When keeping a fish tank there’s always some maintenance to do and there are many bits of equipment these days.
All equipment can fail at any time so it seems. What do we do once we’ve isolated the filter is vibrating Here is what to do? (.)
Check for cracks leaks holes in the casing unit and tubing clean tubes with a brush. Makeup vinegar-water solution one cup per five-gallon water submerge the filter fully and switch on flush the solution through the filter until clear of gunk!
Where Is The Noise Coming From?
The first thing to do is logical but not always obvious. We have to turn all the tank equipment off and check each one, one by one(!).
Check each device separately one by one until we have the culprit. Also, don’t forget to turn off any refrigeration or noisy lights as we want to isolate the vibration.
Check The Filter
Now we have checked all equipment and found it to be working. Time to check over our filter as we now know it’s probable to be the filter.
First, we need to examine the filter casing and the unit itself. Checking for any cracks or splits in the plastic also check nothing is rubbing against the casing/unit.
Sometimes metal couplings can rub against the glass or the filter unit is touching something in the tank causing vibration.
We also need to check the tubes and wires making sure they’re fit for purpose.
Why Is Fish Filter Noisy?
Moving on for a minute the question of why the filter would be noisy. Now, this is something that comes up a fair bit pipes and tubes can have issues.
The casing unit as stated above but also debris stuck somewhere old food other waste and of course, the unit. Might be the filter unit is outside the water ie above the waterline.
The filter may have a part that’s come loose or ultimately the whole thing is broken.
Check Pipes/Tubes
Let us start with the tubes and or pipes. The main tube is a tube that connects the unit itself it will have the inline and the outline connectors.
First, we need to check the tubing for any cracks splits, or holes. Take the tube and with a wire brush clean out the tubes in case of debris.
Connect tubing back to the filter and turn it on here we are checking the water flow. Make sure the flow is the same or better the noise has stopped because we dislodged some sludge or debris.
Next assuming the flow is the same or better but has still a buzzing, Rattling noise. We need to unplug and take the whole filter to a bucket.
Fill bucket With water, a five-gallon bucket of water needs one cup of vinegar added. Submerge the filter
fully and plugin and flush the water through the tubes. The process of water-vinegar mix will take around thirty minutes and will flush any sludge debris left behind.
Now your tubes will be sparkly clean leave to dry off and try again in your tank as this may have fixed the issue.
Stop Vibrating Filter
After checking the tubes and flushing them if this still has not done the trick. We now have to open the main unit casing and check loose worn broken and or missing parts.
You will need the instruction manual for this as some makes and models are slightly different. Most worn or loose parts can be fixed or replaced. Obviously if missing for some reason or ground down it’s possible you may just need to buy a new one.
If however all seems ok and you have cleaned all tubing as above. Flushed all gunk through and put the filter back together and there’s still some vibration in the tank.
You could try putting some foam/sponge between the wall and the tank and or a towel under the tank. We’ve seen something this simple reducing any vibration noise.
There is also the option of a vibration matt as all equipment seems to be working properly. These will help with most quieter vibrations.
What About Rattling Filter?
The rattling is usually down to one culprit if after you have looked and seen all other parts seem fine. Bet your bottom dollar it’s the impeller.
The impeller is a plastic spindle with up to eight blades attached to a shaft fixed by a magnetic slot. If a piece of debris or small stone gets in it can knock the impeller out.
simply push back in until you hear a click.
Filter Vibration Conclusion
Hopefully, this post has given you a good idea of what to look out for concerning filter sounds. The main point I would like people, future hobbyists, to take away is to regularly check and clean our tanks.
Make sure when cleaning our filter that you clean in tank water while doing a water change is easiest. Be careful not to kill any good bacteria.
Most simple things are fixable grit slime a bit of gravel or sand getting stuck. Replacing a worn part always remember to stick to the filter instructional guides and let’s not forget sometimes we just need a new filter.