What is the quietest non-diaphragm air pump?

No matter how quiet or 'silent' a manufacturer claims their pump is, I'm yet to experience one that doesn't drive me nuts - tried plenty - Hailea, Whisper, Eheim etc - all buzz away to themselves as they are all diaphragm pumps.

What are the quietest no diaphragm pumps?

And yes, I've tried all the placement, hanging, cushioning techniques to no avail. The tank is right next to our living room sofa and I want buzz/hum free air.

With all due respect, I'm not looking for a solution to make a noisy pump quieter, I'm looking for a pump that doesn't buzz or hum - prevention, not cure.

 

How many tanks are running? Jehmco has some wonderful linear pumps. All I hear is bubbles.

 

It's just to supply a pair of large air diffusers in my 90 discus tank.

 

ALON nano USB pump. It’s much quieter than the Whisper, I can only hear the water movement.

 

What brhau suggest is a much better option. The Jehmco pumps are meant for mulitple tanks. I do have a usb pump that I bought by mistake. It is extremely quiet.

 

I'll look into the USB pump - have they got decent flow? My diffusers need about 10 l/min

If this is the linear piston pumps, then way too loud.

 

I'll look into the USB pump - have they got decent flow? My diffusers need about 10 l/min

They’re not powerful, but if you’re just running airstones without splitting or running a really long tube, it should be fine. I don’t know if they make bigger ones in this design, but if you need more flow you can also try running multiples. Each block has two USB ports, so you can run 2 from a single outlet.

 

Hmmm, my air diffusers need more air - they're 2.5" diameter each and are at the bottom of a 2ft tall tank, so I'm running a good 6 feet of line all in all. Those nanos whilst cute, don't have enough guts. I need something with more air that is quiet.

Does such a thing exist?

 

I don’t know. They’re cheap, though. You could try plumbing two pumps to a single output to see if it works. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Those are loud because they're connected to nothing. Once they're connected to air outlets they are as close to silent as you can get.

 

I use these for air stones. Really really quiet.

 

they all make some noise, on the quite side of things it ranges from 33-45 decibels, that's considered "quiet" and I've never seen one that is lower than 33 decibels. It's still going to have an audible buzz/hum, it's a pump and has a motor. the quietest ones are all low oxygen pressure and meant for nano tanks.

You are looking for something that doesn't exist. for it to pump air it has to have a motor of some sort, and a method to pressurize air. No "quiet" air pump will be efficient at producing air. the nano pump is good for a 5 gallon bucket or less, it produces 0.6LPM. it's low output, it's not running a sponge filter that would actually work, or more than a bait bucket airstone realistically speaking, but it has it's uses.

The ONLY option would be to move it to another room and run airline from there Sick it in a garage, a closet, whatever and be even bigger and noisier, but away from you and then run the line to the area of the tank however you can to hide it.

if you'be tired (and you've named them already) the quietest on the market and still think they are loud, the option would be a pump located further away where you won't hear it, or buying compressed air in cylinders and setting it on low flow to meet your need and getting refills or deliveries scheduled as they run low and almost empty. it's real quiet if you do that, but it isn't real cheap to do that.

 

they all make some noise, on the quite side of things it ranges from 33-45 decibels, that's considered "quiet" and I've never seen one that is lower than 33 decibels. It's still going to have an audible buzz/hum, it's a pump and has a motor. the quietest ones are all low oxygen pressure and meant for nano tanks.

You are looking for something that doesn't exist. for it to pump air it has to have a motor of some sort, and a method to pressurize air. No "quiet" air pump will be efficient at producing air. the nano pump is good for a 5 gallon bucket or less, it produces 0.6LPM. it's low output, it's not running a sponge filter that would actually work, or more than a bait bucket airstone realistically speaking, but it has it's uses.

The ONLY option would be to move it to another room and run airline from there Sick it in a garage, a closet, whatever and be even bigger and noisier, but away from you and then run the line to the area of the tank however you can to hide it.

if you'be tired (and you've named them already) the quietest on the market and still think they are loud, the option would be a pump located further away where you won't hear it, or buying compressed air in cylinders and setting it on low flow to meet your need and getting refills or deliveries scheduled as they run low and almost empty. it's real quiet if you do that, but it isn't real cheap to do that.

Thanks - makes sense. I have an 'under the stairs' cupboard a few feet away so will pop it in there behind closed doors and run the air lines through a conduit to the tank.

Saves me looking for something I won't find.

 

yes, that would be the best course of action if the buzz bothers you, they all will if the quietest ones you've mentioned like whisper and eheim annoy you. worst case you might have to put a door sweep on the bottom of the door to keep the sound from traveling under the door or just a chunk of carpet as a sound dampener if it's still being heard.

 

I've heard of it being put in a styro with a hole in it so it can get clean air. That and the closet should work.