# Help with a silent HUB filter for 55g



## Mataca (Dec 2, 2013)

Long story short i purchased a 55g kit during the big al's black friday sale. Now that its the christmas sale im basically wasting money and upgrading all the parts(should have bought all the parts separately in the beginning i know). The kit came with a "Whisper" 60 power filter from Tetra which is pretty damn loud. Contacted customer service and they assured me i needed a new impellor and sent me one at no cost. I put it in and nothing changed. Does anyone know how i can make my filter silent or does anyone have any recommendations on a new one. Thanks!


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

problem could be the impeller shaft. But the best HOB filter most agree is aquaclear filters, not sure if they are the quietest but they are quiet and the best.


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## Kimchi24 (Mar 22, 2013)

If you are dead set on a HOB... get an aquaclear. Personally, I'd say HOBs should be used for 40 gallons or less only because the flow you get from them only stays in one area of the tank. I have an AC70 on my 46 gallon bowfront and im regretting it. It is on the right side and there is close to no water movement on the left. I'm adding a canister filter (fluval 205) with a DIY spray bar on the left side to get the whole tank moving. Honestly, I say get a canister filter with a spray bar or build a sump with a spray bar. Sure, HOBs are okay and work, BUT the canisters can hold much more media and the same goes for sumps. IMO, go canister/sump and toss the tetra HOB. I've had too many HOBs to even count but nowadays i go canister or sponge filter. I plan on getting a canister for my bowfront and when I move, making a sump for another tank


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Kimchi24 said:


> If you are dead set on a HOB... get an aquaclear. Personally, I'd say HOBs should be used for 40 gallons or less only because the flow you get from them only stays in one area of the tank. I have an AC70 on my 46 gallon bowfront and im regretting it. It is on the right side and there is close to no water movement on the left. I'm adding a canister filter (fluval 205) with a DIY spray bar on the left side to get the whole tank moving. Honestly, I say get a canister filter with a spray bar or build a sump with a spray bar. Sure, HOBs are okay and work, BUT the canisters can hold much more media and the same goes for sumps. IMO, go canister/sump and toss the tetra HOB. I've had too many HOBs to even count but nowadays i go canister or sponge filter. I plan on getting a canister for my bowfront and when I move, making a sump for another tank


Well, obviously a 46 gallon with 1 Aquaclear 70 is not enough filtration. We all know the "rated tank size" on the filter's packaging is nonsense. On a 46 gal bowfront I'd say the bare, rock scraping minimum is 2 AC 70s, one on each end of the tank.

For a 55 gallon, a canister filter is really not a bad idea. I'm an advocate of running 2 filters on a tank whenever possible. Should there be a momentary blackout, or debris stuck in the impeller, etc, and one filter stops, and you don't notice for 48 hours, and all the beneficial bacteria dies, you still have the other filter and the tank will not experience a massive ammonia/nitrite spike.

On a 55 I'd say a really good combo would be an Eheim 2217 and an AC70.
I ran my old 55 gallon with 2 AC70s and a 2215 and it was very nice. I followed the same general rule and ran 2 AC110s and a 2217 on a 90 gallon and that was pretty good.

If you want to keep the loud Whisper filter, just jam it full of aquaclear foam. Don't use cartridges. The foam will make for decent mech/bio filtration, and never needs to be changed.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I would feel fine with a single ac70 on a 46 bow front tank, I assume they aren't anymore than 36 inches long. If the tank is 48 long, then I would do 2 50's or 2 70's but best to go with canister filter for 48 inch tanks


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

pyrrolin said:


> I would feel fine with a single ac70 on a 46 bow front tank, I assume they aren't anymore than 36 inches long. If the tank is 48 long, then I would do 2 50's or 2 70's but best to go with canister filter for 48 inch tanks


I thought I'd go "El-cheapo" on filtration this time around and initially only had 1 AC70 on my 29 gallon. Not enough flow IMO. I have two on there now and things are good.


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## Kimchi24 (Mar 22, 2013)

pyrrolin said:


> I would feel fine with a single ac70 on a 46 bow front tank, I assume they aren't anymore than 36 inches long. If the tank is 48 long, then I would do 2 50's or 2 70's but best to go with canister filter for 48 inch tanks


generally an ac70 would be ok statistically but it leaves dead spots and just doees not flow the water. I would go canister


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

canister would definitely be better and the cost wouldn't be much different than 2 ac70.

Another option is instead of adding another filter, is just adding a circulation pump like a maxi jet 400. An ac70 should be perfectly fine as a biological filter for a 46 gallon and you just need more circulation.

There is often more than one solution to a problem.


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## Mataca (Dec 2, 2013)

48x13x20 are the tank dimensions, its a 55gallon not the 46 gallon bowfront(someone else in the thread owned that tank and it got a bit off topic tank size wise but not by much). I think im going to go with MisterSprinkles suggestion and go with the Eheim 2217 canister with the AQ70. I'm HOPING both of these are silent as the tank is in my room and it is definitely annoying with the "Whisper" 60 filter boat motor that i currently have. A little exaggeration in regards to sound but its pretty obnoxious. Thanks for all the input, feedback and suggestions guys. I really do appreciate it. I think ill pick them up tomorrow as the boxing day sales are still going on. Any suggestions in regards to sponges or pads i should get for the filter??

p.s. Should I start the canister filter with the whisper 60 on as well to allow the canister to establish itself for a couple weeks, then remove the 60 and put the AQ70 in its place. Or is there some other way I SHOULD be doing it. Am I able to just throw the new canister and new filter on and there would be enough media from the gravel and plants?


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Mataca said:


> 48x13x20 are the tank dimensions, its a 55gallon not the 46 gallon bowfront(someone else in the thread owned that tank and it got a bit off topic tank size wise but not by much). I think im going to go with MisterSprinkles suggestion and go with the Eheim 2217 canister with the AQ70. I'm HOPING both of these are silent as the tank is in my room and it is definitely annoying with the "Whisper" 60 filter boat motor that i currently have. A little exaggeration in regards to sound but its pretty obnoxious. Thanks for all the input, feedback and suggestions guys. I really do appreciate it. I think ill pick them up tomorrow as the boxing day sales are still going on. Any suggestions in regards to sponges or pads i should get for the filter??
> 
> p.s. Should I start the canister filter with the whisper 60 on as well to allow the canister to establish itself for a couple weeks, then remove the 60 and put the AQ70 in its place. Or is there some other way I SHOULD be doing it. Am I able to just throw the new canister and new filter on and there would be enough media from the gravel and plants?


Your whisper filter just uses cartridges right? You can chop the cartridge up and put it as the top layer of your Aquaclear media.

AC70 and 2217 is a good choice. Leave them full force for fish like Mbuna, or turn them down for fish like angels(the AC70 can be turned down by rotating the intake tube out of line with the impeller, and the Eheim flow can be reduced by taking the stopper off the end of the spraybar, or by connecting two spraybars together.)


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## darkangel66n (May 15, 2013)

personally I dislike canister filters with a passion. Nothing but a pain in the ass in my opinion. Aquaclears are the best HOB filters out there. They are pretty quiet but I am not sure you are going to get complete silence like you seem to wish from any HOB filter. Internal or canister are the most quiet filters you can get.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

darkangel66n said:


> personally I dislike canister filters with a passion. Nothing but a pain in the ass in my opinion. Aquaclears are the best HOB filters out there. They are pretty quiet but I am not sure you are going to get complete silence like you seem to wish from any HOB filter. Internal or canister are the most quiet filters you can get.


Canisters are not that much of a PITA to service. Especially now that they all come with quick disconnects. Disconnect, drain the exit tube, open the filter, pour water out, service media, put lid back on, reconnect to hoses, open fill line allow canister to refill, plug back in.

Is that a lot more steps than servicing an Aquaclear? Absolutely, but something like an Eheim classic is also many times better at biofiltering than an Aquaclear. You get much longer contact time with the filter media in an Eheim.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

the 2217 alone should be more than enough, you don't need to add on an ac70 imo, save some money. Also, I have a 2217 and I don't like it much, I like my rena much more, I would go with the L which was the rena xp3, supports up to 175, the smaller one is only up to 75. I assume the 2217 available now are the same as the older one I have.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

mistersprinkles said:


> Canisters are not that much of a PITA to service. Especially now that they all come with quick disconnects. Disconnect, drain the exit tube, open the filter, pour water out, service media, put lid back on, reconnect to hoses, open fill line allow canister to refill, plug back in.
> 
> Is that a lot more steps than servicing an Aquaclear? Absolutely, but something like an Eheim classic is also many times better at biofiltering than an Aquaclear. You get much longer contact time with the filter media in an Eheim.


Cannisters are, in fact, much more of a PITA. While you are doing all of the above, I would have the filter cleaned and the water changed before you had your media cleaned. An AC doesn't even have to be turned off, and can be cleaned easily and quickly every water change. If a cannister is so much better as a bio filter, why are their rated capacities relative to the size of the filter so small? They are often said to have larger media capacities (repeated often on forums), which may or may not be true. Regardless, when your filter handles all the ammonia and nitrite, it has done it's job. More bio media or a bigger filter or higher flow won't reduce ammonia and nitrite numbers below 0. Ditto to no decrease in nitrates. Longer intervals between cleanings for cannisters is likely to lead to higher nitrate numbers.
Getting back to an earlier post in this thread, it isn't "obvious" to me that one AC 70 is too small for a 46 gal tank.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

BillD said:


> Cannisters are, in fact, much more of a PITA. While you are doing all of the above, I would have the filter cleaned and the water changed before you had your media cleaned. An AC doesn't even have to be turned off, and can be cleaned easily and quickly every water change. If a cannister is so much better as a bio filter, why are their rated capacities relative to the size of the filter so small? They are often said to have larger media capacities (repeated often on forums), which may or may not be true. Regardless, when your filter handles all the ammonia and nitrite, it has done it's job. More bio media or a bigger filter or higher flow won't reduce ammonia and nitrite numbers below 0. Ditto to no decrease in nitrates. Longer intervals between cleanings for cannisters is likely to lead to higher nitrate numbers.
> Getting back to an earlier post in this thread, it isn't "obvious" to me that one AC 70 is too small for a 46 gal tank.


It may not be obvious to you that an AC70 is too small for a 46 gallon tank, but it is obvious to me that you are very upset about this. And I don't see why you would be. Canisters are rated for smaller tanks compared to their size because filters are rated according to flow rate, not according to filter size. Do you really think a 2213 should be rated for a 220G aquarium or something?


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

its mostly personal preference and the setup. I like my ac filters for some things and like my canister filters for others.

both have pros and cons

a hob has more surface agitation and canisters circulate more. 
hobs make more noise than canisters.
canisters can hold more media
hobs are faster to clean

Then there sumps which also have pros and cons

less visible
more gas exchange


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

mistersprinkles said:


> It may not be obvious to you that an AC70 is too small for a 46 gallon tank, but it is obvious to me that you are very upset about this. And I don't see why you would be. Canisters are rated for smaller tanks compared to their size because filters are rated according to flow rate, not according to filter size. Do you really think a 2213 should be rated for a 220G aquarium or something?


Not exactly upset, but I have gotten tired of the drivel that is being dissemniated as fact. Lets take the example of your Eheim 2213. It is rated for 65 gallons. If, as you say, the rating comes from flow rate, than an AC70 should be good for 150 gallons. I don't think that anyone would advocate that, and Hagen certainly doesn't. From being on many forums over the years, it is quite clear that everyone knows more about filtration than the filter manufacturers. Makes you wonder how they can still be in business.I am guessing that most of the good products live up to the manufacturer's claims since the vast majority of aquarists don't frequent forums, so they don't know they are under filtered. However, getting back to the "obviousness" of an AC70 being too small for a 46 gallon tank, the reason it isn't obvious to me is because it isn't true. Your saying so doesn't make it true. I don't have a problem with opinions, when expressed as such, but I do have a problem with opinions expressed as fact. I know it is an easy trap to fall into, as I have been there myself more than a few times. There far too many myths alive in the hobby, because of this.


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## darkangel66n (May 15, 2013)

I just do not like how long they take to clean. I much prefer HOB or sponge filters. A sponge with a powerhead is completely quiet and is easy to maintain. If you are worried about flow either center the HOB or put on one side and put a hose on the up lift tube and run it to the bottom on the other side of the tank. Guaranteed to have complete flow from one side to the other.


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## Mataca (Dec 2, 2013)

Thanks for all of the input everyone I appreciate it. I ended up buying 2x AQ70's. Unboxed one for now, set it up and its running perfect right now, can't even hear it. Running it along side my tetra 60 on the other side of the tank for a couple weeks so the media can establish itself, then ill be replacing the tetra 60 with the second AQ 70 if I feel its needed.


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## darkangel66n (May 15, 2013)

Mataca said:


> Thanks for all of the input everyone I appreciate it. I ended up buying 2x AQ70's. Unboxed one for now, set it up and its running perfect right now, can't even hear it. Running it along side my tetra 60 on the other side of the tank for a couple weeks so the media can establish itself, then ill be replacing the tetra 60 with the second AQ 70 if I feel its needed.


You can put the sponge from the second boxed AC in the basket of the running one and both sponges will be ready to go at the same time.


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## Mataca (Dec 2, 2013)

darkangel66n said:


> You can put the sponge from the second boxed AC in the basket of the running one and both sponges will be ready to go at the same time.


Awesome, I didn't even think about that. I'll do that right now actually, thanks!


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

I run my ACs with two sponges, which increases the bio capacity, and makes it easy to put a layer of floss/quilt batting between the sponges if you want to polish the water.


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