Quiet air pump?

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I thought linear pistons were supposed to be the quietest but have read that the Charles Austin pumps are noisy.

They are quieter when they run under heavier load. I've only ever used cheap Hailea ones, (like Charles Austen are selling) and they are very noisy.

cheers Darrel

 

[Teleos]

I'm looking for a quiet air pump that will be in my office. It's just for additional flow but will need to power at least 4 air stones.

I have 3 hygger piezo pumps and they are brilliant but each take up a plug socket.

There are two new hygger ‘Extra Quiet Air Pumps’. Maybe they really are very quiet. Who knows?

hygger Extra Quiet Air Pump

Edit:
Here is a review of the new hygger pump. You may skip the first 10 minutes. And of course look at it sceptically. The video contains paid advertising.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

Hi All,
Rather than start a new thread in search of the same info I'll tag on to this one.

I'm looking for a quiet air pump that will be in my office. It's just for additional flow but will need to power at least 4 air stones.

I have 3 hygger piezo pumps and they are brilliant but each take up a plug socket. I've tried usb air pumps but they're too noisy.

I know pawfly MC 3000 is really quiet but no one seems to sale spares. A lot of people seem to rate the Hailea pumps. I can't seem to find info on the difference between the v series and aco96 series.

Interested in piston pumps but can only find Charles Austin pumps. I thought linear pistons were supposed to be the quietest but have read that the Charles Austin pumps are noisy.

Any suggestions would be great.

TIA

Maybe one of these hooked up to a four way manifold?

 

[ScareCrow]

Maybe one of these hooked up to a four way manifold?

View attachment 228977

Do you have one / used one of these?

 

[Simon Cole]

I have got the 7W version of the pump above. It does hum louder than my computer on the lowest setting, but it's a tad quieter than the Tetra whisper pumps. It has a lot of vibration and would benefit from <isolation> and being placed inside a cabinet. It is certainly not "silent" as they describe. I use it on cultures and will use it to raise livestock in my loft. The sound is just about audible in the rooms below.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

Do you have one / used one of these?

No, I have an Eheim. It’s in a cabinet so it’s not too noisy.

 

[Mortis]

I was going to suggest a piezo air pump but you already have those. They really are the most silent type of air pump.

The Sunsun CT 201/202 pumps are pretty silent as well. Use longer tubing and keep it in a cabinet or drawer.

Ive always found that the water bubbling and splashing is more annoying than the pumps themselves. Any tips on how to reduce the sound they produce and prevent the mess of splashing water ?

 

[Glass Box Diaries]

It's just for additional flow but will need to power at least 4 air stones.

I have 3 hygger piezo pumps and they are brilliant but each take up a plug socket.

If it's just for additional flow rather than to oxygenate the water can you not use one Hygger piezo pump and use splitters on the air line tubing to convert that one output into the four you need?

 

[ScareCrow]

If it's just for additional flow rather than to oxygenate the water can you not use one Hygger piezo pump and use splitters on the air line tubing to convert that one output into the four you need?

Unfortunately because of the nature of how they work, they can only supply a small amount of air.

After researching a few brands, I've found that spares are either unavailable or cost the same amount as the pump. It's a shame but it seems manufacturers want these to be disposable.

I've ordered a Pawfly mc3000 as I know that they're silent. I found a Reddit post discussing using another brand of diaphragm so hopefully if I ever need to replace it I might be able to find a replacement.

 

[ian_m]

For Sale : Hy-Flo Pumps by Mecalf Bros

These were the silent'ish pumps everyone used in the 70's and 80's.

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing these pumps running.

As you can tell these run forever, as not made since the 60's (possibly).

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

These were the silent'ish pumps everyone used in the 70's and 80's.

<"Get your garden out"> - I think we've still got some in a cupboard somewhere.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

I’ve always found that the water bubbling and splashing is more annoying than the pumps themselves. Any tips on how to reduce the sound they produce and prevent the mess of splashing water ?

I’ve not actually measured it but my impression is that the smaller the bubbles the less noise they make when they break the surface.
Small bubbles look much nicer to me as well. The smallest bubbles seem to come from Limewood Air Diffusers. I make my own from a big piece of Limewood I bought years ago. Sadly I’ve not got much left now and they only last a few months before they degrade and the bubbles get bigger!
These are the commercial ones.

Sander Lime wood diffusor | Nr. 1 - 35x19x19 mm / Nr. 2 - 54x19x19 mm / Nr. 3 - 96x19x24 mm / Nr. 4 - 88x30x30 mm

www.aquaristikshop.com

 

[megwattscreative]

Hi all, I've just bought a new air pump as my elderly second hand eheim has finally given up the ghost. Still making noise, just no flow. Noticed some white spot/clouding on the Corys' tails and a decrease in general water quality so panic ordered a new air pump and did some big water changes. I've got to say, I'm impressed!

Zacro Aquarium air pump model XAGC-ZAAP01. £20-25 price point, very quiet, claims to handle up to 130 gallons (590L). It is a chunky pump, but quieter than my eheim. Feels very sturdy, the key components are all made of metal (air outlets etc). I think the additional rubber feet are really helping. I have it set very low as I have a 100L tank. Theres only one dial to control flow to two outlets, so be aware of that. You can hear the bubbles, and a faint hum up close, but nothing major. I'm sat about 1.5m away and I can't hear the hum.

Vid here taken from 1.5 m away. It's a bit redundant as the freezer is way louder but hopefully that gives you an idea!

 

[ScareCrow]

For Sale : Hy-Flo Pumps by Mecalf Bros

These were the silent'ish pumps everyone used in the 70's and 80's.

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing these pumps running.

As you can tell these run forever, as not made since the 60's (possibly).

Thank you for this. I've seen pictures of these but never knew who made them. I'll keep an eye out for them as their mechanical nature and ability to be serviced really appeals to me.

I’ve not actually measured it but my impression is that the smaller the bubbles the less noise they make when they break the surface.

I would agree smaller bubbles seem to 'fizz' rather than 'bubble'.

Ive always found that the water bubbling and splashing is more annoying than the pumps themselves. Any tips on how to reduce the sound they produce and prevent the mess of splashing water ?

Lucas Bretz (youtube) uses the plastic lids you get on things like coleslaw containers with hole for the airline to run through and resting on the surface to prevent splashing.
I've found the best thing to reduce the noise is to have an angled uplift tube like a jet lifter. This doesn't help if you're just running an air stone but if using an air driven filter the flow from the outlet seems to stop all of the bubbles breaking as soon as they hit the surface making it much quieter.

 

[Mortis]

Thank you for this. I've seen pictures of these but never knew who made them. I'll keep an eye out for them as their mechanical nature and ability to be serviced really appeals to me.



I would agree smaller bubbles seem to 'fizz' rather than 'bubble'.

Lucas Bretz (youtube) uses the plastic lids you get on things like coleslaw containers with hole for the airline to run through and resting on the surface to prevent splashing.
I've found the best thing to reduce the noise is to have an angled uplift tube like a jet lifter. This doesn't help if you're just running an air stone but if using an air driven filter the flow from the outlet seems to stop all of the bubbles breaking as soon as they hit the surface making it much quieter.

Good tip. I guess you would also need to figure out the right depth for the airstone as well because having it too deep or too close to the surface also produce their own unique sounds and splashes