# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Need A Very Quiet Filter for Bedroom Tank



## Rene (Jun 7, 2003)

I am in serious need of a quiet filter than can handle 20G. The aquaclear 150 I have right now is kinda loud. Was wondering what people here think is the best and quietest filter. 

Its going to be a planted tank so I don't need to do a lot of chemical filtration. I was also looking at the Magnum 250 HOT, I was wondering if anyone has experience with this filter, and if they do please tell me if it is loud or not.


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## Rene (Jun 7, 2003)

I am in serious need of a quiet filter than can handle 20G. The aquaclear 150 I have right now is kinda loud. Was wondering what people here think is the best and quietest filter. 

Its going to be a planted tank so I don't need to do a lot of chemical filtration. I was also looking at the Magnum 250 HOT, I was wondering if anyone has experience with this filter, and if they do please tell me if it is loud or not.


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## Verminaard (Dec 18, 2003)

It is loud. Not ideal for use in a bedroom. I would suggest a small external eheim canister. The "classic" line seem to be somewhat cheap and im sure are much quieter than that of other filters.


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## Avi (Apr 7, 2004)

I would agree totally, with Verminaard. Get a 2215 canister from Eheim. They're solid asa rock and make no sound at all. Just remember that when you change the filter medium every two months or s (depending on the number of fish in the tank) that you fill it up with water before closing it back up again so that the siphon starts easily. I've used the classic Eheims for many years and they are the best. DON'T be tempted to try any other canister...you're liable to be disappointed.


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## nino (Oct 2, 2004)

Yes, get the Eheim. For power filter I find Whisper is very quiet as long as you clean the impeller once in a while. I have 3 of them and they don't make any sound at all.


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## walpurgis999 (Feb 6, 2003)

Magnum 250 is a nice filter and good for quick cleanups; however, it is a noisy filter and makes a lot of water churning noises. As far as filters go, an AC 150 (I have an AC 200), should be very quiet. If it is making a rattling noise, try taking off the lid and leaving it off, often it is the top that is humming (only design flaw I can find).


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## BobAlston (Jan 23, 2004)

Just curious, do you mean the 2215 Eheim plus and not the slightly cheaper 2213?

Bob


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## hubbahubbahehe (Mar 29, 2004)

hey you guys I would like to add my vote for eheim... after trying various filters...eheim is in fact the best and the absolute MOST silent.


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## Rene (Jun 7, 2003)

I will take a look into the eheim canister, dont know which one will be good though. Which will be good? 2213 or 2215 or 2217?? 

I guess from what you all have said here the Magnum will not be a good idea to put into the bedroom.


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## imported_JanS (Jan 31, 2004)

I have to add a vote for the Eheim too. 

I would think the 2213 would be plenty for a 20, unless you have a large amount of fish.


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## JERP (Feb 4, 2003)

In the mean time, you can cut down on the water noise (splashing) by filling the tank to the very tippy top. You can't do much about impeller noise (Rattle & Hum). I used to have a whisper filter and it was dead quiet when that tank was full.


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## ChrisS (Feb 3, 2003)

I have three tanks in my dining room with a total of 5 AquaClear's (three 150's and two Mini's), which are all very quiet. I'm sure the Eheims's that are being suggested are all excellent options, but perhaps a cheaper solution would be to find out why your filter is so noisy.
Topping up your water level as suggested above to just over the lip of the filter outflow will eliminate the splashing. If your filter is making a loud whirring or other mechanical noise, perhaps your impeller needs cleaning or replacing if it's worn or damaged. My downstairs neighbor used to complain about the two AquaClear 300's on my goldfish tank in the living room, until I adjusted the lids (also suggested in another post) to keep them from rattling. I also pulled the tank a little further away from the wall so the sound of the filters (definitely louder than the smaller AC's but still not too bad) wouldn't reverberate through the building structure.
Just some suggestions that might help. Good luck.


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## Rene (Jun 7, 2003)

Maybe I will try to change the impeller. It is not the splashing noise that is loud, its actually the humming of the impeller.

I will try to replace that, and see what happens. If it is still too loud then I will get the eheim 2213. Thanks everyone for all your help.


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Hello Rene,

I have a 36-gallon bow front and use an Eheim 2322 (think that's the #) and a HOT. The Eheim is silent and I've complained bitterly to Marineland about the noise from the HOT for over a year. Someone there recently recommended something that worked and now it only makes a humming sound. This tank is in my bedroom and the sound level is quite acceptable. 

My recommendation is to use too filters on the tank. A small Eheim for biological and a small HOB for mechanical. Maybe a really small AC that you would rinse every 2-3 weeks. This should be fine for a 20-gallon tank.

Only use hard media in the Ehiem if you go with this setup. No filter pads at all. Just use a pre-filter on the siphon. You would rinse the pre-filter and only open the canister every few months. That would be my recommendation for your tank.

The HOT has a lot of internal parts to rinse on a frequent basis. It doesn't agitate the water surface the way the AC does. So maybe it is better for a plant tank. 

My second suggestion is to get a larger Eheim and connect 2 siphons to draw water from both sides of the tank. The larger canister would allow less frequent cleaning. This would be the most silent system you could get, IMO. 

We've used Eheim for 45 years and can honestly say their longevity is incredible. 

IMo, you can't over filter a tank but too much water circulation can be a problem. I've heard that Eheim is extremly highly priced in Canada. Personally, I would fix or replace your AC and upgrade something else in the tank like the lights or CO2 system if needed. The filtration system is a much lower priorty in a plant tank. Doing frequent water changes is more important compared to having an Eheim versus an Aqua Clear. You won't notice any improvement in the overall tank quality.

Wow, sorry about rambling on so much. Hope you can fix your AC.

Regards,
Carlos


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## Rene (Jun 7, 2003)

Wow, thanks for your feedback Tenor. I think you are right, in a planted tank I wont need that much filtration. Yes, Eheim in Canada are overpriced. But that is no prolblem, Ebay solves that, LOL.

Since most likely the next tank I will be setting up will not be heavily planted I will probably go and get myself the eheim 2213 or 2215. But if I do a full blown planted tank, I will do without any filtration and just use CO2 and a powerhead.


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## JERP (Feb 4, 2003)

There seems to be several options to your existing filter. The Penguins and Whisper HOB filters are quieter in my experience. There's no reason for a $60 filter on a 20G tank.

1. Keep the tank filled above the lip of the output of the filter to keep the splashing quiet.
2. Remove the filter pads from the AC too allow free water movement. This would reduce the load on the impeller and help keep that quiet. You could keep one sponge to capture debris but the idea is to allow as much fee movement as possible.
3. Pull the tank from the wall or place a pad between filter and wall. This will eliminate the hum of the motor resonating with the the wall.
4. Secure the lid to prevent rattling.

Next time you are in a pet store with a demo tank your size. Check out the filter and see how noisy it is.


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