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Posted by Yowie on November 12, 2009, 10:14 pm
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A 100 litre fresh water tropical tank. Has 10 neons, 6 rosy barbs, a black
neon, a rummy nose tetra and a small bristlenose. Has some rocks, a large
peice of driftwood. My set-up is 2 years old, so its 'nitrogen cycle' is
stable.
Had a Whisper brand hang-on filter that worked OK, although needed some
'wiggling' to start up again if the power got shut off, and the 'biobag'
filters were becoming harder and harder to find, thus I decided to replace
it.
Having no idea of the capacity of the Whisper filter (my whole tank is
second hand), I asked the folks at the shop what I would need and they
recommended Aqua One that looked to be about the same size - 500L per hour.
Now that its up and running, the flow is much stringer than the old Whisper
filter, and it really disrupts the java moss.
If I turn the flow meter down, it makes a horrible rattle. My main
complaint, however, is the noise this new filter makes. The tank is in the
bedroom and the loud buzz the motor makes compared to the old pump makes
sleep difficult. I've tried to return it, but a) it works and b) I've used
it, so they won't take it back. I'm really not happy with it, but at $75 I
am in no hurry to rush out for another.
So, my question is: can I turn the thing off whilst asleep? I have tried to
block the noise with a towel wrapped around the outside of the filter, but
it still makes too much noise for my liking. The only other option seems to
be to turn the thing off whilst I'm trying to sleep. Would 8 hours per day
without filtering cause harm to the tank or am I just going to have to get
used to the racket?
Thanks,
Yowie
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Posted by Liisa Sarakontu on November 12, 2009, 11:38 pm
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> So, my question is: can I turn the thing off whilst asleep?
Don't do it. Two reasons:
1. Fish need oxygen, and as you have quite many fish in that tank,
theymight suffocate if the filter isn't running and moving water.
2. If a filter is shut for more than 2 hours (about), the bacteria living
in the filter media start to die or try some desperate means to survive,
and when such a filter is again turned on, it might spill poisonous stuff
to aquarium unless it is rinsed clean.
It is some kind of hang-on filter? Does the noise come from the motor, or
does it vibrate against the glass? If latter, you could perhaps put
something between the filter and aquarium.
Or then just throw that thing away and get a totally submersive filter.
They are normally very quiet. I have had one hang on filter, and hated it
all the time. And probably at least 10 inside power filters, and all but
one have been very trustworthy and quiet.
Liisa
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Posted by Zootal on November 12, 2009, 11:46 pm
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>
>> So, my question is: can I turn the thing off whilst asleep?
>
> Don't do it. Two reasons:
> 1. Fish need oxygen, and as you have quite many fish in that tank,
> theymight suffocate if the filter isn't running and moving water.
> 2. If a filter is shut for more than 2 hours (about), the bacteria living
> in the filter media start to die or try some desperate means to survive,
> and when such a filter is again turned on, it might spill poisonous stuff
> to aquarium unless it is rinsed clean.
>
> It is some kind of hang-on filter? Does the noise come from the motor, or
> does it vibrate against the glass? If latter, you could perhaps put
> something between the filter and aquarium.
>
> Or then just throw that thing away and get a totally submersive filter.
> They are normally very quiet. I have had one hang on filter, and hated it
> all the time. And probably at least 10 inside power filters, and all but
> one have been very trustworthy and quiet.
>
> Liisa
Any recommendations for good submersive filter? I have a hang on filter, but
I stopped using filter cartridges in them a long long time ago - all they do
is circulate water. I vacuum the gravel (which is only a half inch thick)
weekly along with water change. Fish appear to be happy, but the hang on
filters tend to plug with algae frequently.
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Posted by Yowie on November 13, 2009, 7:35 am
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>
>> So, my question is: can I turn the thing off whilst asleep?
>
> Don't do it. Two reasons:
> 1. Fish need oxygen, and as you have quite many fish in that tank,
> theymight suffocate if the filter isn't running and moving water.
Fair enough - although they haven't died when we've had power outages.
> 2. If a filter is shut for more than 2 hours (about), the bacteria
> living in the filter media start to die or try some desperate means
> to survive, and when such a filter is again turned on, it might spill
> poisonous stuff to aquarium unless it is rinsed clean.
The bacteria dies due to lack of oxygen?
> It is some kind of hang-on filter?
Yes.
It is this one:
http://www.petshop-online.com.au/prod95.htm
> Does the noise come from the
> motor, or does it vibrate against the glass? If latter, you could
> perhaps put something between the filter and aquarium.
The noise comes from the motor. The rattle when the flow meter is adjusted I
can only assume comes from the blades of the water pump or air cavitation in
the inflow pipe.
It is most definately not vibration against the glass as I have cushioned it
all to no avail.
> Or then just throw that thing away and get a totally submersive
> filter. They are normally very quiet. I have had one hang on filter,
> and hated it all the time. And probably at least 10 inside power
> filters, and all but one have been very trustworthy and quiet.
>
> Liisa
Will have to check them out - thanks.
Yowie
--
If you're paddling upstream in a canoe and a wheel falls off, how many
pancakes can you fit in a doghouse? None, icecream doesn't have bones.
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Posted by Liisa Sarakontu on November 13, 2009, 2:41 pm
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> Fair enough - although they haven't died when we've had power outages.
Luckily most fish are quite hardy, and I think that none of the species you
have there are high-oxygen species. Some river fish, like Siamese algae
eaters, might die (or jump out from the tank) quite soon after the oxygen
level starts going down.
> The bacteria dies due to lack of oxygen?
Yup. Not all bacteria, but the ones living in a filter dealing with
nitrogen and fish waste live there just because they need quite high level
of oxygen.
> It is most definately not vibration against the glass as I have
> cushioned it all to no avail.
Okay, you have already checked it. Then my advice doesn't work.
Liisa
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