external filter noise?

[XxRachxX]

when my clown loaches get bigger im going to buy a bigger tank. hopefully about 4 ft in the lounge:cool: now my mom kinda agrees we will need a bigger tank, but says she doesnt want it in the lounge if it will make lots of noise!
i know it has to hum to a certain degree.. but i was wondering how much of a noise do external filters make?

[homebrewed]

fairly silent unless air gets into them

[corr]

The sound of dropping water will be more noise than the pump itself... like homebrewed said, most are pretty quiet.

[Shane Tesser]

I sleep beside a 6 foot tank with two externals on it...the inlets for the water are run directly below the surface and its silent as can be.

[XxRachxX]

thanks:)
both of the manuals to my internals say "whisper quiet" and stuff like "and now with new improved super silent action!" but its not true!!

[Bartman]

i use an internal filter one for my turtle and i dont know if you can use it for fish but they are really quiet. Since its in the water the sound gets muted. They only thing i hear is the water getting sprayed up but thats because my tank is half full and not full like a fish tank.

[Youkai]

The only time there's significant noise is if the impeller shaft or impller are worn down, or if a rock or something gets in there. In either case, there's a grinding or rattling sound.

[Pia]

It depends on the brand you buy and what you consider noisy. My personal favorite are the Aquaclear filters, they are very quiet but have short outlets going back into the tank so if the water level drops much you hear the sound of water trickling, however, some people like this sound. Another one I like is the Emperor by Marineland. I had one on a tank in my bedroom and I could hear a faint hum from the motor but it didn't bother me. A note on impellars, (they are inside the motor of the filter, the instruction booklet will show you where) I clean mine once a month to prevent a large buildup of sludge on it and around it that will slow it down and cause more wear on the motor.

[XxRachxX]

great thanks:)
the trickling noise is one of the things i was considering! my mom cant stand anything like that, it makes her need to pee!! lol

ive found a fluval 304 external for £20 in the newspaper, hopefully it hasnt been sold.. oh PLEASE dont let it be sold!!!

[depressor86]

i heard that the emperors were not that good?

[Pia]

If you can get a Fluval 304 for that price go for it. They are canister filters (sit under the tank with hoses running up the back) and are much better quality filtration than any power filter (like the ones we were talking about that hang over the back of the tank). In Canada, they sell new for about $140 CDN, I guess that's roughly 60 pounds or so? Anyway it sounds like a good deal to me if everything is in working order. Hope it's still there for you.

*pardon my explanations on the different types of filters if you already know what they are :-)

[Pia]

Re: Emperors

I guess it's a matter of opinion and personal experience. If it weren't for the bio wheel that provides extra biological filtration, they would be marginal quality, but that seems to really help. My personal experience with it has always been good - good water quality and no mechanical problems.