Please help! I'm desperate!

[Stale Cupcakes]

I currently have a 20 gallon tank with a 20 gallon top fin filter. Everything had been running smoothly for about 5 months, and then the filter started making irritable noises. Very loud vibrations and annoying crackling type sounds. Unfortunately, I have to sleep with this due to the tank being in my room. I am very sensitive when it comes to noise while I sleep and I can't tolerate it. I need suggestions for a filter that isn't too pricey and one I can get at a petco or petsmart. The filter can't be noisy at all or I just can't do it. I was thinking the aqueon quietflow 20, but upon reading reviews it may not be the best because I've read of some overflow and also, it makes a waterfall noise and I just can't sleep to that either. For now I am forced to keep the filter off at night which I don't want to do. Tomorrow I am planning on getting a new filter, and at this point it will still be a top fin temporarily so I can at least have the filtration. Due to me still only being a teen, time, money and space don't really allow for anything fancy or high maintenance. Any suggestions?

 

[Autumnsky]

Have you taken the filter apart and cleaned inside the impeller area?? A youtube video might help you with that.

Often a bit of gunk or a snail grows large enough to catch in the impeller and cause a huge noise. It might be as easy as cleaning it out. Hoping it is all that is needed. Then start plotting ways to save for a filter upgrade.

Save your filter media (never wash it with untreated tap water!!!) Do you know about the nitrification cycle? More important info can be read from the article linked in my signature.

Otherwise a Marina filter or Fluval Aqua Clear (AC) the 30 or 50 if you can afford it, rated at around 5x gallons per hour turnover minimum, so around a 100G per hour, adjustable flow is a really useful option in a filter, and AC and Fluval have them. I have had good experiences with Aqueon as well though.

 

[jfhrtn]

I have an aquaclear 70 on a 29 gallon and it is pretty quiet. As long as the water level is kept up near the bottom of the filter it wont have the waterfall effect. As @Autumnsky said with the adjustable flow you could always turn it down at night then bump it back up during the day. An Aquaclear 30 would do well if an aquaclear 50 was out of the price range. I usually clean my impellers on the pumps every other month.

 

[evil Nick]

vibrations could be the filter just not sitting well on the tank. My whisper would get bumped here or there and start to vibrate until I would straighten it up on the tank. Crackling is probably either the impeller or air churning through it. My whisper has the bearings actually blow out of the impeller when I was shutting it down. As the other poster said, clean and check the impeller. You could probably just buy a replacement one for a couple bucks before a whole new filter.

 

[Stale Cupcakes]

Fixed

So, I ended up getting the aquaclear 50 and it was a life saver. At first it was really noisy with rattling sound but then I just took out the impeller and put vaseline on it. It was quiet as can be. Thanks for all your help everyone!

 

[Autumnsky]

Yay! Sweet Dreams!