Struggles with Tetra Whisper filter

MsMarch
  • #1
Hey everyone. This isn't really a question or anything, just more of a story/cautionary/rant.

I'm currently in the process of setting up my second tank, a ten gallon for some ADFs. Since I already have a tank up, I figured I could just pop the new filter on my 20 gallon for a while and have the whole thing cycled pretty easily. I have a Seachem filter on my 20 and it works amazing, but it's much too big for a ten, so I grabbed a Tetra Whisper Filter at the store.

Oh boy.

First of all, the assembly was nearly impossible. The intake tube doesn't fit into the filter very well, so in order to get the thing to work I had to jam it in place using all the muscles I've built hauling buckets of water. It took at least an hour, and many frightened fish, to get it going at all.

The next day, I come home to find the filter making an incredibly obnoxious, high pitched whining noise. Great. I pull it out, disassemble it, clean off the impeller, put it back together, and ta-da, problem solved.

Two days later, it starts making a new high pitched whining noise. I take it apart and clean it again. The noise persists. I fiddle with the intake, and find that if I push it all the way over to the side, the noise stops, so I fix it in place with a binder clip and some cardboard. Not the prettiest DIY, but at least I can sleep.

Tonight, I turned it off for my weekly water change, and turned it on again to find it finally "whispering" for the first time since I got it. This is because it is no longer working. I rue the day I bought this thing, and if the store won't let me return it, I'm going to toss it onto the street and run over it repeatedly with my car.

Obviously I'm a little ticked off, so I came here to vent. Anyone else have experience with Tetra Whisper Filters? Or just a terrible filter story/filters I should avoid when I go to replace this one?
 
Advertisement
Discus-Tang
  • #2
Is it a hob?
 
MsMarch
  • Thread Starter
  • #3
Is it a hob?

Yeah, it's a hob. I've never used another kind of filter tbh, I'm just so used to hob.
 
clubtc05
  • #4
Sorry this happened to you, I never used Whisper before. How about returning it and getting an Aqueon, I had good luck with them as well and they are very quiet. If its a heavy stocked tank I would go with Aquaclears though.
 
Discus-Tang
  • #5
Hobs are usually more prone to breaking ime, they are also likely to rattle against the back glass panel.
 
H2O Concierge
  • #6
What size Seachem do you have? 50? 75? I had been a canister guy for years and decided to try an HOB year ago and have been very pleased with the Seachem Tidal 110. The Tidal comes in various sizes is affordable, and the motor is fairly quite. I am spoiled because I compare all filters an Eheim 2217. I have the 110 FILLED with various media, so I have it dialed down to min flow (90gph). It is on my 46g bow and does a great job. I do also have an old magnum 350 canister on the tank also, because I wanted more turns for the Tanganyikans. I hope that this helps.
 
Redshark1
  • #7
Some stuff really is naff. But don't get worked up you'll give yourself a pucture.
 

Similar Aquarium Threads

  • Locked
2
Replies
42
Views
3K
Jack B Nimble
  • Locked
Replies
5
Views
732
Siould
Replies
6
Views
103
matthewfish
Replies
14
Views
584
wrs2
Replies
4
Views
296
fishydaddy
Advertisement


Advertisement


Top Bottom