Quietest filter for a 10 gallon

[irishspy]

go for Aqua clear filters.. really quiet and great media options..

I know that's the general experience, but the AC 20 I have is fairly noisy. I've tried reseating the impeller several times and cleaning its housing, but its vibration causes the lid to vibrates, and that's pretty loud. (Enough so it would keep me awake, were the aquarium in my bedroom.) However, I can minimize the noise by running the filter sans lid.

In fairness, my experience seems to be in a distinct minority.

 

[irishspy]

go for Aqua clear filters.. really quiet and great media options..

I know that's the general experience, but the AC 20 I have is fairly noisy. I've tried reseating the impeller several times and cleaning its housing, but its vibration causes the lid to vibrates, and that's pretty loud. (Enough so it would keep me awake, were the aquarium in my bedroom.) However, I can minimize the noise by running the filter sans lid.

In fairness, my experience seems to be in a distinct minority.

 

[irishspy]

Sorry for the multiple messages. The system wasn't responding and I thought nothing was being posted. Mods, feel free to delete the excess.

 

[Weezer]

Sorry for the multiple messages. The system wasn't responding and I thought nothing was being posted. Mods, feel free to delete the excess.

 

[BoredAgain]

What did he say?

 

[fwiffo]

whoa...lol, well, if i didnt comprehend the first post, i had plenty of opportunities to understand it!

 

[fwiffo]

actually, bored, the filter motor is the problem. i have the water level way above the bottom of the spillway and yet it is the motor that is making the noise. ive tried dissasembling it and cleaning the impeller. by taking a wire cleaner to maybe remove something in the impeller well, the motor did quiet down some, but then resumed its noise. sometimes its silent and other times its rumbling. ive taken the hood off and the problem persists.

so i figure i need a filter without the noise!

 

[BoredAgain]

Hrmm...my advise would be to ditch the filter you have now, return or discard...sounds problematic. Then purchase a Penguin and an Aquaclear, give them both a shot and return the one you don't want. If the water return is not an issue, Penguins, in my experience, are very quiet...I own a Bio-Wheel 100, 200, and a 350.

 

[fwiffo]

one idea im pondering is to drill a hole into the tube of the undergravel filter, then run an air hose through it to an air pump. the air pump would pump air into the stream of water from the powerhead into the undergravel filter. the gravel bed would then be saturated with oxygen and water.

 

[BoredAgain]

In my opinion, an air pump will be 10x louder than any HOB filter, not worth the trouble and noise.