Air pumps...

[bpb21]

I've used these three air pumps, all are about the smallest sizes the come in:

Aquaculture - the biggest of the three, the most power, but makes the loudest noise, can't really block it out when you're in the same room with it;

Elite799 - makes a low pitched hum, possible to ignore, medium power between these three

AQT3001 - perhaps the least power, but still does a fine job in my sponge filter (the type with just a sponge and an air line, and a bubble tube, nothing fancy), is the closest to quiet I've found.

Has anyone used these air pumps? Is there such thing as a quiet air pump? Of the above, the AQT3001 is the only one I'd consider "quiet" just so you all know where I'm coming from on this. Is there an air pump that makes no noise?

Also, a fish-keeper once told me to keep the air pump at least on the level of the top of the tank (as in sitting on a hang on filter). What would be the reasoning for this?

Thanks for the info...

 

[Timmy]

In my experience there is no such thing as a quiet air-pump.

The height thing will be to prevent back-syphoning if the air-pump fails. A non-return valve in the airline should be just as good.

 

[Paul_MTS]

also by hanging it, it should reduce noise a bit as it isn't vibrating on anything.

 

[canarsie11]

Try rena air pump, all run silent

 

[subopposite]

My rena air 300 is very quiet and has gone for about 1.5 years now with no problems. As long as the pump isn't agains wood or anything else, it should hardly make a sound.

 

[Small Fry]

I've used several pumps and the quietest one by far is my Rena 400. You pay a premium but it's well worth it. I can't sit in my room with the other pumps and read but I don't notice any sound from my Rena aside from the bubling sound in my tank. Highly recommend Rena.

 

[Lateral Line]

I've had Rena vibration pumps before, they were pretty quiet. The quietest pumps I ever had were the one I used 40 years ago which were piston operated with a small flywheel - ran for years.

Easiest solution is of course to simply get rid of them. I haven't used an airpump in a display tank for 15 years.

 

[csr mel]

all air pumps have a built in check valve. its part of how they pump air.

with that said, any pump will be rediculously loud when placed on a hard surface. try mounting the pump on a piece of thick foam, like 2 inches. this makes them very very quiet. the bubbles become alot louder than the pump.

 

[jacblades]

i have hagen, tetra, azoo and hartz. the tetra is the quietest (tetra airtec) with the hagens coming in second. sometimes i put a sock over the pumps and it will help a little bit but i think it really works to put pressure on them. i have a pile of magazines on top of my noisiest pump (the azoo.) im not sure how safe these practices are though but i have been doing them for quite a while with no ill effects

 

[freshmike]

I have around 12 "Stellar" air pumps and all of them run very quiet.