new top fin 29 gallon tank kit. noisy filter unit

[PUMPKY90]

hello everyone, im new to the hobby. i have recently purchased a 29 gallon top fin tank kit. everything is going great but i have noticed that the filter unit is making a slight crackling sound. i have tried everything and it keeps making the noise. i have actually bought another new unit and it makes the same noise too. i prefilled both with water before turning them on. is it normal to hear a crackling sound like air is trapped? its not super loud but its noticeable.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Filters arent silent, but noise shouldn't be distracting. Maybe a quiet hum.

You are going to get what you pay for though. More premium filters are going to run quieter, and the equipment that is included in kits are often not the best because they want to encourage you into buying the upgrade.

Can you provide more information on the filter? Make and model?

Maybe post a video on YouTube and post a link so we can hear how noisy it is.

There may be air trapped inside, so make sure the filter is assembled properly, and started as per the instructions. If it needs priming, the primer should purge the filter of any trapped air. Running it for a day or two may make things fun smoother.

 

[PUMPKY90]

Filters arent silent, but noise shouldn't be distracting. Maybe a quiet hum.

You are going to get what you pay for though. More premium filters are going to run quieter, and the equipment that is included in kits are often not the best because they want to encourage you into buying the upgrade.

Can you provide more information on the filter? Make and model?

Maybe post a video on YouTube and post a link so we can hear how noisy it is.

There may be air trapped inside, so make sure the filter is assembled properly, and started as per the instructions. If it needs priming, the primer should purge the filter of any trapped air. Running it for a day or two may make things fun smoother.

when i get home tonight i will record a video and post it along with the model number of the filter.

 

[PUMPKY90]

This is the link to the sound of my filter. Thank you!

 

[Andy Sager]

This is the link to the sound of my filter. Thank you!

I don't really hear anything too outrageous but how high up is the water level in the tank to the outflow of the filter? I don't see much splash at the tank surface and that can cause an oxygen issue with the fish. Aeration is via the exchange of gases when the bubbles burst at the surface.
I'm assuming the occasional clanking in the background was someone hitting a dish with a utensil vs coming from the filter. What I did hear sounded like the impeller spinning and that is unavoidable in this style of filter. Better quality filter brands tend to use more materials to silence that. And speaking of which, you'll want to make sure you check on the impeller at least every 2 months and remove any slime or detritus that will build up in there and on the impeller.

 

[PUMPKY90]

I don't really hear anything too outrageous but how high up is the water level in the tank to the outflow of the filter? I don't see much splash at the tank surface and that can cause an oxygen issue with the fish. Aeration is via the exchange of gases when the bubbles burst at the surface.
I'm assuming the occasional clanking in the background was someone hitting a dish with a utensil vs coming from the filter. What I did hear sounded like the impeller spinning and that is unavoidable in this style of filter. Better quality filter brands tend to use more materials to silence that. And speaking of which, you'll want to make sure you check on the impeller at least every 2 months and remove any slime or detritus that will build up in there and on the impeller.

Yes the loud sound was my wife eating dinner lol. Alright I'll keep an eye on things. It's the second filter unit making the same slight noise. Overall I'm happy with my setup. The water level is somewhat level with the output of filtered water. I see lots of bubbles forming in the water from the filtered side.

 

[Andy Sager]

Yes the loud sound was my wife eating dinner lol. Alright I'll keep an eye on things. It's the second filter unit making the same slight noise. Overall I'm happy with my setup. The water level is somewhat level with the output of filtered water. I see lots of bubbles forming in the water from the filtered side.

Okay. It's hard to tell from the video since you didn't show the the whole surface. You want the water level just below the outflow so that there is splash but not so low that the splash causes bubbles that the intake tube picks up and pushes back into the filter. ( I was hoping to see bubbles going into the intake to be the reason for the noise. Thankfully/unfortunately, I didn't see that. ) It might also be that the impeller just needs a little break in time and with a little buildup, it may quiet down a bit.

 

[PUMPKY90]

I will take a better video

 

[Aiken Drum]

It sounds like the impeller is rattling, which it shouldn't on a new filter. Check it's fitted properly, and give it a few days to see if a bit of use gets it turning properly. Maybe tip a bit more water into the filter to see if that pushes some more air out. As Andy suggested, if it's drawing air bubbles back in, that could cause the impeller to rattle.

Reading reviews of topfin filters, them being noisy seems are fairly common complaint. And you've tried a replacement already with the same issue. If everything is installed correctly, and a bit of use doesn't fix it, it may be something you either have to live with or get a better replacement filter.

 

[PUMPKY90]

It sounds like the impeller is rattling, which it shouldn't on a new filter. Check it's fitted properly, and give it a few days to see if a bit of use gets it turning properly. Maybe tip a bit more water into the filter to see if that pushes some more air out. As Andy suggested, if it's drawing air bubbles back in, that could cause the impeller to rattle.

Reading reviews of topfin filters, them being noisy seems are fairly common complaint. And you've tried a replacement already with the same issue. If everything is installed correctly, and a bit of use doesn't fix it, it may be something you either have to live with or get a better replacement filter.

Thabks for the help! I'll give it a few more days and see if it gets better

 

[G2-B]

The impeller of that type of filter tends to rattle if it is not inserted just right. When that happens, pull it up a bit, wiggle it about very gently and let it drop down again. Sometimes it takes several tries to calm it down. I usually can get the rattle to stop.

It may also be caused by debris or gunk growing on the impeller. Pull it out, disassemble and scrub all parts.
I put a sponge on the intake to reduce the amount of debris that gets to the filter. That increases filter life and the sponge is easy to wash out.