Insulating and Noise Dampening in Tank Stands

[-Logzor]

I am in the process of a new tank build. I want to do everything I can to reduce the cost to heat my aquarium and keep the noise down as much as possible. The basement stays a very constant temperate, usually on the low side, so I am never in need of cooling my system.

I have a lot of leftover 1/2" Styrofoam sheeting left over from the shipment of my tank. I was thinking about adding sheets of this to the inside of the stand to cut down on noise, vibration, and to keep it more insulated.

What are your opinions on this? Will it actually do anything? Is there another product that would work so much better that it would actually be worth paying for?

 

[Kbra]

Spray foam maybe.

 

[-Logzor]

Spray foam might work but I could only really use it on the left and right panels of the stand (within the 2x4 frame). I could place a small board over the area, drill a hole, and spray through the hole to create an clean sheet of foam. On the other areas this would not be possible and I would end up with a messy looking foam everywhere.

 

[nixer]

insulating the stand would not allow the stand to breathe and promote mold and high humidity. not to mention that it would not aloow much as far as fresh air for the skimmer

 

[skinz78]

I agree with nixer, I would be worried about mold and he does have a good point about the skimmer too.

 

[CJO]

Styrofoam won't do anything. You need an open-cell foam to do any sort of dampening. Also, the heavier, the better. You can get some sound deadening material (like Dynamat) from car audio places, but it is pretty expensive.

There are a few easy and cheap ways to cut down sound, but it is a methodical process. Find out what is the loudest part of your tank and look into quieting that first. For many, it is the overflow. There are several ways of making them more silent, like using a Durso standpipe. The next thing is the equipment in the sump or below your tank. Look at using threshold seal like you use on your house doors. You can buy a roll for $5 +/- at Home Depot. Just doing this will greatly quiet down your tank.

CJ

 

[nixer]

I agree with nixer, I would be worried about mold and he does have a good point about the skimmer too.

awesome now i can be wrong the rest of the day

can i really ask what is making the noise? is it vibration? or air/water splashing

 

[-Logzor]

I don't have the system up and running yet, I'm just trying to plan ahead. Looks like I'll avoid using the stryofoam, then. In the back of stand I have two large openings for air to get through, so I'm not too worried about mold or the skimmer not getting fresh air.
/

 

[nixer]

do your homework on the pump and there shouldnt be much noise.