Alternative to impellers in canister filters

Lighting, filtration etc
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FishNChips
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Alternative to impellers in canister filters

Post by FishNChips »

I have a 55 g and have a Fluval 405. I may need to move the tank to the bedroom, but the sound of the impeller rattling against the impeller shaft drives me bonkers.

Is there a brand of canister filter that uses an alternative to an impeller; perhaps something more advanced to pump the water. The Fluval 405 was supposed to be one of the 'quietest' filters, but that seems more a marketing gimmick.

Thanks
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Becca
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Re: Alternative to impellers in canister filters

Post by Becca »

You probably need a new impeller. If you let it rattle too long it will damage the housing. A 55 is at the upper end of what a Cobalt EXT can handle but it's very quiet because the pump goes in the tank.
JLW
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Re: Alternative to impellers in canister filters

Post by JLW »

All filters are going to use an impeller to push water -- I don't know of any other design that can do it.

Your Fluval 405 should be pretty quiet, though the '06 is better. You want to check a couple of things. Make sure there's not an air bubble in there; that'll make a rattle. Take the impeller out and clean it. If it continues, you'll want to replace it, too. They're not much. You should get a new stem at the same time.

And, yes, if it's rattling around for a long time, it'll start to impact the housing, and wear it down: in which case you'll need a new filter.
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DonkeyFish
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Re: Alternative to impellers in canister filters

Post by DonkeyFish »

+1 on what Becca and Josh said above. I’ve got three FluvalSmart canisters running in my office/fish room and they’re quiet. New impeller would be first on my “things to replace” list...they can almost be regular maintenance items. Back when I had a fine sand substrate it seemed to chew through impellers
Another suggestion is the Oase, if you’re convinced you’re done with the Fluval. I truly love mine, but not sure it’s significantly quieter than the Fluvals. Pre-filter and built-in heater are pretty awesome though.
It is not murder if you're killing snails.
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