sense and can help you out.

DarthBaiter · #11 04/01/2007, 04:43 PM

I have my skimmer off during the night every night in my bedroom. 7 hours of off time. I do run my modded maxijet for circulation. Completely silent. In the morning, when the skimmer kicks in, it picks up a lot of junk and then settles down in an thirty to forty minutes.

scubaD · #12 04/01/2007, 04:47 PM

bubble free drain? I need that. How do I get that? Sump is in the basement. It is a bubble storm in the chamber. The bubble trap gets rid of a lot of it, but you can see the small stream of micro bubbles making the turn under the middle baffle. I tried a submerged T, a submerged Elbow. Nothing seems to work.

shag26272 · #13 04/01/2007, 05:24 PM

use a smaller return pump or turn your flow down with a valve, then use powerheads like Tunze for flow