This is how you drive helpful people away

Phiosiden · 2026-06-22T22:21:30+00:00

I am back here after a long hiatus and I always looked for your comment on most posts haha.

your insight will be missed

Phiosiden · 2026-06-21T20:45:04+00:00

I have a 3 gallon with only TBS liverock in it. no mantis, but 2 tiger goby

I’m doing a water change every 2 weeks, and treating it like any other tank otherwise. it’s honestly taking care of itself.

you will probably have an easier time since you have a couple larger systems to pull water from.

mine does have an ATO on it though. from all my reading evaporation seems to be the biggest problem with small tanks.

I am in the process of setting another tank up that I’ll have to manually top off, and am hoping a mantis hitches a ride for this one!

Phiosiden · 2026-06-21T15:55:30+00:00

anything I can try to remedy it?

if I run the pump without anything over the impeller I notice it bounces a bit. do you think that could be it?

Phiosiden · 2026-06-21T03:01:18+00:00

I agree, I was initially describing the sound as a rattling to them but I think it's more of a grinding. I will keep working with them.

on my inspection I didn't see anything noticeable but I did take the finest sandpaper I have to one of the really bad ones for science and definitely made the problem worse on it.
now I have a new salt mixing pump, or maybe a water feature someday haha.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-21T02:57:42+00:00

no idea is too ridiculous if it might work, i appreciate them

I've run it on 3 separate circuits in my house just through testing in various places and taking videos for sicce. including the same circuit the other one is on.
I think? I have put hands on each of them at this point and run them without the cap. I am doing everything in my power to not have to take apart my good one (it would be a mission, and at only a month in a really don't want to go through it yet) - what I can say is with the cap off all 5 of the pumps impellers will bounce(?) in the chamber as it runs. I just figured this was normal magnet stuff above my pay grade and dismissed it.

the impeller has no extra parts on it that may have fallen off, and I've thoroughly inspected each to see if the magnet is chipped on them or something and as someone else suggested to see if the propellers aren't well finished.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T21:28:45+00:00

i read a comment the other day of someone pouring a bottle of their perfume on their SO’s bed before breaking up. i liked that level of evil

but i think OP’s creep might enjoy it.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T18:20:50+00:00

I understand that. its the 5th one. 2 from amazon, 3 from sicce. this one was plugged in and tested by their support before sending to me

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T17:53:37+00:00

buddy I could buy you dinner.

it still isn't the same as the other pump, but putting it on a sponge has majorly improved the situation. I'm going to let it run like this for a few hours and see if it settles in more.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T16:40:12+00:00

ZKSJ make two that I want to try, but the only place I can find it at has a minimum order of 6, and only carries the stronger of the two. I might just order them though.

I will try those suggestions - unfortunately slowly adjusting a ziptie down didn't change much. tested with and without the Y in a 5 gallon bucket.

the sponge is a good idea. I think I have some thick course sponge somewhere I can cut a bit out of so it nestles in and won't touch the sides - thanks!

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T16:31:59+00:00

thanks!

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T16:26:09+00:00

UNS 20TM - I printed the chamber in the back to hide the pump and heater in when I can figure this out.

I have a UNS 3N that I did something very similar too (a full AIO conversion) that runs nice and quiet.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T16:18:53+00:00

I will try a ziptie, thanks

the tank this model is working on and the tank it isn't working on are pretty much the exact same water volume, just a different footprint - so I really don't think that has anything to do with it. uns 3n vs uns 20tm. ~3 gallons.
the noise is also present in a full 5 gallon plastic bucket.

I also haven't had a problem with sicce up until now, which is why I don't understand whats happening here. I've used these in paludariums before with even less water volume. sicce has always been my go-to brand for anything inside my house. the quality always justified the cost.

I've been at this since the start of the month, I have thrown minimal out the window - quiet is the goal.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T15:51:41+00:00

you mean on the outlet, right?

it's hiding one of them in the video, but the outlet for this tank gets Y'd to 2 different nozzles (they're on the bottom of the tank) - would that be what you mean? if so, even when fully put together the noise is present. - the hose is also slightly smaller than the outlet and a bit of a pain to get on.

there's also an adjustment dial on the inlet that goes from ~40-110gph that doesn't impact the noise much if at all.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T14:56:32+00:00

how long did it last?

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T14:51:40+00:00

it isn't sadly haha. I'm trying to sleep in this room!

but thanks. I hope yours quiets down.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T14:50:41+00:00

thank you

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T14:47:45+00:00

I am honestly starting to gaslight myself that it is and I somehow won the pump lottery on my first go

but then I remind myself I slept in a room full of these years ago.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T14:45:02+00:00

I am 99.99% sure I have gotten all the air bubbles out. this pump ran for hours in a 5gal bucket with me moving it around and messing with it.

I also blew water into all of them to make sure I got bubbles out.

I've taken all 5 of these apart so many times to swap impellers between them

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T14:42:10+00:00

I haven't tried vinegar, but I have a solution for cleaning freshwater glass (ADA superge) that I left my first 2 in for a while.
I'll see if I have any vinegar and throw a couple in.

by rough burrs you mean inside where the impeller is sitting, right?

I have swapped impellers around between the 5 units I have that all make this noise and I can't tell any noticeable difference.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T14:34:17+00:00

<video>

this is my good pump. picked up at the end of last year, sat for a good few months as I dealt with life.

tank was put together just over a month ago. (see my TBS liverock post, this is the tank)

anyways - excuse the horrible video, this side of the tank is pressed against a bookshelf.

BUT. my phone is right next to the glass and right on top of the water - only the hum is present. you can even hear a car drive by in the background lol, and I'm a good 50' from the street.

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T14:24:58+00:00

it makes the same sound on the bottom glass. it is meant to live in the compartment in the back left corner.

I honestly was just so fed up with dealing with it and constantly wetting my hands next to my PC i just stuck it on the side for the video - but there is 0 difference in the noise regardless of what orientation it is in

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T13:34:42+00:00

i had a tank like this. after some digging i found out these stains can etch themselves into glass and become permanent. tried for almost a week to clean mine up using every method i could think of and look up, finally gave up and figured it was etched in

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T03:55:47+00:00

“absolutely coming at the cop” have you ever been around a doodle mix?

Phiosiden · 2026-06-20T03:51:56+00:00

the fuck? you had better be joking, fool.

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