Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello!

I'm a college student living with my parents. I was hoping to set up a small outdoor system awhile back, but that project ending up falling through and I'm hoping to get something started again. I'm currently entertaining the possibility of indoor or outdoor systems. I already have a medium-sized fish tank, so I slightly favor an indoor setup. The system would be in my bedroom, so I have a couple questions.

First: do fish mind music? Most of the time I'm home I play music, usually not very loud, but sometimes my parents will play pretty loud music on their stereo system. Perhaps worse, I'm also a hobbyist musician, and I practice the french horn almost daily. Would this stress out the fish?

Second: I'm a little bit concerned about whether the noise of the pumps etc. would be just a background whitenoise or whether it would bother me, since I'll be studying and (hopefully) sleeping right next to the system. Has anyone any tips on noise levels, and/or how to ensure a quieter system?

There are plenty of college students with aquaponic systems setup in their college dorms and have no problem sleeping, a small system shouldn't rob you of any sleep.

On the music and fish question, don't play the Jaws theme!! and they should be OK.

Our indoor system is in the living room and the fish don't seem bothered by music at all. I imagine playing heavy bass right next to their tank might have an effect though

Noise wise the pump is obviously going to make some noise through vibration, so what matters most is the surface you put it/the tank on. Our fish tank is in a cabinet and unfortunately the pump makes its floorboard resonate a bit. The noise is low and constant so it's not much of a nuisance and on the plus side we get the sound of a tiny babbling brook in the background

My suggestion would be to put the fish tank on the floor, maybe even on of a layer of rubber or some other type of insulation. If you run the system lightly stocked you might not need an air pump, so even less noise.

My indoor system is in in a studio apartment. The air pump and two water pumps don't make any noise to speak of. The water returning from the bed to the tank drops about a foot. Makes the same amount of noise as water filling a bathtub or large sink. Doesn't bother me a bit but neither does a pea under the mattress.

Most folks here are raising fish to eat. I have two goldfish. Due to the difference in perspective, I also follow a couple fishkeeping hobbyist forums. Those folks are nutty in their own special way of course, but most of them believe their fish like music.

Anyway, if you're used to stereos, tubas, and the general noise levels of school/college age kids, fish tank sounds aren't likely to bother you.

Welcome and good luck.

Thanks everybody for your feedback and advice!


I'll be sure to follow that advice!



I'll definitely look into what kinds of insulation I can put under my pumps. In my research so far, I haven't found a good way to figure out how to be sure my fish are getting enough oxygen. Is there some ratio of fish to water volume to follow?


What types of pumps are you using, Depsua?

What types of pumps are you using, Depsua?[/quote]

Yeah your pump would be the only noise to worry about, some pumps are very noisy, the type and quality of a pump makes all the difference.

Imagitarium Air Pump, 2.5W
Hydrofarm Active Aqua Submersible Water Pump, 400 GPH
Hydor Universal Supply Pump - Original Seltz

The second pump is just a backup. But it is stored in the fish tank and used like a fountain to create aeration. That means an air pump for the fish tank is not necessary so it is used to aerate and dechlorinate replacement water.

For water I'm using an Eheim COMPACT 1000 pump, which seems to have gone out of sale 'cause I can't find a link to it. I'm not using the actual 1000L/H flow, it's been dialed down, so I wouldn't suggest a pump that strong for a system as small as mine. Eheim seems to be a reliable quality brand, but I have no experience with other brands, so no comparison.

Here's a comparable model: https://www.eheim.com/en_GB/products/technology/pumps/new-compacton_1000

For air I was using a cheap Resun, which turned REAL noisy after only a few months of continuous operation (which is normal for crappy diaphragm pumps). Since then I've stopped using air altogether without issues and alot more peace and quiet in the livingroom

IMO, skip any and all diaphragm pumps and go for inductive/magnetic models. Cheaper to run, more reliable and alot less noisy.