Does a good quiet air pump exist?

After reading good reviews that the Eheim was good quality and quiet. I ordered and received a Eheim 400 air pump with 2 outflows. It's not quiet. I sit next to my aquarium. It makes a humming vibrating sound over the sound of the canister outflow. It was also too powerful for my airstone bubble strip. Despite rubber feet and standing it on foam it cannot be made quiet.

Is there a quiet pump?, it doesn't have to be powerful.

 

I have a USB nano air pump from Cory that is very quiet.

 

I use a tetra whisper 10-30 and it is one of the quieter pumps I've used. I can barley hear it over the water flow when sitting beside my aquariums.

 

Well, totally quiet for a long period of time, probably not. All air pumps are going to give off some sort of hum because of how they work, there is a diaphram inside the airpump that is constantly spinning, causing said virational hum. I haven't came accross any that are totally quiet. There are air pump models that fasted to the outside of the tank, They're called cascade breeze air pumps by pennplax, but I've never personally used them and the unit itself is fairly small.

I have a Airpod by pennplax, Its a battery back up air pump with an electrical cord so...you use it regularly and then if the power goes out you can pop some D batteries in the system as a back-up. They go through about a set of batteries a day though, not real efficient at all. The vibration on that isn't terrible but I can hear it running if I'm in front of my tank.

I've tried the tetra brand air pumps in the past too and those...are quiet at first but do get gradually louder in my experience.

you could try putting the air pump on a towel long term, the tower will absorb the vibration so you won't hear the hum SO much.

 

I have this air pump running not over 6 feet from me right now. I have it set on a piece of foam and as with all my various air pumps I make sure it nor anything attached to it is touching anything. I hear the bubbles from the sponge filters it is running but I hear nothing from the pump itself.

BTW: This pump had been in steady use since dec. 2015 and still going strong

 

That really depends on your definition of quiet. Can you not handle any buzzing, vibrating or rattling noise whatsoever? Or is it actually loud and isn't 'just you'? I find the Tetra Whisper pumps to be all right. As long as nothing is touching the pump and it is sitting on a towel or something soft, it is near silent. I also have Hyggr ones from Amazon that are generally quiet, again as long as nothing is touching them (cords, airline, etc) and they are on something soft.

 

The tetra whispers work great for me, can't even hear them half the time. Granted, if they touch anything besides the floor or carpet, they do make some pretty loud noises. Sometimes they make noises on their own, but squeezing the top and the bottom seems to fix it, so it's probably just something shaking loose every now and then.

 

Thank you all, for good helpful replies.

I think when it is classed as silent they mean under 40 decibels and not totally silent similar to computer fans.

I am sending the Eheim back and going to try the Tetra APS silent as you recommend. My aquarium is 55G and the air pump is to power a 2ft bubble strip at the back of the aquarium.

I am from England. Many thanks

 

I have a Tetra Whisper and unless it isn't near anything else it will buzz. Right now I am also sitting 6 feet away from it and it is relatively quiet. There is still a slight buzz. This is the only air pump I've ever used so that's just to my knowledge. Maybe this is the quietest one out there and I'm just ungrateful.

 

The best way to quiet an air pump down is hang it from the wire close to the pump where it is strongest or some pumps have an eyelet on the housing it will make most any of them pretty silent.

 

Not sure what brand I have but it has rubber boots on the bottom of it to help with the vibration. I think it was like $20 at Petco. If I don't have both lines hooked up its noisy but I just put both lines to use.

 

I have 4 of the Fluval Q2 air pumps and they are very quiet. My oldest is about 7 years