# Tropical Fish Tank - Silent pump ?



## combat squirrel (Sep 7, 2008)

As title, Iv just been given a 60L tank, water heater, String ray 15 filter/pump and roof/light. Set it up, put my live plants in, going to leave it for a week before adding fish.......however, the pump is noisy !!

Any 'TRUE' silent pumps/filters out there?

Thanks

PS: Best starter fish ? Want a couple of nice looking ones, and a couple of species that will 'clean' the tank


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

air pumps always go blub, blub even when the pump itself is quiet. Submersed water pumps are quieter because the water muffles the sound. All pump vibrate, this causes stuff to shake and make noise. Most pumps at least hum. The quieter the pump, the more it costs. Sometimes its easier to build a "soundproof box" for the pump than to find a quiet pump. Pumps get louder over time as stuff gets loose. Replacing moving parts can make pumps as quiet as new, but not quieter.


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## combat squirrel (Sep 7, 2008)

well yeah realize it won't b dead silent  but I was more intersested in finding out what's the most quiet filter/pump money can buy, or the agreed most silent pump/filter in the community ? Makes/model numbers etc


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## combat squirrel (Sep 7, 2008)

Cool, thanks, the Rena Filstar IV2 a good one? Much more quiet than the sting ray 15 ?


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## combat squirrel (Sep 7, 2008)

Hmmm still currently deciding on what pump, its either the rena or Hagen Fluval 3......how much bigger than the tank am i looking ? Hagen Fluval 2 is 90L, Hagen Fluval 3 is something like 150L i think......


Also iv been told (to get the tank ready) its a good idea to P in it !! lol, instead of buying ammonia in bottles, is this true ? lol, I dont see why not, as P is sterile, obviously there are no fish in the tank right now ! lol


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I've never used either of the filters (both are internal power filters). The tank is 15 gallons US. But internal filters should make "running water" noises only. Any hum should be muffled by the tank's water. You could try replacing the impeller in the sting ray or at least opening it up and seeing if there are any snail shells or rocks that could be making noise.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

"P is sterile" news to me, but I don't think it has any fish-killing bacteria in it and I have heard of successful P-cycles. The reason for using bottled ammonia is that you know its concentration. P ammonia levels vary, but you could compensate with a test kit. The real danger is that anyone who hears about your method will not have anything to do with you or your tank.


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

My fluval 405 is about as silent as it gets. I have to put my ear right up to it to hear anything. I'm guessing if a 405 is silent, pushing 360 gph, then smaller filters from this line will be as well. As for air pumps, not so sure. My whisper pump is pretty noisy, but when I put it under my stand, I can't hear it.


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## jamesandmanda (Sep 17, 2008)

My fluval 2 filter is amazingly silent.


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