Watch This Before You Buy A Tunze Osmolator. The Most Annoying Sound In The World...

[@fergusmcglade4661]

You had me in stitches when that dumb and dumber scene came on! 😂😂😂 That’s one of my favourite films! Nothing worse than noisy equipment though. I have the D-D H2Ocean compact auto top up. Ive seen a lot of people complain about it but I’ve had it 18 months and I thinks it great. Quiet pump and hasn’t let me down once.

[@ukm120]

Spot on with your observations. The pump is ridiculously loud and seems to be that perfect pitch that cuts through all other noises so you hear it no matter what else is happening in the vicinity.

[@fishfreakphil9778]

They do get louder over time. So I've replaced mine with new pumps after a few years. However the noise did save me on one instant where the back up float switch was stuck down and i heard the pump still running. I got to my All in one tank with the water level about an half an inch before it spilled over the sides. Now i have a secondary optical sensor using the Hydros control 4. And I check all optical sensors annd float switchs weekly to make sure that they are clear of alage or any other obstacles.

[@tommycristaldi9037]

Mine makes a lot of noise to. If you have a aquarium controller you can delay the ATO from kicking on when doing water changes or feeding mode.

[@Richs_reef]

Lovely shot of the tank and wallpaper at 1:43 👍🏻 I use a D-D H2O ATO which is really quiet but doesnt have the same amount of redundancy as the Tunze - its worked well for me the last 12 months since I bought it. Keep up the great reefing content Alex!

[@aquaticnstuff7666]

I shopped for a new ATO pump a few months ago; seriously considered the Tunze Osmolator pump however I went with the Sicce Micra (with bottom intake, good for reservoirs) that advertises 400 l/h. Slow enough, quiet enough and a good warranty (2 year) and cheap enough.

[@owen5705]

Yeah there warranty is a load of rubbish magnetic rotor and moving parts 6months only

[@aquaticnstuff7666]

@@owen5705 thanks I have not had to use the warranty yet however I can say the pump is functionally nominal

[@ronaldlambertson2624]

I had one that was super loud. My current one only makes a hum when running. They seem hit or miss on how loud they are. Any time it's out of water, I usually have to turn it upside dow to get the air out so it works right. I also set my Apex to turn it on only twice a day instead of letting it run multiple times.

[@alexvids9232]

yup. mine only hums and i like it. i know when its working.

[@brian-te4xs]

I learned a couple of things which I am sure I will do because my unit arrives in 2 days. The wiring recommendation is much appreciated as this avoids the cost of the adapter. I saw comments on the web about the noise but not the actual sound. I have a new sicce .50 I will use for a Nano.

[@alexvids9232]

i had no issues with it. it does make a slight hum when on. no problem. mine does not sound like that either. i can hardly hear it.

[@oneilwiz]

Thank you for the video I am annoyed my mine as well especially when am on the phone for work. Please let me know how it goes for you with the pump replacement

[@telmolopes2875]

I have the same ATO with the same pump, and I don’t hear it at all, just a tiny tiny sound. Some times I have to check the end tube to see if it is really pumping water. That pump needs to be replaced. Anyway try to secure yours only to the bottom of the glass and not touching the walls, the vibration on the glass might be causing the issue?

[@Mcappo]

Had mine for a year now and it is Sooooo Loud and Annoying! I thought it was because it vibrates on the bottom of my ato tank but it’s not. I would love to change the pump. Let us know what you find. Thx for the videos!

[@davechippendale5668]

My Tunze pump can be heard in the next room, ordered a Reefloat Pro 4 yesterday.

[@so_so_reef]

You could put it on a wifi timer plug? I’ve got my D&D ATO on one as an extra level of security; it comes on for 2 mins every 3 hours. You could then ensure it’s off in the evenings and I doubt this would make much difference to salinity.

[@ReefDork]

Hmm, not sure I like that - introduces another potential point of failure

[@so_so_reef]

@@ReefDork Not failed me yet! It just means the ATO isn't on all the time, and you control when it's sensing for a water drop.

[@innerpeacefindings671]

Love this dude, i got almost of my knowledge from this guy and BRSTV.Sad i didn't start a reef tank yet.

[@ReefDork]

🙌

[@jasebrushett3705]

Stick to your reefloat!! I had tunze , went through 3 pumps in 2 years , reefloat now , spot on !!

[@Emmanuel-rs7eu]

Dunno, I have 4 units and two of them the osmo pump were really loud and the other two were dead silent. I slowly migrated all of them with a Sicce 1.0 pump instead with the Tunze electrical adapter. All units have been running solid for over 5 years now, no problems encountered. I clean the eye sensor every 6 months.

[@PDMAmit]

Which pump did you get to connect and the hose (assuming you changed that all also? Would be good to get details on how you did they and what you did

[@ReefDork]

I didn't do it in the end - they're bringing out a new pump so I'm waiting for that

[@bencameron4941]

Thank you for the video, really like your content. Is that a custom made auto top up reservoir? I really need to get one a specific size but don't know where to start.

[@ReefDork]

Yep, got it from a local aquarium builder. I used ND Aquatics but they weren't very good to be honest!

[@bencameron4941]

@@ReefDork thank you for the reply. Would you recommend a different aquarium builder? I've got a narrow long space I want to use so hoping I can get something sorted.

[@MiddleAgedMike]

Yet another great video, with pros and cons. This is why I’m a fan/subscriber.

[@cottysreef3704]

I have the nano and osmolator the nano is 2 years old and barely audible and always has been but when I installed the osmolator on my new big tank I thought it was due to the nano being in a plastic bucket and the osmolator in a glass sump! Maybe it’s just the newer pumps that are loud as the pumps are the same on the nano and osmolator .🤔

[@jmlourencorodrigues]

Can we change the pump with Sicce Micra 12V DC directly without adapters?

[@ReefDork]

Don't know I'm afraid

[@thefishing4]

I've never had a problem with the noise of the pump, the only time I ever hear it is if the water has run out and even then its not bad. I've got it in a plastic container so wouldn't be as loads as if it was in a glass container I guess. After watching your video I'm glad I don't have it in the top up section of my sump because I think that noise might be an issue

[@codeywentz5472]

Mine is also super loud. Sometimes it loses its mind and comes on a few times within a few minutes. However it’s run just fine for a few years now. I did buy some cheap Chinese pumps on Amazon and spliced them in, it worked but the pumps just weren’t powerful enough to push up three feet into the tank. Since then I haven’t looked for another pump To try out I’ve just been suffering with the noise.

[@kevinclasher3160]

If you dangle it without it touching the bottom it’s much more quieter…. Also they are looking at bringing out a newer version out soon i believe…

[@brianroyle2712]

I have the same issue with mine, noisy! I swapped mine out for a hydros ATO. It’s quiet, before I give it a thumbs up I’ll have to wait on pump reliability

[@michaelross5674]

I got one with a tank I just bought but didn't hook it up yet will get back to you on that

[@jules2545]

I have a D-D H2Ocean Compact Auto-Top up. This is small and compact , its sensitive to snails transiting the overflow and a bright green LED which at night you can see it through my AIO. I would have gone for the Tunze but it is a tad too big for my 20 gallon tank. The pump is pretty quite though.

[@telmolopes2875]

Just remembered, i power mine with 9Volts. Are you powering yours with 12Volts, if yes do try it with a 9Volt power source. Maybe this would help reduce the noise.

[@briannicholls954]

If I knew it was as loud as it is, I would have defo thought about another ATO. Interested on how you get on changing the pump.

[@ThaNewGenesis]

Love your vids Alex! Been watching for a long time and appreciate your content and time.

[@Mike__B]

I have a much older Tunze that you do. But one thing I don't like is everything associated with the float switch is hardwired to the controller. Making it much harder to change your setup if you want to mount the controller elsewhere or something like that.

[@stuartgreen7203]

Mine is just as noisy, very annoying when it activates. It doesn’t run for long, but still annoys me after 18 months. I have a reefloat on my nano marine, almost inaudible when it’s running. Tunze really should look into replacing or improving the supplied pump.

[@markmckinnell2204]

I find the odd 5 second rumble of my pump relaxing as it confirms my ATO is working fine - have you tried using a sticky cable tie mount to hold it just off the bottom of your reservoir as this might dull the sound as there will be nothing for it to vibrate against 🤔

[@ReefDork]

Yep, if you look closely you can see the shadow under the pump 🙉

[@sunnygoold9449]

I couldn't handle that - someone NEEDS to sell a gravity floatvalve topoff contraption - I still use the Red Sea Standard one and I (mostly) love it.

[@ReefDork]

I hated my Red Sea one 😅

[@FoolOfATuque]

@@ReefDork me too, it dumped a whole tank of top off water (3 gallons?) into the sump of my 300XL a couple weeks ago. I immediately ordered the Tunze nano (1/3 the price) and threw the Red Sea one away.

[@tylerjaax4917]

Same! Love the Red Sea one. My 425XL top off lasts 6 days. Though I did make a HDP cover for it to keep it from evaporating from the open reservoir.

[@sunnygoold9449]

@@ReefDork haha - most do hate it - but it's silent ;)

[@lindasreef]

Had one over 10 years plus working fine and the noise doesn’t bother me. The alarm could be useful to tell you that the return pump isn’t working ( failure or no power). I too am guilty of letting it run dry many times but it comes back to life over and over. Your pump is much louder than mine.

[@jbarcelona4]

What happens if the fresh water reservoir runs dry will the pump burn up

[@ReefDork]

Should be fine - it'll turn off after 10 minutes worst case scenario

[@michaelross5674]

Hey I tried to hook mine up it just beeps every couple seconds and I don't think the pump is working....does this other pump work good

[@ReefDork]

Hmm. Have you checked the instructions? They give a good breakdown of what noise means what

[@exxpl]

Hi. I have same problem and one more. After one year of using nano osmolator I change tunze too DIY water lvl. When I write too tunze wtf with this pump they wrote too me that this pump simply that works. Another problem is with board that control all - she can't have contact with water so it can't be located near sump or any water... Eh DIY cost 10£ and zero noise. Sorry for my bad English :)

[@Taylor6681]

I love my reefloat 4 glad i didn’t get the osmolator now… All lol hear is my water trickling in my tank… 👍

[@alexanderklein2389]

I hate how loud the pump is. I love the reliability so I put up with it. I'm very curious to see how the pump switch goes ( pump went off when typing this lol it knows!).

[@ReefDork]

😅

[@ReefDork]

How loud is your Osmolator?

[@chrisinsd7]

That pump is louder than it should be. Either the pump is a defect or you have air trapped in it. Turn the pump on and run it with the downside up for a while

[@discol76]

It's audible, more of a light hum. Nothing like yours, sounded horrendous . Deffo think something not quite right

[@rc2300s2r]

That’s definitely not what mine sounds like. I have a similar set up 120g open back stand in my living room about 20ft from me. I’ve had my osmolator for two years now. The sound of the water flowing/splashing into my return pump section is louder than my pump. I wonder if something is wrong with yours.

[@bluerider0988]

Lol, that's crazy loud. Elevate your freshwater container and use a gravity fed float valve. Absolutely silent and pretty much nothing to fail, no electronics, switches etc. That's what I have done and it works great.

[@addcol1630]

Mine is nearly silent, yours sounds like trapped air give it a shake in the water when running.

[@umar]

Kramoer ATO beats the odds then.. 3 sensors.. Sump Low and High sensor plus an extra sensor for ATO reservoir silent working mode. Pump shutdown on Sump high and Tank reservoir low alarm. I ordered extra backup pump for 11 dollars (Cant ask for more). Keep us posted..

[@mohamedmokhtar6178]

May I know both tank dimensions? The display tank and the frag tank I guess😅

[@ReefDork]

48x24x24 and 24x24x16 inches

[@alanallington1001]

What happened to the reef float? I’m an electrician, if you need advice I can help

[@ReefDork]

The Reefloat is on my 2nd tank now. Cheers, I'll give you a shout if it's not as easy as it looks!

[@lyndongall2122]

Just a little advice id sloder the wires when you do the conection and use heat sink be much better near water and only 12v volts so be fine im sure u will be fine

[@dereks3207]

mine is super quiet. my only complain was the alarm was so loud, but you can turn off the audible alarm.

[@alexmclaren7823]

Hey, where did you get your ato reservoir from!! I need one like that

[@ReefDork]

Custom made by a company in Hertfordshire somewhere - can't remember the name...

[@alexmclaren7823]

@@ReefDork oh for god dam haha 😄 i made one but not sure on how long it will last 😅

[@johncabral4394]

I love mine. My reservoir is higher than my sump so I use a solenoid instead of a pump. The solenoid will only fail on the off position so no noise no concern over 20 years.

[@MrDjsy69]

Flip it to make sure there's no air trapped in it, and have it so its not touching the glass. I've a 60l water barrel for mine, was similar, but I have the lid holding it about an inch or so from the bottom. Very quiet really, I had to have the RO water make the noise just so I know it was doing its job.

[@manuelnunes8415]

So how did the Alternative pump workout in the end?

[@ReefDork]

Didn't change it in the end...

[@robertward6813]

I have the same issue but the reliability is top notch 👌 so I'm happy to hear it every now and then.

[@peterbws]

This makes me glad I haven’t changed out my stock red sea ato! Its been pretty flawless in 1.5 years

[@Sammy31Dee]

Idk man I've had the same tunze for 10 years and it makes some noise but yours is way loud....now I have a remote sump so I hear nothing but I will say the tunze pump can take a beating....including kalk from my earlier days...even running dry etc....it comes right back

[@mous3y490]

would you get a RedSea ReefATO+ instead of this?

[@ReefDork]

Hard to say without getting my hands on one, but provisionally yes

[@dawnbarrett7115]

I have a Tunze Osmolator, if that was my pump im affraid i would have to change it, that would drive me insane, i dont seem to have that issue with mine, i can hear it a bit but not like that, and for me the fact i can hear it slightly gives me reassurance as i have had a bad experience recently with the Level Keeper from Reef factory.

[@johnnyliu6271]

Did you ever do this mod to your tunze ato? How did it work out?

[@ReefDork]

Didn't do it in the end - there's an upgraded pump coming at some point...

[@bopeep7806]

My tunze pump used to do that, i put in to the water and turned it upside down and shook it abit to release the air in top sealed part inside impeller housing, then i attached 3/4 of them little clear one sided sticky circles that you use on cupboard doors on bottom of pump, it was totally silent :)

[@ReefDork]

This is the first thing that's helped! Still noisy but a bit better now 👌

[@bopeep7806]

@@ReefDork brilliant, well your honest none biased review channel helps alot of people glad i could help you back :)

[@ReefDork]

@@bopeep7806 thanks bud 🙂

[@CodeNfX]

Mine is loud. Doesn’t bother me. It’s an awesome ato. The first 2 times it kicked on and refill, it scared the crap out of me. Thought something was malfunctioning or the plumping is leaked. 🤣

[@theamjadjamousable]

how far from the tank can this pump go ?

[@ReefDork]

Apparently quite far - Google it and you'll find forum reports of several meters...

[@MTXCraze]

Mine is actually pretty silent, I don't ever really hear it running. I did turn that beep right off. The beep was pretty annoying to me and it drove my dog insane. i understand the purpose but for me its not needed. i do like that the pump does not turn on when my water bucket run dry!

[@c3dpo]

Went with the reefloat myself, decent unit too

[@jamesbroderick3660]

Yep it definitely deterred me from buying it. Thank you

[@radsag]

My fill line keeps getting clogged?

[@blumster47]

what kind of wrasse is that? it looks white!

[@Wiljuchi]

Its because it's a cheap pump used in caravan water tanks and such like. Doesn't make much noise if you attach it and don't have it touching the glass.

[@madshepsreef282]

When I had one it didn’t make that noise, it was pretty quite.

[@tonimontana6452]

Is your new pump working all good?

[@ReefDork]

Didn't change it in the end - I'm going to wait for the new Tunze pump to come out...

[@tonimontana6452]

@@ReefDork but did you manage to connect it up does it work?

[@flee187able]

Since its not constantly on, I'd like to hear it every now and then informing me it is working properly.

[@kylesreef2989]

Not normal at all, and I have three of them. A low hum is what it should be. Could be air locked, give it a good thrashing / shake / turn upside down, see if it helps.

[@michael_mayer]

I love your reef tank!

[@TwoScottishReefers]

The Neptune Apex ATO is exactly same, very loud and actually quite unreliable compare to my cheap float switch ATO. High-end isn't always what it's cracked up to be.

[@bubblyreef1193]

A great video from you would be one explaining the "reefing lingo" for newbies

[@TA-op3vn]

I wonder if any of you tried to keep it in suspense? I know I have a tetra air pump. It's noisy as hell but does a good job and is reliable. I suspended it in a glass jar by closing the top with scotch tape leaving just a small hole, and it became completely silent. I wonder if anyone tried it?

[@ReefDork]

Yeah, it helps a bit as does wrapping it in silicone tubing

[@Alamo-cz5xc]

I use a plastic cereal container that holds about 2.5 gallons. I have never heard that kind of racket, thank God.

[@BounceCorals]

You need to remove that plastic thing next to it so it won’t vibrate as much. Also, it vibrates MUCH louder in those rimmed glass tanks than it does in an acrylic reservoir so experiment with some different containers. I also freaked out at the noise when i heard it in a cheap rimmed tank reservoir for my first reef tank, but they are just not put together as solidly as other containers. Mine is still a little louder than i liked but the sound is nowhere near as harsh.

[@pommieforever]

to be honest iv had one for 5 years and mine has never made a noise, unless i leave it flat on the bottom

[@taylor4tails]

yep totally agree mine is the same SOOO loud

[@jimspringston2624]

Mine is suspended not on the bottom

[@jimspringston2624]

Mine does not make any noise

[@Nicolaj89]

I hate the noise from it so much that I have plugged it in my controller and programmed it to turnoff in the evening when we watch tv 😂

[@dusk1947]

Mine is a tad loud, but it only runs for a few seconds every few hours. Pointing out the noise is a fair criticism. And I'm found mine reliable thus far. But the noise is a non-factor for me. When I hate noise, it's constant applications like fans or return pumps. I can tolerate the 3 minutes this "noisy" pumps runs each day. Others may not.

[@ManiacalMangoes]

Do you think it’d be too loud in a bedroom? That’s where my tanks are and I’m worried about being woken up by it every night

[@gertjan2212]

It's indeed quite loud compared to other ato pumps.

[@marbles351]

Surprised Jecod don’t make a ATO

[@phillipharrison4755]

I must be honest mine doesn’t make any noise at all, no idea why?

[@ReefDork]

Wanna swap? 😁

[@phillipharrison4755]

@@ReefDork this my second pump as I always change my critical equipment every two years and I never had a problem with the previous one either, as you say they don’t publish this problem but until you commented on it the other week I hadn’t seen any bad reviews either, I would have thought somebody would have had a rant by now as they have been a market leader for quite a few years. ☹️

[@royarena6232]

On glass or acrylic reservoirs, you will want to slightly suspend the pump. Use the cord and hose to keep it off the bottom and sides of your container.

[@skippy5311]

Roy is spot on. Pump becomes very quiet when suspended. I use a clip on the pump cord to keep the ATO pump suspended.

[@skippy5311]

...Also do not forget to get any trapped air bubbles out of the pump. They can cause noise as well.

[@G22-40]

Tunze just announced a new osmolator with a much better pump and - it is going to be downward compatible with the „old“ Osmolator. The news may make it to you soon ☺️

[@nanocube6689]

the new osmolator is coming out in the next months with a brand new completely overengineered pump that they worked years on. and yes, you can buy it separately.

[@ReefDork]

🙌

[@discol76]

I can put up with the pump noise for 10 seconds once a day whilst I'm home for the excellent reliability. Your noise is ridiculous though I've never heard it like that before. Suspend it with a tie wrap or something👍

[@TheDancing0wind]

When u chop wires to switch pump make sure not to mix + and -. if you do the pump will go Puff

[@rich63113]

I'm of the opinion that a good percentage of Reefers are older men with significant hearing loss in the high frequency range. These pumps are horrifying.

[@jameskoinis1950]

I can hear mine run but it is not nearly as loud as your. Something is wrong with your pump

[@Starganderfish]

I use an AutoAqua. Small, efficient, quiet and reliable. I’m also swapping grout stock pumps for small diaphragm pumps to enable smaller flows for nano and Pico tanks.

[@AFishyExperience]

I am more than happy to make you a DC Jack adapter if you want?

[@corallabnorway2473]

Mine are not that loud, and i have two of them.

[@ProxoDJ]

Great now i'm going to hear the dumb and dumber scene every time my tunze pump goes off lol. - You can fiddle around to get it quiet by kind of 'floating' it in the tank (I did it just with some cable clips) as most of the noise seems to be vibration. Maybe dabbing some silly cone or rubber feet on it might help too (Also make sure there's no trapped air). I personally kind of like the noise as my ATO is in a drawer and it remind me to check the level of it 😀

[@ReefDork]

Tried that! That noise is with it elevated just off the glass bottom and side - if you look closely you can see the shadow under the pump. PS. Best film ever 😂

[@Mlh1978]

It’s the worst loud thing on my small system but it works really well and that’s what matters for me. The only thing more loud is the misses complaining about the damm pump🤣

[@ReefDork]

😅

[@tekkersreefer8055]

Shit just got one lol 😂 love the vid a and live chat can’t wait next one

[@michaelross5674]

It's not a steady beep a beep every couple seconds for a second

[@saltyfarms]

That's loud 😳 mine is quiet and it's from Amazon