How Loud Are Saltwater Setups?

I'm not in the mood for a 3rd aquarium right now because I already have 2 freshwater tanks. I'm guessing if I ever get in the mood in a year, or two and start a 3rd tank, it will be either black water, or saltwater. How loud are the Coralife Bio Cubes and how loud is a large tank that has everything under it? I bought the top fin 20 gallon starter kit a few years ago and the HOB filter was too loud. I then bought a Fluval 106 canister which is tolerable. Had that been too loud I probably would have taken everything back. The guy at the pet store I visited today said Biocubes are about the same noise level as a canister filter. Is that true? I would hate to waste money on a saltwater setup in the future and turn everything on only to discover it's too loud.

If I ever start one I would probably get a biocube and eventually grow some coral. Is that a good idea? I like to research saltwater sometimes for fun.

 

HOB filters can be pretty loud.

I don't know about the specific coralife bio cube, but canisters aren't very loud at all, just a very very low hum noise. They only get loud if something is wrong with it such as sand in the impeller, O-ring needing to be replaced, or it's clogged up. At least that is my experience with Ehiem classic 2217.

I know with saltwater tanks many use a sump, which shouldn't be loud either. I want to someday have a 100 + gallon salt water reef tank. Corals take very high light in order to grow. It's a slow process to add corals, and one first needs to establish the live rock, and cycle.

 

Bio-cubes aren't any louder than your HOB filter.

My set-up is practically silent. which is a all-in-one tank.
Set-ups with sumps underneath can get loud, depending on your drain pipes, equipment etc... Generally people that have sumps though, also keep it enclosed with doors to dampen the sound.

 

I have a biocube 29 and the only loud part is the fans for the lights. Or if the water level dips too low in the back and you can hear the water falling a bit. The lights come on and so do the vent fans. They are similar to the vent fans on tower computers or DVR boxes but I'd say a little louder. It's almost a white noise sound though, so for me I don't even notice it.

I also have an 85 gallon rimless with everything in a cabinet underneath. The lights I use do have fans but you can't really hear them (Kessils) and while I can hear the water flow in the cabinet, different sump setups or equipment can produce different sounds. The pumps themselves are pretty quiet but I hear the water draining into the sump as well as sometimes I can hear the skimmer. My tank also has an exterior placed, built in weir (not a HOB) so it sits away from the wall about 6" instead of up close like some tanks with internal weirs (overflow), so I'm sure this contributes to the sounds from the open back of the cabinet. I really don't hear the power heads in the tank but I've heard that some can be noisier than others. I run an mp10 and a maxspect gyre.

 

My reef is my quietest set up as I only have a hob its silent. As is the powerhead.

 

Bio cubes are pretty quiet, I've never known one to make enough noise to really even notice. Even if you don't go that route, you can stay pretty quiet without a HOB. I have a 30 gallon system, 20 display, 10 sump, with a return pump and 2 power heads, and a protein skimmer. There's a very low hum and a bit of gurgling from the overflow I need to figure out a fix for but it's right next to my bed and I sleep just fine.

 

Yeah I find it to be sort of "white noise" and it lulls me to sleep in the living room!