Best, quietest HOB filter?

[Hobbit]

I have a 55g tank with platys and corys that has no formal filtration right now, just two air stones. It’s under stocked and planted, so there’s plenty of beneficial bacteria to go around. The only thing that’s missing is some mechanical filtration to catch the mulm.

Now, I do love me a sponge filter and I use them in my smaller tanks. But if I’m being honest with myself, I know I will not want to reach into that tank up to my elbows to try to retrieve a mulmy sponge for cleaning. It just won’t happen. On my other 55g I have a powerhead with an intake sponge, and that’s fine, but apparently I’m a cat at heart and I’d really like to not have to reach into the water at all. 😅

Is there such a thing as a quiet HOB that will collect mulm for me?

[EnderRen]

On 12/19/2022 at 9:34 AM, Hobbit said:

I have a 55g tank with platys and corys that has no formal filtration right now, just two air stones. It’s under stocked and planted, so there’s plenty of beneficial bacteria to go around. The only thing that’s missing is some mechanical filtration to catch the mulm.

Now, I do love me a sponge filter and I use them in my smaller tanks. But if I’m being honest with myself, I know I will not want to reach into that tank up to my elbows to try to retrieve a mulmy sponge for cleaning. It just won’t happen. On my other 55g I have a powerhead with an intake sponge, and that’s fine, but apparently I’m a cat at heart and I’d really like to not have to reach into the water at all. 😅

Is there such a thing as a quiet HOB that will collect mulm for me?

First off I am new to the hobby so take my word with a grain of salt. I happen to have a Fluval aquaclear, and it is super quite. HOB filters get mulm in the bottom part of the filter (I think) so it should work. I believe there is an option for a 55 gal tank.

[Guppysnail]

I like the aquaclear and marine land biowheel. I can’t stand noise. Both get noises but easily fixed. 
The aquaclear lid rattles. I remove the lid. The wheel in the marine land rattles so I remove that. 
Both of these make fantastic riparian planters which helps with water quality. 

Edited December 19, 2022 by Guppysnail

[sairving]

For quiet, I would look into the Seachem tidal series. I have a tidal 35 on my 10 gallon tank that's right next to my bed. Once in a while there is a vibration\rattling noise. That's when I clean the filter and everything is fine after that. Otherwise, I don't hear a thing.

Edited December 20, 2022 by sairving

[MattyM]

On my Aquaclears I use the rubber band trick on the lid to keep the rattle away. 

I've found that regardless of the brand, what typically makes noise is the impeller. I even had this issue on a Tidal.

I have some Trident silicone lube that I use. Simply remove the impeller from the motor, grease the impeller shaft that holds it with a q-tip dipped in the silicone, put the impeller back on. Repeat 4 or 5 times. If the filter is new I may have to do this again after a couple weeks, but works like a charm - I also hate noisy filters. 

Also FYI Amazon appears to be blowing out their AC50s - $30 here in the states: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000260FUM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details - a couple of those might do ya. 

Edited December 19, 2022 by MattyM
added info

[Ninjoma]

I use aquaclear HOBs in two of my tanks and they are kinda noisy in my experience.

Aqueon quietflows on the other hand are basically silent. They don't have a lot of room for filter media though, and the mechanical filter sponge they use comes with activated carbon which is not ideal. If you use a pre filter sponge and replace their sponge with your own sponge I think it's a good option if you are prioritizing silence. 

[Patrick_G]

I have Tidal, Aquaclear and Tetra. They all make noise from time to time and need some tinkering but when they're running in good nick they're all pretty quiet. 

I have a power head with sponge filter that’s dead silent, but it is underwater and it's messy to clean. 

Maybe something like this would be a good compromise: 

Fluval U3 Underwater Filter, Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Filter, A475 https://a.co/d/fDpdz0g

 

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by Patrick_G

[Mmiller2001]

I've found that they all make terrible noise and my cheap bio wheel HOB was the most silent. I do remove the wheel.

[The endler guy]

On 12/19/2022 at 9:34 AM, Hobbit said:

I have a 55g tank with platys and corys that has no formal filtration right now, just two air stones. It’s under stocked and planted, so there’s plenty of beneficial bacteria to go around. The only thing that’s missing is some mechanical filtration to catch the mulm.

Now, I do love me a sponge filter and I use them in my smaller tanks. But if I’m being honest with myself, I know I will not want to reach into that tank up to my elbows to try to retrieve a mulmy sponge for cleaning. It just won’t happen. On my other 55g I have a powerhead with an intake sponge, and that’s fine, but apparently I’m a cat at heart and I’d really like to not have to reach into the water at all. 😅

Is there such a thing as a quiet HOB that will collect mulm for me?

That’s one thing I envy about canister filters, you don’t have to stick your hand in and make a mess to clean it

[TOtrees]

Couple comments. 

I agree with @sairving that the tidals are super quiet. I had a 36" long display tank that had an Aquaclear 50 on one side and tidal 55 on the other. The tidal was like assassin quiet. I also liked how the outflow was carried across the water's surface, not plunging to the bottom like the AC. 

The question of or trick to getting mulm off the bottom is different but related. This comes down to water movement. You need something to resuspend or lift the mulm/detritus, then any old hob filter will eventually capture the bits. The two best ways are flow, or creatures. Of the creatures, cories are tops at this, IMO. Amano shrimps are also good, if your tank/community allows them. Kuhli loaches are decent as well. Or you can use a powerhead mounted to the side, pointing generally down at the substrate. Even the gentlest of flows (or creature activity) will keep the mulm moving, and the hob uptake will eventually pick it up. 

[Hobbit]

On 12/19/2022 at 12:42 PM, TOtrees said:

The question of or trick to getting mulm off the bottom is different but related. This comes down to water movement. You need something to resuspend or lift the mulm/detritus, then any old hob filter will eventually capture the bits. The two best ways are flow, or creatures. Of the creatures, cories are tops at this, IMO.

Yes, I would have to agree. Before putting the corys in there, the sand got dirty but the plants were clean. Now the sand is spotless and the plants are filthy! 😆

To everyone: thanks for your advice! This is super helpful.

[nabokovfan87]

I've used the fluval/aquaclear, aqueon, tetra, seachem, and marineland (old one).  The quietest one I've used is the tidal and it's not close.  It's so quiet when setup right that you literally don't know it's on.

That being said, you're going to want to seal the skimmer, mod it, that isn't for everyone.  I have a very detailed guide and can break down things if you need any help with it. 

Second to that, I run ACO / sponge filters with the ziss airstones and those as well are near silent with a lid.  Even with a very overpowered airpump.

[KittenFishMom]

I have found that HOBs are quieter when the water level in the tank is close to the outlet. The farther the water falls, the more noise it makes. You might try tucking a piece of fabric under the mechanical filter media and over the lip of the HOB and down into the water to prevent splashing. Netting (maybe several layers) should work for this as well. 

If I notice the HOB getting quieter, or the water volume dropping, I know I need to clean the media in the HOB so the prefilter gets maximum flow and stays clean. If the upper media is partially clogged, the flow slows and the intake filter and tube fill with crud. Much bigger, messer job to clean that than to keep up with the upper filter.

[Bev C]

I am using a canister filter on my  current house and  55 gallon and hang on back is impossible for me to use with the tank location 

 but in the past and past house and tanks i used the aquaclear. they are a work horse and they last for years and i used the rubber band trick for its lid rattle .. they  are easy to clean and maintain i always fill the  water level where the noise was not as noticeable but the filter noise has never bothered me in my living room or bedroom  plus i have always use sponge filters  to 

Edited December 19, 2022 by Bev C

[Streetwise]

This is my favorite model.

[AAE]

@nabokovfan87, I am considering the Tidal 110.  Would you mind sharing how you sealed the skimmer?  What do you think of the filter now?  

[nabokovfan87]

On 2/28/2024 at 7:14 PM, AAE said:

@nabokovfan87, I am considering the Tidal 110.  Would you mind sharing how you sealed the skimmer?  What do you think of the filter now?  

There's a thread in my signature that has the links to both tidal threads (showing step by step all of the things I modded, why, as well as comments and video.

I am happy to answer any questions though and if you can't find the link I can copy it here as well.

Basically, with the stronger filters (75 or 110) the gaps on the skimmer can be pretty big.  It means using something to act like a "mesh patch" would be advisable as a means to support the silicone over time from little bits of pressure and to increase rigidity.  This is basically the same concept for larger holes in drywall that get patched with kits.  Same concept, but just adapted to fill that skimmer hole.  You could also use a piece of acrylic and seal that in there.  (details in the thread on how to prep that and add some bonding holes)

I have my final thoughts in the last post there in the thread.  Basically, I don't recommend them because of the various issues.  I also think they have the best pumps you can buy right now.  It's a dilemma for sure.  I have removed all of mine from my tanks, still have them, but this is after about 6-8 years of use.

Edited February 29 by nabokovfan87

[AAE]

@nabokovfan87, thanks so much for your response!  Grateful!  I will have babies in my tank so looks like I need to search for a different HOB.

[Guppysnail]

I did not read this entire thread so it may have been mentioned already. I love the Marineland pro series. I cannot hear them at all.  The motor is in the tank so it’s self priming.  
 

[tolstoy21]

The Tidal has been mentioned, but I'll add a vote for that as well. I find it pretty silent. More silent that an AquaClear, maybe by a little. The only thing that makes noise on the tidal is the skimmer section, which can gurgle a bit if the aquarium is low on water.  The AquaClear, on the other hand, with its motor out of water, can sometimes get noisy if the impeller is off-kilter or has some sand or something in it.

[johnnyxxl]

The HOB I would consider is the tidal because it is quieter and part of that is the mechanism is held in tank.  This also allows it to restart after power outages 

[Jeff]

Pros and cons to all filters. I've never had any noise issues with the AquaClear series. 
 

[tolstoy21]

On 2/29/2024 at 8:10 AM, Jeff said:

Pros and cons to all filters. I've never had any noise issues with the AquaClear series. 
 

Same here, except once, when I added Flourite sand to my tank without pre-rinsing, and the pump forever forward sounded like a dying goose (even after an impeller replacement). But this an outlier. I have a few other AquaClears that run nice and silent and are workhorses.

• In general, I love the AQ's but wished they were self priming.
• I also love the Tidal, but wished it didn't have the skimmer. This is specifically in regards to tanks that have shrimp and smaller fish. Even if I turn down the skimmer flow, shrimp still go in their out of curiosity!)

Honestly, those are the two considerations that I would think about when choosing one over the other.

Do you have small fish or shrimp? No. Then I'd favor The tidal. Yes. I'd favor the AquaClear.

Both are great choices.

--- Oh, have to add the following . . . AquaClears are waaaay easier to fully disassemble and clean, if you need to. The Tidal parts are fit together pretty tight and I'm always scared I'll break them when taking them apart to get at the pump, etc. They are obviously meant to be snapped apart for maintenance, but I find you have to put some muscle into it.

Edited February 29 by tolstoy21

[tolstoy21]

On 12/19/2022 at 12:42 PM, TOtrees said:

The question of or trick to getting mulm off the bottom is different but related. This comes down to water movement. You need something to resuspend or lift the mulm/detritus, then any old hob filter will eventually capture the bits. The two best ways are flow, or creatures. Of the creatures, cories are tops at this, IMO. Amano shrimps are also good, if your tank/community allows them. Kuhli loaches are decent as well. Or you can use a powerhead mounted to the side, pointing generally down at the substrate. Even the gentlest of flows (or creature activity) will keep the mulm moving, and the hob uptake will eventually pick it up.

Totally agree on cories being great at getting mulm into the water column. 

In my experience with HOBs, they won't get all the mulm and detritus up, even with a supplemental powerhead in the aquarium, but they do tend to push it all to one or two places where it can be easily removed with a siphon.

I tend to rely on this in my messier tanks, and arrange things so it all ends up in the easiest corner of the aquarium to remove it. 

As for cories, if you have a bunch, their movements are so randomized (cause they have minds of their own!) they do a great job at kicking everything up in a way that it doesn't find an eddy or calm spot to settle in as easily.  Plus they are super fun to watch!

No matter how hard you try, pumps and filters tend to create that one slack zone where everything collects, but this isn't such a bad thing as it makes maint easier.

Edited February 29 by tolstoy21

[Pepere]

I originally bought and installed a Tidal 35 in my first 29 gallon tank. I think it is a ridiculously design piece of plastic masquerading as a filter.  In order for such a thing to filter, the water has to pass through media and not bypass the media. The Tidal 35 is little more than a pump to move water around the tank with precious little filtering taking place.

One of the best decisions I made was to chuck the Tidal 35 and replace it with a canister filter and flow bar.  Had I gone with the canister filter at the beginning, the money I spent on the Tidal 35 would have covered half of my canister filter cost.