Reliability question for Nicrew air pump

[brhau]

Hi all, sorry for another "quiet air pump" thread, but the previous ones are closed to replies.

Tl;dr Is the NICREW Nano Silent air pump reliable enough to last a year or longer?

Context:
I've been using the no-brand USB nano air pumps on my tanks for a few years now (the cylindrical kind that you hang from a carabiner). They work great and are vastly quieter than the diaphragm style pumps like the Tetra Whisper. My complaint is that they last 6 months max. I think it's incredibly wasteful to throw away 2 of these a year and generate all that ewaste and plastic waste.

I'm thinking of going back to a bigger air pump + manifold system, but the tanks are in my bedroom, so I would like them to be as quiet as possible. I just haven't any luck finding one that's better than the Tetra Whisper. I've tried:

1. Eheim Pump 100 (VERY loud. I thought it was defective and exchanged it. Same issue.)
2. Aquarium Co-Op battery backup (VERY loud. Same thing. Exchanged it, did not fix.)
3. Tetra Whisper seems 3 - 5X louder than the USB style.

I saw a thread with Fishfur and HolyMackerel about the Nicrew one, which is reportedly quiet. However, it uses the same piezoelectric mechanism that the cylindrical USB nano pumps use. So, do they fail just as often? Or do they last?

I did more searching and also found recommendations for the PennPlax Airpod line, and the HITOP brand on Amazon. Have not yet tried.

Any advice welcome. I need very little power. For sponger filters and airstone on 3 tanks totaling less than 20 gallons.

Thanks!

 

[Fishfur]

Hi all, sorry for another "quiet air pump" thread, but the previous ones are closed to replies.

Tl;dr Is the NICREW Nano Silent air pump reliable enough to last a year or longer?

Context:
I've been using the no-brand USB nano air pumps on my tanks for a few years now (the cylindrical kind that you hang from a carabiner). They work great and are vastly quieter than the diaphragm style pumps like the Tetra Whisper. My complaint is that they last 6 months max. I think it's incredibly wasteful to throw away 2 of these a year and generate all that ewaste and plastic waste.

I'm thinking of going back to a bigger air pump + manifold system, but the tanks are in my bedroom, so I would like them to be as quiet as possible. I just haven't any luck finding one that's better than the Tetra Whisper. I've tried:

1. Eheim Pump 100 (VERY loud. I thought it was defective and exchanged it. Same issue.)
2. Aquarium Co-Op battery backup (VERY loud. Same thing. Exchanged it, did not fix.)
3. Tetra Whisper seems 3 - 5X louder than the USB style.

I saw a thread with Fishfur and HolyMackerel about the Nicrew one, which is reportedly quiet. However, it uses the same piezoelectric mechanism that the cylindrical USB nano pumps use. So, do they fail just as often? Or do they last?

I did more searching and also found recommendations for the PennPlax Airpod line, and the HITOP brand on Amazon. Have not yet tried.

Any advice welcome. I need very little power. For sponger filters and airstone on 3 tanks totaling less than 20 gallons.

Thanks!

If this is their wee piezo electric pump, then I have one that I used nonstop for at least a year and it still works.

It is dead silent unless something it touches vibrates.

They seem pretty durable but are not powerful enough for very deep water. In my tanks, all less than a foot deep, no problems.

 

[HolyMackerel]

Hi all, sorry for another "quiet air pump" thread, but the previous ones are closed to replies.

Tl;dr Is the NICREW Nano Silent air pump reliable enough to last a year or longer?

Context:
I've been using the no-brand USB nano air pumps on my tanks for a few years now (the cylindrical kind that you hang from a carabiner). They work great and are vastly quieter than the diaphragm style pumps like the Tetra Whisper. My complaint is that they last 6 months max. I think it's incredibly wasteful to throw away 2 of these a year and generate all that ewaste and plastic waste.

I'm thinking of going back to a bigger air pump + manifold system, but the tanks are in my bedroom, so I would like them to be as quiet as possible. I just haven't any luck finding one that's better than the Tetra Whisper. I've tried:

1. Eheim Pump 100 (VERY loud. I thought it was defective and exchanged it. Same issue.)
2. Aquarium Co-Op battery backup (VERY loud. Same thing. Exchanged it, did not fix.)
3. Tetra Whisper seems 3 - 5X louder than the USB style.

I saw a thread with Fishfur and HolyMackerel about the Nicrew one, which is reportedly quiet. However, it uses the same piezoelectric mechanism that the cylindrical USB nano pumps use. So, do they fail just as often? Or do they last?

I did more searching and also found recommendations for the PennPlax Airpod line, and the HITOP brand on Amazon. Have not yet tried.

Any advice welcome. I need very little power. For sponger filters and airstone on 3 tanks totaling less than 20 gallons.

Thanks!

I have been using the Nicrew one since about a week after that thread was posted, and it has continued to run with absolutely zero maintenance from me. For the price, I recommend it, especially over the Tetra Whisper (which I found to be pretty noisy). Keep in mind, I am using it to run a VERY small sponge filter in a 5.5 gallon culture tank...so mileage may vary otherwise.

 

[Fishfur]

I have been using the Nicrew one since about a week after that thread was posted, and it has continued to run with absolutely zero maintenance from me. For the price, I recommend it, especially over the Tetra Whisper (which I found to be pretty noisy). Keep in mind, I am using it to run a VERY small sponge filter in a 5.5 gallon culture tank...so mileage may vary otherwise.

Maybe I need my hearing checked but I find the Whisper air pumps at least up to the 100G size to be very quiet.

I had one that rattled & buzzed pretty badly right out of the box but all it took was a quick tightening of a mounting screw inside the housing and it’s as quiet as the rest of them. I have a number of them.

They will vibrate loudly (any pump like them will too) if touching just about anything except the surface they sit on but that’s a simple fix too.

 

[_Fried_Bettas_]

I have had a Nicrew for about three months in my 15-gallon tank with the included airstone, and it has been running smoothly when my CO2 is off with no problems. It doesn't appear to make any noise at all. I have it connected to the back of the tank with the included suction cup, so there is little chance for it to vibrate against anything. It also puts out a surprising amount of air for how small it is.

 

[HolyMackerel]

Maybe I need my hearing checked but I find the Whisper air pumps at least up to the 100G size to be very quiet.

I had one that rattled & buzzed pretty badly right out of the box but all it took was a quick tightening of a mounting screw inside the housing and it’s as quiet as the rest of them. I have a number of them.

They will vibrate loudly (any pump like them will too) if touching just about anything except the surface they sit on but that’s a simple fix too.

I very well may have gotten a defective model, I'll try tightening that screw and see if that helps!

 

[Fishfur]

I very well may have gotten a defective model, I'll try tightening that screw and see if that helps!

Hope it works for you as well as it did for me.