Filter switch off at night?

wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a tenant living downstairs complaining that she can hear the
filter at night and it's bothering her. She sleeps directly below the
tank, and there is indeed a slight hummming. Would I be able to switch
off the filter at night from 10.30pm to 6.30am, or would this be a
major no no?

$$ That's not a great idea. The bacteria need the moving water for oxygen.

I have a 72 gallon freshwater tank, with a gravel and sand substrate
(no underground filter) and an AquaClear 110 filter.

$$ Aquaclears are generally very quiet. Can the impeller be worn out? You
can try replacing it with a canister. I have a Fluval that is all but dead
silent from a few feet away. For extra silence you can set it in a bucket
and surround it with old towels or those small toss pillows sold everywhere
these days. If worse comes to worse you can always move the tank to another
wall that wouldn't be right above her head.
--
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Koi-lo wrote:

$$ Aquaclears are generally very quiet. Can the impeller be worn out?
You can try replacing it with a canister. I have a Fluval that is all
but dead silent from a few feet away. For extra silence you can set it
in a bucket and surround it with old towels or those small toss pillows
sold everywhere these days. If worse comes to worse you can always move
the tank to another wall that wouldn't be right above her head.

I have large external Fluval filters of different vintages, and
Aquaclears. Both can make slight rattly noises, although otherwise
they're great filters.

As noted in another post, the quietest filter I've had was a
within-the-tank Fluval filter. I used a foam sleeve instead of the
disposable cartridge media for this filter, to preserve bacteria and
reduce costs.

Steve

"Steve" wrote in message
...

I have large external Fluval filters of different vintages, and
Aquaclears. Both can make slight rattly noises, although otherwise they're
great filters.

## There can be air caught in the impeller well. Try tipping the filter to
release it. Also, look at the impeller magnet itself and see if it shows
wear. Hold the filter horizontal and see if that makes a difference.

As noted in another post, the quietest filter I've had was a
within-the-tank Fluval filter. I used a foam sleeve instead of the
disposable cartridge media for this filter, to preserve bacteria and
reduce costs.

## That may be the route you'll have to take.
--
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 08:26:59 -0600, "Koi-lo"
wrote:


"Steve" wrote in message
.. .

I have large external Fluval filters of different vintages, and
Aquaclears. Both can make slight rattly noises, although otherwise they're
great filters.

## There can be air caught in the impeller well. Try tipping the filter to
release it. Also, look at the impeller magnet itself and see if it shows
wear. Hold the filter horizontal and see if that makes a difference.

As noted in another post, the quietest filter I've had was a
within-the-tank Fluval filter. I used a foam sleeve instead of the
disposable cartridge media for this filter, to preserve bacteria and
reduce costs.

## That may be the route you'll have to take.
I think it could be the size of the Fluval. I used to have a 304 and
it did not make much noise at all. I replaces it with a 404, which
makes some ratlly noises. You can hear it from few feet away. I later
added another 303 because the 404 is not big enough to handle 125 g.
You can tell the difference between these two in terms of noise level.
I guess the bigger one uses a bigger impeller which in turn makes a
bit higher level of noise.

fish lover wrote:
On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 08:26:59 -0600, "Koi-lo"
wrote:


"Steve" wrote in message
. ..

I have large external Fluval filters of different vintages, and
Aquaclears. Both can make slight rattly noises, although otherwise they're
great filters.

## There can be air caught in the impeller well. Try tipping the filter to
release it. Also, look at the impeller magnet itself and see if it shows
wear. Hold the filter horizontal and see if that makes a difference.


As noted in another post, the quietest filter I've had was a
within-the-tank Fluval filter. I used a foam sleeve instead of the
disposable cartridge media for this filter, to preserve bacteria and
reduce costs.

## That may be the route you'll have to take.

I think it could be the size of the Fluval. I used to have a 304 and
it did not make much noise at all. I replaces it with a 404, which
makes some ratlly noises. You can hear it from few feet away. I later
added another 303 because the 404 is not big enough to handle 125 g.
You can tell the difference between these two in terms of noise level.
I guess the bigger one uses a bigger impeller which in turn makes a
bit higher level of noise.

I know what you mean about the 404 - sounds like a washing machine
finishing the rinse cycle prior to spinning - lol - actually where I am
sitting now I can here the vibrations of a 304, a 404 and at least two
air pumps not to mention a few internals scattered around - I think or
it might just be the pc's sitting about, which is what I find far more
irritating than the pumps - each to their own maybe....

Hubby complained bitterly when I added a Fluval 4 plus into the Malawi
tank in our home office - this now has an air pump, 304 and 4 plus -
personally I didn't notice the difference. In fact my tanks with
internal fluvals are quieter than all of the others....so I reckon he is
imagining it :-)

I'd probably try to reduce the noise through the suggestions made -
mouse mats or other insulating materials. I would be reluctant to
suggest switching over to an internal without knowing your fish load
(and of course the fact that my hubby reckons it is louder than the 304
even if I can't hear it).

I'm also really suprised that it can be heard from below - I can't hear
my son's 204 upstairs (although it might be masked by everything down
here) but certainly when I go to bed I cannot hear any of the tanks that
I have downstairs...I remember living in a flat once where my downstairs
neighbour would complain about every single noise that was made - me
opening a door, the fan in my bathroom, my tumble drier, the birds that
used to live in the loft (I was right at the top) - in the end I
concluded that there are some people in this world with ultra sensitive
hearing and there was really nothing I could do about it....I
compensated as much as I could but somethings just could not give....I
think I really p*ss*d her off in the end by suggesting that if she
couldn't cope with normal domestic noise she bought ear plugs so she
could sleep at night - eekk - I was much younger then....however it did
seem to work for most of her complaints...

What type of flooring do you have...wooden or laminate flooring conducts
sound far worse than carpeting....even if you do have carpeting maybe
try putting the tank on a rug or some other type of insulating material
as well as moving it as possible. Do the same with the filter - might
help....

gill

"fish lover" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 08:26:59 -0600, "Koi-lo"
wrote:
## That may be the route you'll have to take.
=======================
I think it could be the size of the Fluval. I used to have a 304 and
it did not make much noise at all. I replaces it with a 404, which
makes some ratlly noises. You can hear it from few feet away. I later
added another 303 because the 404 is not big enough to handle 125 g.
You can tell the difference between these two in terms of noise level.
I guess the bigger one uses a bigger impeller which in turn makes a
bit higher level of noise.
=======================
Yes, that may be true. Just the size may make a difference. I do know
that mine started to sound like bee-bees were rattling around in the motor
part when the impeller needed replacing. And sometimes when air was trapped
in the well it would make a low irritating rattly type noise. I don't use it
anymore because it was such a hassle getting the top off to clean, then
getting it back on... Ugh! One clip broke and it leaked enough to have to
sit in an old coffee can. It's sitting out in the garage.
--
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o