Loud Tetra Aquarium Filter....HELP!

[sambos_gurl]

I just made a quick purchase of a Tetra 20-40 gallon filter because my other filter killed over suddenly. I needed a backup asap so I purchased what I though was a decent filter spur of the moment. I plugged it is and it makes a vibrating/rumbling sound. I know the filter is working properly and it seems to be doing a very good job at clearing the tank but the sound is making me go crazy! I am assuming it is just a loud motor but could there be loose parts inside causing this? Any tips or advice to hush this filter noise? If not I may need to return it....if it comes to that any advice on what I should get? I need a 20-30 gallon filter that makes less noise (because it is in my bedroom) what would you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

One of my old filters rumbled rather loudly. My father (a mechanic) checked it out and the input tube (I guess that's what it is called) was very slightly loose, but was enough to cause the sound. A little bit of electrical tape fixed that. Maybe wiggle around everything to see if that's it? Or better yet, get a mechanic to look at it? From my experiance, any sort of mechanic can figure out what is wrong with an aquarium filter in about 30 seconds.

 

[BigJim]

Welcome to AA!

Is this a hang on back (HOB) power filter? If so, there are several possible problems:

Is there something stuck in the impeller?
Is the filter level?
Is the filter touching the wall behind the tank?
Is it just a bad design?

These are the four things I look for with my AquaClear filters. I don't know about the Tetra filters, but my ACs do make some noise, even when they're set up right. I blame it on bad cover design. The cover on the AC70 is a little flimsy and it rattles, but the filter is awesome.

 

[cbwmn]

Awhile back I had some angels spawn in a community tank. I didn’t have a spare tank so I went to a LFS and bought a Tetra 10 gallon kit. Every once in awhile it starts “rattling”. When it does, I disassemble the filter and clean the entire filter including the impeller assembly. I use a long cotton swab stick to clean the impellor cavity.That fixes it for awhile.I agree with BigJim, Aquaclears are very good filters.Charles

 

[sambos_gurl]

Thanks for the help! Yes, the filter is a HOB so maybe part of the noise is coming from the vibration where it sits on the back. Also I will have to agree I like the lid but it seems it may be a bit loose which I don't think is really fixable..right? However, when I assembled the filter I had a problem with one of the connections (or tubing) being loose. When I connected the tube (I guess this would be the intake) I had a very hard time getting it to sit properly. Maybe a mechanic or better yet my dad should look at this LOL! Thanks for the help again!

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Some filters are just noisy! I got an Interpet PF3 internal filter and you can hear that over everything else, glad I'm getting rid of it soon.