Aqua clear impeller noises

[jsbaker]

I am wondering if anyone else has had experiences with noisy aquaclear impellers. We have 3 AC50's, one about two month old, one about a month old and the other is about two weeks old. The newest one had been making a rattling noise since day one that last night started into a grinding noise. After removing and cleaning the pump itself we figured out the impeller was binding on the metal impeller shaft so the nephew put some vaseline on the shaft and last I heard it was running nearly silent.

The two month old one was making some rattling noises this morning which I have heard on and off and I am wondering if it is the same issue. This filter was quiet from new and just recently started making noises. The two tanks that have been making noise have sand as the substrate. Could the sand be causing the problem and will using vaseline on impeller shafts cause any issues? The grinding on the first filter started after a water change when sand got stirred up but it had been rattling since the day it was new.

The month old filter is still quiet as can be and is one of the newly re branded fluval ac50 but that tank has eco complete as the substrate.

If the sand is the issue what do most people do to keep it from causing problems with the filters?

[Totenkampf]

i dont know about aquaclears, but my emperors have always been noisy like that. i have yet to figure out why other than if the intake gets a little clogged then the impellor starts to cavitate (rattle) or if the water level is too low then it starts sucking air from somewhere.

[mnemenoi]

Usually it is sand, just draw a bocket of tank water at a water change and disassemble it and put it back together and you'll be golden. We use a coarse sponge over the intake to alleviate the issue in the future. Mine are years old and are as quiet as the first day I removed them from the box. Aqua Clears are the only HOB filter we use and are up to 6 of them in all sizes, though I do upsize for the tanks (AC20 on a 10 gallon, AC50 on a 29 gallon, ect...)

[jsbaker]

I figured the sand would turn out to be the issue since the one that hasn't seen any is quiet as can be. Do you have have a recommendation for a sponge that works well with these? I have a fluval chi or edge prefilter sponge on the one that does not make noise but it fits very loose and falls off if you look at it wrong.

After buying the first one I've decided these are all we will use for HOB and we too oversize. The two making noise are on a 29 and a 36 bowfront and the quiet one is on a 10 gallon fry tank which is why it had a sponge on it to begin with.

[mnemenoi]

Buy a large block of the Fluval Coarse sponge for the AC110 (or whatever size you imagine you'll need) and cut it to size with a sharp knife. Then slice into the center, but not enough to pierce through the sponge completely. then just jam it on there and I never have any more problems and its a far cheaper alternative. You can use balck sponge as well if you dislike the off white.

[mnemenoi]

Here is a good picture thread that is basically what I do

http://www.applesnail.net/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18921&p=161435

[mnemenoi]

Cheap and effective!!!!

[jsbaker]

Ahh sounds perfect. I'll keep any eye for some tomorrow when I go do some fish shopping. Thanks for the tips!

[Chris.d514]

Aqua clear impeller noises

I'm using the fluval edge prefilter sponge on mine and it fits and works perfect on the ac filters I have.

[jsbaker]

On the ones I have the hole in the center of the pre filters is too big compared to the size of the AC suction tube so they are always falling off. I learned you put a net under the filter /suction tube before moving otherwise the filter slides off and lets all the junk back out into the water. Also tried some sponges from a sponge filter but those were too fine and clogged easily.

[mistahoo]

For a prefilter sponge you want something more coarse than a sponge filter.

[crazy42bmx]

A lil trick here i learned, you can un-twist the motor off the filter itself. Pull tye impeller out , grab a set of plyers and gently twist the shaft up. Dont pull out completely, stick impeller back in and see if the shaft is insdie the top portion of the impeller itself not just the magnetic part.

What happens is the the shaft isnt keeping the impeller straight as it spins and thus it hit the sides and causes noises.

[jsbaker]

Thanks for that tip! I'll have to check this out tonight. I've had the impleller out of both of them and didn't think the shaft was moveable. Both are doing much better since we changed to coarse sponge of the intakes but still make some noise every now and then.