How to Make a Sump Filter More Quiet

What do you get when you mix moving water solid objects and air? Sound. Maybe a lot of sound if there is a lot of water that is moving very fast there can be deafening sound. A completely silent sump filtration system is impossible because there is no way to totally enclose the system and remove all the air. but a sump filter system can be adjusted to be quieter by controlling the factors that make the sound. the greater the amount of flow the more sound the water will make. like the difference between a trickling stream and a torrential waterfall. sometimes the easiest way to quiet the system is to simply reduce the flow. decreasing the turnover rate in the aquarium will not hurt the filtration. it is very common to confuse filtration flow rate with current or turbulence in the aquarium. if you want to make the water move faster inside the tank itself use a circulation or wave maker pump that are totally underwater and therefore quiet. the direct cause of trickle and splash noise is water hitting surfaces. this happens in the filter system anywhere there is a bend or turn in the plumbing or where waterfalls through the air to hit a liquid or solid surface. reduce these sounds by keeping the pipes and hoses as straight as possible. if a 90-degree turn is required use a sweep elbow and not a regular elbow. there is a difference the sweeps are more rounded inside and will be quieter. reduce the distance that the waterfalls before hitting a surface and use a material like a loose reticulated foam to break up the water and absorb the sound. gurgles are caused by airs being sucked into the drain hoses similar to what happens when a toilet flushes. if the air is prevented from being sucked into the drain hose there will not be a gurgle. the h2 overflow system comes with a silencing kit that can eliminate gurgle. the h2 overflow stealth box external overflow will also eliminate gurgle noise when plumbed with a durso, a bean animal, or herbie style silencing system. No aquarium filter system will be completely silent especially not a sump filter that has so many places where water flow hits solid surfaces in the presence of air, but with a little troubleshooting, a noisy filter can be adjusted to be a pleasing quiet trickle that adds to the overall enjoyment of the aquarium.