tank in bedroom too noisy?

[blipblop]

I'm looking at a 20g long to put on my dresser in my room and I was wondering if that would be too noisy? It should just be the pump and nothing else as I'm just planning to have some community fish in here. The other tank I have is a 10g hex which is good for nothing.

Do any of you guys have a tank in your bedroom have any comments? I don't want to put the tank anywhere else..

[Zagz]

I have a 55 gal in my room. I love the sound the water makes gently swishing around. It lulls me to sleep.

[zacusmaximus]

I personally like the sound of my aquariums but you can certainly take steps to minimize the amount of noise your aquarium will make. HOB filters, generally, make more noise than canister filters. Water level will impact the amount of noise either type of filter makes. Air pumps are really the only other culprit, although any air stones/wands/decorations will impart some amount of bubbling noise. You can drastically cut down the air pump noise with a very simple DIY dampener. If you plan on keeping a planted tank with bigger, badder, brighter lighting you can expect a little more noise from fans in the light fixture/s. I can't really think of any other sources of noise. Anyone think of any others?

[Sidi]

I think I've had a tank going in my room for 4 years or so, always with a HOB filter, and it's never been a problem. Doesn't seem to bother my girlfriend either. The white noise can actually be very nice.

[theotheragentm]

The air pump might be the loudest thing. HOBs don't make a whole lot of noise as long as you raise the water level to so it's not splashing down into the water.

[gheitman]

Some air pumps are quieter than others. I have found the Rena Air series to be very quiet overall although they sometimes may need to run for a little before quieting down. I use them on almost every one of my tanks.

[bra_van_drakh]

i have a 20 gal in my bed room. . .i use an HOB filter, and i think it doesn't make any annoying noise, none that bothers me & my lil' brother. ..besides, it's much easier to be cleaned^^

[Lance M.]

I have a 54 gallon corner freshwater planted with a cannister filter and a ten gallon nano reef on my dresser with two hob filters. The hob filters can be a little noisy sometimes cause they are old but it doesn't bother me or anything. I've had bubblers running before and I can never fall asleep when one is on.

[lovemybarbs]

I don't even notice mine anymore.

[7Enigma]

As mentioned HOB's are very quiet as long as the water level is up to the bottom of the outflow. If lower you get the typical waterfall effect and trickle sound. Some like it, some it bothers. Canister filters are definitely the quietest when it comes to noise but that might be overkill on a 20gallon tank. Air pumps are likely the loudest of all the tank parts, but you can make a simple box that will make it all but silent. A shoe box with some baffles or other insulation with a couple holes at the top to let hot air escape will reduce the sound to near inaudible levels. It also pays to get a good quality air pump as they vary a LOT based on the brand/model.

HTH

[smn723]

I have a 75 gallon in my room and you can't really hear it at all. Only thing that makes any noise is the Maxi-Jet powerhead...just a very quiet hum. I have no problems sleeping and it definitely relaxes me to watch the fish a little while before I go to sleep. Of course I have a canister filter though so that is no noise issue whatsoever.

[dskidmore]

Originally Posted by 7Enigma

Canister filters are definitely the quietest when it comes to noise but that might be overkill on a 20gallon tank.

Perhaps an internal, like the Fluvial? Like the canister it's an underwater return, so no waterfall noise, but it's smaller and easier to install than a canister. I have one of these. I'm not real impressed with the media arrangement, but it does have a decent pump and the primary media is a washable sponge that lasts a long time.

[JustOneMore20]

I agree...HOBs can make some noise if the water level isn't raised. I have my 55 planted in my room and its open top so water evaporates faster than it would if it were covered. I'm not good at remembering to top off the tank, so the HOB can be bothersome at times. Its just a reminder to top it off though. The tank had just a canister for the longest and there was no noise from the tank at all. Now the HOB is there to be used on my QT and I guess since it was quiet before it seems to bother me more now.