# Fluval Nano Owners - Noise?



## Atom

I need the expertise of fellow Ebi/Flora owners.

Is your Fluval Nano filter completely silent or does it rattle a bit? I am trying to figure out if my filter is working properly or if I am just super sensitive to noise (I actually know I am) and my filter is actually working the same as everyone else.

I am a super light sleeper and I know I will not be able to fall asleep with the filter that makes noise. It is set at the lowest flow rate and submerged, but I can still hear it. Any suggestions.

Is there even such a thing as a completely silent filter (any filter)?

Thanks!


----------



## Fishkeeper

Not sure about fluval nano filter's....I have 4 Fluval 3's in my bedroom, 2 at the headboard.....can't hear any of them...and though I am getting old, my hearing isn't totally gone....check at the store....maybe they can help figure it out...but my filters don't make any noise...touch wood...


----------



## Atom

Thanks, fishkeeper. 

Going to bring it into the store and see if they can help. It seems louder today than yesterday. Can't sleep with it on!


----------



## Homahfan

Hi Atom...

Are you using the original media (sponges only) or did you change the media composition... I have 5 of the tanks now... and the Fluval 2 filters were all silent.

Recently I changed up the media with some biomax... and one of them has started to rattle. It's not really loud but noticible when when i am up close. sounds like the impeller is not balanced or something... I had planned on yanking the filter apart the next time I had the tank open.


----------



## Homahfan

Homahfan said:


> Hi Atom...
> 
> Are you using the original media (sponges only) or did you change the media composition... I have 5 of the tanks now... and the Fluval 2 filters were all silent.
> 
> Recently I changed up the media with some biomax... and one of them has started to rattle. It's not really loud but noticible when when i am up close. sounds like the impeller is not balanced or something... I had planned on yanking the filter apart the next time I had the tank open.


Hah.. inspired by my own mesage... I took that particular filter apart...reseated everything... and it still rattles ...


----------



## Morainy

I've been chatting about this with Atom by PM, so he'll not be surprised by anything I have to say here, but I wanted to join the conversation for the benefit of other Ebi owners.

My Fluval nano is silent in my Ebi. I'm hyper-sensitive to noise, too, and cannot even tolerate buzzing fluorescent lights. 

Of all the filters I've owned over more than 30 years, this Fluval nano is the only filter that I would allow in my bedroom or office or dining room. 

The Fluval Ebi is meant to be a premium tank, perfect out of the box with good quality equipment. There are so many being made right now to meet demand, that it's not surprising that some of them have defects. (Mine had a light that broke quickly.) But Hagen has a 2 year warranty on the tank and I think they'll stand behind it as their reputation is on the line. 

Atom, I urge you to call the pet store or Hagen and get a new filter. I made the mistake once of trying to replace the impeller in a new Aquaclear that was noisy, and it was still noisy afterward. I would have taken it back if I hadn't bought it online, and I've never been happy with it. 

I have a silent Fluval nano and you should have one, too!


----------



## Atom

Homahfan said:


> Hi Atom...
> 
> Are you using the original media (sponges only) or did you change the media composition... I have 5 of the tanks now... and the Fluval 2 filters were all silent.
> 
> Recently I changed up the media with some biomax... and one of them has started to rattle. It's not really loud but noticible when when i am up close. sounds like the impeller is not balanced or something... I had planned on yanking the filter apart the next time I had the tank open.


Original media only (sponges).

I have rearranged things 2 or 3 times and the sound is very obvious to me. It's like a rattle/hum. Sometimes I wonder I am just crazy paranoid and sensitive about the sound. Maybe I just have bad luck with filters.


----------



## Morainy

I apologize for laughing when I read your comment that you have bad luck with filters. I have had the same bad luck! (But not with the Fluval) Filters should come with a warning sticker: This filter should not be purchased by persons who have bad luck with filters.

I've seen a few other Fluval Ebis now, all quiet. I think your filter was built on a Monday morning by someone with a hangover.



Atom said:


> Original media only (sponges).
> 
> I have rearranged things 2 or 3 times and the sound is very obvious to me. It's like a rattle/hum. Sometimes I wonder I am just crazy paranoid and sensitive about the sound. Maybe I just have bad luck with filters.


----------



## Atom

Morainy said:


> I apologize for laughing when I read your comment that you have bad luck with filters. I have had the same bad luck! (But not with the Fluval) Filters should come with a warning sticker: This filter should not be purchased by persons who have bad luck with filters.
> 
> I've seen a few other Fluval Ebis now, all quiet. I think your filter was built on a Monday morning by someone with a hangover.


lol, I'm glad we have our little support group . Thanks for the help again.


----------



## cheaman

FYI to EBI owners:
Hagen has pulled these 13w lights due to the burning out issues. I recieved an RMA to return mine today. They are coming out with a replacement light that is supposed to be available within a week or 2.


----------



## Morainy

Really? Wow! I did not know that! Thanks for the information. (What's an RMA?)



cheaman said:


> FYI to EBI owners:
> Hagen has pulled these 13w lights due to the burning out issues. I recieved an RMA to return mine today. They are coming out with a replacement light that is supposed to be available within a week or 2.


----------



## punchbuggy

my filter also rattles. Custom Media, however, when I reseat everything it is fine. But after a few days its rattles again. It seems to correlated with the amount of crap in the filter... I wonder if buildup causes reduced water fow and thus there is a pocket of air in the impeller and so it is thrashing around...


----------



## CRS Fan

I often have to quickly plug and unplug my filters in to make them quiet. This applies to both my Aquaclear 50's and believe it or not.... my Eheim 2028. Once quiet, they typically stay that way. If not not repeat the plug/unplug regime until it silences (you may need to repeat this process quickly and repeatedly).

Hopefully that helps !

Stuart


----------



## punchbuggy

We definitely think alike. I do that for my other submersible. Unplug/plug/unplug/plug.

That submersible, the plugs are not polarized (both are small) if i plug it in switching the plugs i get rid of the noise. I don't know about the wiring but does that mean the impeller is spinning the other direction because the electricity is flowing the other way? Or is that just some coincidence.


----------



## CHRISW

I have a Flora. Does same when set at low...goes away when flow control is set slightly higher


----------



## thejohnsonguy

I actually came accross this searching if i had a problem with mine
I dont think im real sensitive to noise cause ive always had tanks in my room, but the filter on my new nano tank is very loud
so any solutions would help me out in a major way too


----------



## Jojodog

I constantly ran into the same problem. I found that it has to do water flow through the filter. If the inlet is flow is greatly reduced , it rattles. If the outlet flow is even slightly reduced, it rattles. It will make a big difference if you remove the clear spray bar section. In my case, I inserted some filter floss matting behind the inlet grates as to keep the shrimps from been sucked in. The water flow is low enough that I've been running it with the outlet flow control black section completely removed so the water is going straight up. Haven't had a problem since!

Note: the filter is in a Ebi so I am able to position it further down into the tank so the water doesn't flow over the sides.

Hope this helps


----------



## Morainy

Thanks, Jojodog

I haven't had a problem with noise with my Fluval nano filter, fortunately, but I have noticed that if I don't push all the pieces together very tightly after I clean it, it's much louder when I put it back into the tank. Sometimes I find it hard to get the top part onto the bottom part tightly for some reason, and then there's a noticeable noise. I remove the filter, push the internal sponge holder down farther if I can, and wiggle the top on again, then check to make sure the clear spray bar is snug. Usually, that works.

However, I'm very happy to have your tip in case that issue comes up for me.

By the way, I haven't had any difficulties with the replacement lights from Fluval. They've held up well. I have four of them.


----------

