tinywang

it is not the lid. even without the lid, i get that noise.

Jaysee

I have 8 ACs running in my room and all I can hear is the 1 emperor - Take it back for another one. If they give you a hard time, get a refund and go to another store.

You've taken apart the motor assembly and put it back together?

In the video, the noise went away when the lid was removed.

AC's are silent when compared to other HOBs, but they are not completely silent. As was stated earlier, the quietest filter you can get is an internal one. Since the motor is inside the tank, the noise doesn't make it out. For your 10 gallon, I would suggest the whisper 20i. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...5&pcatid=12085

My 10i is SILENT.

tinywang

thanks for ur help jaysee. yes i've taken it apart and assembled it again same problem. in the video, the noise was still there despite lid being removed. again, i am looking for a 'DEAD SILENT' zero noise filter!!

im thinking about getting a whisper 20i. but are those for sure ZERO noise i dont think i will be able to refund the ac 30 cause i already exchanged it and they asked if i wanted to try a different filter and i said no. so i guess i will just have to buy another filter. =(


what filters have ZERO NADA noise!??

eiginh

Petco will exchange no matter what, just make sure it's clean. I read a lot of reviews about whispers I even bought one my self before I bought an emperor 400. 4/10 says it gets loud. Look into the canister HOB filter I posted earlier, I think it was the rapids canister for up to 20-30 gallons. Oh when your exchanging your item don't go to the same person all the time. The staff will get p/o'ed and give you an attitude if they don't have the patience if you keep coming back to the same person but if they're really laid back they won't care. Trust me I exchanged at least 4-5 times when I first started keeping fish and decided at the end to buy an emperor 400 online. If you can try buying it online as well, Petco marks their prices 10 bucks over the msrp. You can keep using the filter you have while you wait for shipping b/c they have a 30 day money back guarantee.You can go to the sites listed on top of the links bar on the forum page or go to fish.com they're having a really good sale atm.

Jaysee

I have ACs, emperors, pengiuns, tetras, top fins, as well as a few others (HOBs). The ABSOLUTE quietest filter I have, that is COMPLETELY silent - no noise whatsoever - is my eclipse. The whisper 10i is silent, but the eclipse is DEAD SILENT. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...67&pcatid=3867

tinywang

that thing is pricey! =/

eiginh

There hood is basically a penguin bio filter except it's built with the light and closes the whole tank. Are you not interested in the hob canister filter I posted earlier? I have read a lot of reviews that is great, you just need to replace the hose with an ehiem hose. It would be really quiet! Anyway if you want the eclipse hood, you can probably find a used on craigslist depending on your area. They even sell full tanks for $50.

tinywang

idkkk i am thinking about giving aquaclear ONE more try.

i am curious to know for those who say aquaclear is 'completely silent', do u guys not experience this mild humming noise caused by the motor? if not, I am wondering if these are just a defect.

aquarist48

Hello Tinywang. My Aqua Clears have no hum period. I can look at my tanks and not hear a sound. I have to look closely to make sure it's still on and running!
Ken

Jaysee

Me too, but is it because we are used to it?


The hood is pricey, but you get a hood, light and filter all in one. And it's silent.

Give AC another shot - they're great filters and trust me, after a few weeks, you and your roommate won't hear a thing.