# 2 equiptment questions



## Al-Losaurus (Jul 21, 2009)

Hi 
Got 2 quick questions 

1. I am looking for a good way to keep debris off of the sand in my tank. I have a 75 gal with a AC/110. I was reading a few threads and so far the maxi-jet 1200 is what i noticed. Would anyone recommend a koralia is there much of a difference? and if i were to get one of those what model do you recommend?

2. My AC/110 is starting to annoy the crap out of me it is in my bedroom and the constant hum/grind sound is getting to be to much. Are canister filters quiet or silent enough for a bedroom? will i still need to get a power head? and also what model or make should i go with for a 75gal.

I know some of these topics have been talked about i have read a few but none have really covered the sound they give off.

Thanks in advance for any info or help you can provide.

Al


----------



## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I sleep about 4 feet from an eheim 2213 - it's a tad noisey right after servicing, but it's dead silent now. My skimmer in the other room makes more noise


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

If your AC is grinding, there must be sand in it.


----------



## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Also putting a rolled up cloth where it hangs on the tank's trim, and a bit of felt or sponge between the glass and that black bit that holds the filter off the backwall of the tank. This will reduce sound vibration.

But as Bill said,


> If your AC is grinding, there must be sand in it.


----------



## Al-Losaurus (Jul 21, 2009)

Thank you for the replies.

It is more of a rattle sound then grind i clean the little bits of sand once a week not very much makes it in there. I have some maintenance to do on the tank today so i am going to give it a try putting a cloth in between. I hope that helps some but it does make sense thank you. I found taking the lid off reduces the sound a fair bit i dont mind the trickling water sound it is the vibrating. If that does not help tho i am just going to pick up a canister i was looking at one yesterday and i was in shock to see how quiet they really are.

As for the pump lol i had my1k points at Ba's so decided to just get the maxi-jet 1200 cause it cost me like $10. At first i put it in as the luminar flow and i think i gave my fish the shock of a life time lol it had sand blowing plants being up rooted and fish clinging to rocks for safety lol and that was only directed from one side straight to the other near the top of the tank. I was like  im sure the fish were to lol. The only reason i wish i got the koralia is cause they have adjustable power but i changed the maxi-jet to a power head and it works a hell of a lot better a little more realistic lol i may still get a koralia down the road just for the fact you can adjust the flow rate.

Now i only have another 175 points to get at Ba's north york then i am going to do my best to stay away from them. Way over priced there and there tanks scare me with all the sick and dead fish. Yesterday i seen 2 tanks with more then 30+ dead in each tank a tank with like 75% of mudskippers floating and growing mold and if all there tanks are conected i can imagine the problems that could cause bringing something home from there 

Thanks again for the replies appreciate it guys. Al


----------



## Al-Losaurus (Jul 21, 2009)

So after messing around with the AC/110 for awhile i figured out that there was the slightest bit of air somehow getting between the impeller and the intake. After pulling up the intake tube the slightest bit it reduced the grinding sound which was actually bubbles under the sponge. If i pushed the intake down it got louder but the filter seemed stronger but i pull it up it was quiet but seemed a little weaker. It does not create as much agitation/mini waves on the surface but with the maxi-jet now that is fine.

I am still going to get a canister filter cause i can still hear the motor of the Ac/110 it is not near as bad as earlier but i basically had to put my ear against the canister to hear it yesterday. 

Is it possible to make 2 intakes on canister filters? I plan to get one that is way over rated for a 75gal so i am hoping 2 intakes will not be a problem.


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

If you can hear the pump on the AC, you need to take the motor apart and examine the impeller and the shaft it rides on. If either are worn, the impeller will not spin true, and will make noise as it contacts the motor housing. This will also make the filter vibrate. Sometimes you extend the life of the shaft by turning it over, but if it is badly worn, it needs to be replaced.


----------



## adrenaline (Jan 17, 2011)

The aqauclear filters are usually pretty quiet... i would just do what was recomended, take it apart and examine it. 

As for canisters, the ehim classics are a bit more of a PITA than others with baskets for media, but they are dead silent aside from when purging air right after cleanings. I have 3 of them, LOVE THEM! I also picked up a Pro 3 2075, haven't set that one up yet, looking forward to it though.

If you had a penguin HOB, i'd say abnormal sounds are just part of inferior quality. every one i've ever owned had gone downhill afte a few months... they all get loud and annoying. I have an AQ70 still going strong which is great and pretty quiet.


----------



## Al-Losaurus (Jul 21, 2009)

Thank you again guys 

I am going to pull it apart tonight. I usually do once a week to once every 2 weeks in case it is sand but the sand usually ends up under the sponge area never near the motor. I have never fully pulled apart the impeller i have taken pieces off but i will try to fully take it apart and switch sides. I mean the filter does a great job cleaning it is just the sound that drives me nuts.

i was looking at the eheim at Ba's yesterday the guy told me that would be the best to go with if i was going to go canister and that seems to be the filter of choice from a lot of people on gta. I have a question tho any one have any experience with the rena line? i was looking around online and found an XP3 for $148 brand new i know that is over kill for a 75gal but this company does not have eheim and Ba's is way over priced they have the same XP3 for $228 almost $100 difference is unreal i could just imagine how over priced there eheim's are... 

I know the XP2 is rated for 75gal but i usually like to get stuff a little stronger is the XP3 really to much ? cant i adjust the intake flow to make it a little less powerful? is rena run nice and quiet as well? 

Sorry for all the questions but i do not want to spend $200 on a filter and regret it lol


----------



## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

You can run an XP4 and it wouldn't be overkill. The Rena XP series filters are pretty nice IMO. Very easy and quick to do regular maintenance on. I found Rena to be on par with the Eheim for noise.

There really is no overkill for a 75G or larger sized tank. I run a Fluval FX5 on a 75G and still have a powerhead in there. On a 220G I used to have filled I ran two FX5s and two Fluval 405's.


----------



## vrb th hrb (Feb 20, 2010)

hey Al, heres my two cents. being a long time user of AC 70's on my larger tanks I have to say that they did the job for me for many years, and were always quiet with the exception of the noise from the waterfall. if it's making some kind of grinding noise then there is something wrong with the plastic impeller part (cracked) or as others said, sand in the motor

I'm currently running an eheim 2217 and a rena xp3 on a 75 gallon tank. Is it overkill, probably, but I've got alot of messy fish, so I like it. A far as sound goes, once the the rena is up and running, it is right on par with the eheim for quietness. I'd almost say the rena has a stronger motor and can go longer between cleanings. rena gives alot of options for media, and their baskets make it easy for seeding your new filter with old media. I put old sponges/bio rings from my old AC 70 in my XP3.

If the place you're talking about is mops.ca then go for the rena filter. Good price, but you'll pay a bit more on shipping.


----------



## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

I would personally go with the eheim. I have them on all my tanks. I had an XP4 and a 2217 running on my 80gal and the XP4 had to be cleaned out every week. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## adrenaline (Jan 17, 2011)

there iS no such thing as too much filtration for aquariums  the more the better. The only thing you need to be concerned about is too much flow. but that's usually not a big deal. i have multiple filters on all my tanks, and still usually run a power head or water circulator. my fish seem to love it, and it allows the free floating debris to be caught by the filters rather than all settling on the substrate.

I have never personally used the Rena line of canisters but have heard good things about em. A lot of people on here seem to use them and seem very happy with them.

regardless of filter choice, big Al's is almost always the most expensive place to get them. wish i knew that before I bought my first few lol. Shop around for deals. and you can probably score some nice deals on here. I got my Eheim pro 3 2075 used and it's in mint condition


----------



## Al-Losaurus (Jul 21, 2009)

Hey guys well i am going to be getting a package deal that comes with a eheim classic 2215 on a 75gal. I am going to set the tank back up when i get it home and see how it goes with that filter for a week or so. I doubt i will be disappointed with it but if for some reason it does not work out i may sell it and get a 2217 or xp3. I would just prefer something a little stronger so i do not have to run a HOB as well.

I actually pulled apart the AC110 brushed out the motor and gave it a good rinse as i usually do and then just did not push the intake in as hard as normal. It is surprisingly a lot quieter then normal thank god now i do not have to leave on the tv to fall asleep anymore.

Thank you for all the advice and tips guys much appreciated.


----------



## adrenaline (Jan 17, 2011)

one thing to keep in mind, eheims filtration comes from contact time with media, not sheer flow rate. They used more media and more contact time to achieve better filtration. So the flow is less than the Rena series, and most other filters. However they make an amazing product! nothing gets through the filters. 

I've neglected my 2215 for a while, tank water was still crystal clear, and flow was still good. Upon cleaning it out, you wouldn't believe the amount of gunk that came out of the thing...


----------



## Chromey (Sep 25, 2010)

Ive owned Both Ehiem and Rena, And find them Both good for thier own design.

The ehiem Was more quiet But got gummed up faster. The XP3 and 4 Are work horses.

1 FX5 and all your troubles are gone for good, Plus lots of flow.


----------

