Frustrated with Aquaclear, recommendations for replacement?

[gabysapha]

I am ready to throw my Aquaclear 50 out the window. I've done everything to make it quiet like it used to be, but I think it's a lost cause. The noise defeats the purpose of me buying the filter! It needs to be SILENT, because the 29g is in my bedroom.

Are there other very quiet filters available? Filtration intimidates me, there are so many brands!
It would be great if I could use sponges in the new filter. Nothing fancy.

 

[Fishie]

I have 2 tanks in my bedroom 29G and 10G I use quiet flow and it's quiet!! Also topfin is another good brand. Could put sponge or something over to make it quieter .

 

[medic747]

Love my bio wheel

 

[Fishie]

Love my bio wheel

Heard bio wheel is good too!

 

[gabysapha]

I have a topfin 20 which is quiet enough for the living room but still not silent enough for my bedroom! The AC was a dream while it was quiet; I had to touch it to make sure it was working.

I dislike my Tetra Whisper 40 as well, it's the loudest of all. My Whisper 10 is great though and has been for 4 years. Too bad the Whisper 40 couldn't be as quiet.

I'll look into Quietflow, thank you.

 

[gabysapha]

Love my bio wheel

Do biowheels need a special kind of filter media? I'm cheap, so I will only buy a filter that will allow me to use the current cheap filter foam I have.

 

[Fishie]

Welcome hopes I helped

 

[medic747]

I replaced the filter cartridges with the plastic housing made for the bio wheel it allows you to use any media you want I just use micro sponges that's all

 

[spkehl]

I have several Aquaclears that used to be in my bedroom. The secret to keeping them quite, like most other filters I have, is to keep the water level in the aquarium water level up to the top.

 

[JesseMessykinn]

I have several Aquaclears that used to be in my bedroom. The secret to keeping them quite, like most other filters I have, is to keep the water level in the aquarium water level up to the top.

Also keep the filter lid off, it makes a little less to a raddling sound.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

From personal experience, every single Marineland biowheel filter I have had is loud. They at least have a loud splash sound from the biowheel spinning the water and then mechanism itself will normally make a good hum sound. If you are sensitive to sound (I am too), you will have to top it off every night to get it at the precise level where you won't hear any of the splashing.

Sorry, I don't have any recommendations of a quiet filter. I love Marinelands and only use them, but they are so loud!

 

[Breezyrae]

Make sure the needle in the base(impeller)is clean. My oscar was kicking up sand and it was causing a lot of noise in my ac110. I have had it for over a year, and it is super quiet.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Okay, for the AquaClear:
-Make sure that the intake tubes are very clean, you can do this with pipe cleaners.
-Wash out the impellers, it might be the problem.
-Take the plastic lid off, see if that helps.
-Turn it off, dump out all the water, including in the impeller, then turn it back on, fill it up with water about halfway and let it start.

That should help. Not once in the whole one and a half years I've had the AquaClear has it been noisy.

I do not recommend Marineland Bio-Wheel Filters if you want something quiet. When I had my tank in my bedroom, all you could hear was that. It is super noisy, I can even here it from the kitchen when it's in the living room. At this point I just want to trade it in for another AquaClear.

 

[severum mama]

I've probably run 20 Aquaclears or so, of every size, and they are the most quiet hang on back filter available IMO. If you have not tried removing the impeller and cleaning the housing, then re-seating the impeller, that might work. If the impeller is bent or damaged, a replacement should make the filter more quiet.

If you still can't get it to where it's acceptable for you, a Rena XP1/XP2 or Fluval 205 would be good choices for canisters. A good canister is extremely quiet even compared to the best HOB.

 

[Convict2161]

I have to agree with mama I NEVER had any issues with any of my AC's and I ran 2 110's and they were quiet and easy to maintain. I did however have issues with my marineland bio wheels, they stop turning often. I would have to take take them off and turn them to let the water out and then they were fine. I loved the AC's

Now I have upgraded to a canister which I will admit intimidated me at first. I have the fluval fx5 and I will never go back to a HOB, canister FTW (for the win)