NetMax
October 15th 04, 03:36 AM
"Larry Blanchard" > wrote in message
...
> I'm setting up a 10 gallon tank. I'm planning on using a corner
filter,
> probably a Clearfree II, and running a 12" or 10" long airstone/bubble
> wall.
>
> Since this setup will be in the living room, I'd like to find the
> quietest air pump I can that has sufficient capacity.
>
> Has anyone done a comparison? Or even just have one that's essentially
> silent? I'd appreciate any info you can share. Thanks.
>
Because air pumps have moving parts which shake them, the vibration tends
to hum through both the air and the surface the pump rests on. Putting
the pump in a sound-proof box will cause them to overheat. Typical
solutions are to have the pump far away (downstairs), or hanging inside a
cabinet. The sides of the cabinet tend to muffle the air-borne noise,
and the hanger prevents the mechanical vibration from audibly humming.
Your hanger can be anything from duct tape to a cloth in the shape of a
diaper. Even with these provisions, you will still hear the pump, but
it's easier to zone it out.
For the fish, the noise is still there. You will notice that part of the
noise still comes from the water's surface, and if you put your ear
against the aquarium, the humming will be quite audible. Now think about
how fish have such fine hearing and you can wonder (like me) if air pumps
are really a good idea for tropical tanks. I'd imagine that turning off
an air pump would make a silence which could be described as momentarily
deafening for them.
--
www.NetMax.tk
...
> I'm setting up a 10 gallon tank. I'm planning on using a corner
filter,
> probably a Clearfree II, and running a 12" or 10" long airstone/bubble
> wall.
>
> Since this setup will be in the living room, I'd like to find the
> quietest air pump I can that has sufficient capacity.
>
> Has anyone done a comparison? Or even just have one that's essentially
> silent? I'd appreciate any info you can share. Thanks.
>
Because air pumps have moving parts which shake them, the vibration tends
to hum through both the air and the surface the pump rests on. Putting
the pump in a sound-proof box will cause them to overheat. Typical
solutions are to have the pump far away (downstairs), or hanging inside a
cabinet. The sides of the cabinet tend to muffle the air-borne noise,
and the hanger prevents the mechanical vibration from audibly humming.
Your hanger can be anything from duct tape to a cloth in the shape of a
diaper. Even with these provisions, you will still hear the pump, but
it's easier to zone it out.
For the fish, the noise is still there. You will notice that part of the
noise still comes from the water's surface, and if you put your ear
against the aquarium, the humming will be quite audible. Now think about
how fish have such fine hearing and you can wonder (like me) if air pumps
are really a good idea for tropical tanks. I'd imagine that turning off
an air pump would make a silence which could be described as momentarily
deafening for them.
--
www.NetMax.tk