Quietest reliable air pump

[Gamegurl]

Heya gang,

I have gone through so many air pumps searching for one that is quiet but might last longer than a couple months.

The Whisper really is quiet and good air flow but after not long it starts getting louder and louder.

I've tried one other brand and wondered if anyone can suggest one? The pump is in my bedroom so needs to be quiet.

Thanks

GG

[Lennie]

I have 2 tetra aps 50 in my bedroom, laying on the floor outside. Pretty quiet in my opinion. Idk how exactly they are different than the whisper.

Maybe take my opinion with a grain of salt. I also have 4 HOBs running in my bedroom in each of my tanks 😄 

But really, they are very quiet :') 

[Guppysnail]

This is going to sound like me going fan girl, but I am. 🤣

I have had remarkable luck with the single outlet battery backed air pump Aquarium Co-op sells. I upgraded both fish rooms to them. 
On a noise scale they are comparable to tetra whisper. Maybe a tenth of a decibel louder maybe. 
 

I always had extra battery emergency air pumps in tanks that kicked on in a power outage. These eliminated that need also. I run them through the cell packs I already had. Unless I lose power for an entire day I do not need to start the generator. 
 

Longevity, I purchased them when they were first released maybe 1-1 1/2 years ago?  None have failed me or gotten any louder than they were when installed. I had a few air pumps in the past that would creep up on the noise level as they aged so I completely understand that concern. I find excess noise in my fish room relax space very annoying. 

[Randall H]

On 4/25/2023 at 6:54 AM, Guppysnail said:

I have had remarkable luck with the single outlet battery backed air pump Aquarium Co-op sells. I upgraded both fish rooms to them. 
On a noise scale they are comparable to tetra whisper. Maybe a tenth of a decibel louder maybe. 
 

My experience has been the same. I think the whisper is a bit quieter, but my daughter preferred the Co-op one in her room. 

[Biotope Biologist]

Without modification the whispers motor tends to as you have experienced rattle itself apart over time. If you don’t want to go the modified route the Top fin et.al (silver body black center) ones set on top of a piece of sponge have worked well for me.
 

I say et. Al because I think like 5-6 other brands sell the same exact pump on Amazon. Top Fin is Petsmart’s exclusive brand.

 

edit: I just checked my model number and I have had it since 2006. So longevity is there, but I might be running on old tech 😋

Edited April 25, 2023 by Biotope Biologist

[Ninjoma]

The ACO nano air pump is probably the quietest one I've used. For other pumps like the tetra whisper and eheim air I like to stuff them with polyfil to dampen the sound. 

[lefty o]

On 4/25/2023 at 6:54 AM, Guppysnail said:

This is going to sound like me going fan girl, but I am. 🤣

I have had remarkable luck with the single outlet battery backed air pump Aquarium Co-op sells. I upgraded both fish rooms to them. 
On a noise scale they are comparable to tetra whisper. Maybe a tenth of a decibel louder maybe. 
 

I always had extra battery emergency air pumps in tanks that kicked on in a power outage. These eliminated that need also. I run them through the cell packs I already had. Unless I lose power for an entire day I do not need to start the generator. 
 

Longevity, I purchased them when they were first released maybe 1-1 1/2 years ago?  None have failed me or gotten any louder than they were when installed. I had a few air pumps in the past that would creep up on the noise level as they aged so I completely understand that concern. I find excess noise in my fish room relax space very annoying. 

im pretty happy with my first gen ACO pump with battery backup in it, also have had good experience with tetra whisper air pumps. both quiet, and reliable. the battery backup in the pump makes the ACO pump the winner, though id not hesitate to buy another whisper if i needed one faster than i could get one shipped in.

[Gamegurl]

Sweet. Thanks for all your replies. I will check out that co op air pump. I like the battery back up idea. Thanks again

I'm curious about the modification thought. Would you mind sharing the mod as I have a nice 30-60 Whisper that I have repaired once.

I bought a 100 cuz it was on sale but it was noisy out of the box. I intend to gut it and use the parts on the 30-60.  edited: Just got a refund for that pump so I can gut it. Evil scientist laugh...mwahahaha

Edited: I just watched the video that ACO has attached to that air pump that shows a sound test. Ding ding ding. Sold. I could kiss you guys but I'll restrain. 😛

Edited April 26, 2023 by Gamegurl

[Tommy Vercetti]

On 4/25/2023 at 7:49 AM, Ninjoma said:

The ACO nano air pump is probably the quietest one I've used. For other pumps like the tetra whisper and eheim air I like to stuff them with polyfil to dampen the sound. 

Same here the nano usb pump is the quietest pump I have used. If you have a tank under about 30 gallons, then I would call it ideal.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

USB nano air pumps are by far the quietest I’ve used, but the longevity isn’t there. I’ve replaced sooooooo many of them 

 

I have a Tetra Whisper AP 150 that is nearly silent, but I had to put it on a folded up wash cloth to stop the rattle. 
 

I have 2 dual outlet ACO battery back ups on the way. Excited to check those out and see how they compare to the other pumps I’ve used, including the single outlet ACO.
 

USB nano’s are basically silent, especially if you hang them. A folded up wash cloth/small towel can be a life saver for any other air pump. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

[Gamegurl]

So the outlet is Usb C I think and then a plug adaptor???

[Jackson]

I have a fluval two port A402 and it has been running great for about 6 months now . Very quiet and gives me all the air I need thus far .

[Maximus]

I've also got the USB Nano Air Pump, no real complaints. The long power cord is much appreciated. The air stone makes more noise than the pump itself.

[FLFishChik]

I currently have 5 tetra whisper air pumps of various power. The oldest is 5 years and the newest is 2 years. All run without any noticeable sound. However, if left on an unlevel or smooth surface, they will scoot until they come in contact with something that stops them - in which case you can hear the unit vibrating against whatever solid object it’s come in contact with. I solved this issue by cutting a small square of rubber shelf liner and placing it under the pump so they can’t move. Haven’t had any sound issues since