Filter for a 5.5 gallon?

[Flighty Zeus]

Hi everyone!! What's the best and most quiet filter for a 5.5 gallon tank?

I just set up my 5.5g aquarium tonight. No fish, of course, but I did put in 3 plants. I set up the sponge filter and now my husband thinks it's tooooo loud.

So, is there an alternative for a tank that small?

Thanks!!!

[jnatelowe]

Does the sponge filter have an air stone? That can help lessen the noise. If that doesn't work, you could use a HOB filter. You can dampen the noise on those by either keeping the water level high, or putting something under the return to slow the water fall.

[jayo]

I have a tiny HOB filter I was planning to throw into the meeting auction this weekend (Azoo Mignon Filter 60 - it's still sealed in box but is several years old, had intended it for a tank I never ended up setting up). Since I never ran it I don't know how noisy it is, but it's a different option to try.

[edimit]

Sponge filters are noisy because of the air pump and the bubbles they produce. Substitute with a filter operated by an electric motor such as an internal filter or HOB. They can be virtually silent.

[DavoAkop]

Sponge filter paired with a tetra 10 gallon airpump should be your best bet or get an internal filter for example sicce internal filter


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[Flighty Zeus]

Sponge filter paired with a tetra 10 gallon airpump should be your best bet or get an internal filter for example sicce internal filter


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a tetra air pump and a sponge filter. It's too loud, according to my husband!

[Nick Shades]

zoo med makes a nice 10 gallon canister filter that is low power and extremely quiet. It is zoo med, so a bit on the more expensive side, but does the job great. We put one on our 5.5gallon cube that houses my youngest son's betta.

[klew]

I've had luck with the tetra air pump and a sponge filter on my betta breeding tank. The primary source of noise was from the pump and the vibration of where it was placed rather than the trickle of bubbles from the sponge filter. You can "dampen" the noise from the pump by placing it on padding and covering it (I used an old kitchen towel). HOBs, I find the nose is actually from the water going back into the tank (the splash, so you can add a baffle of sorts to break the flow). The quietest option of used is internal submersible filters (everything is in the water so the water itself buffers the noise)... problem with that is it takes up space for small tanks and you have to go into the tank for maintenance.

[AnsleyBleu]

If you want to keep the sponge filter, use a USB nano air pump. They are super quiet.
https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collect...-nano-air-pump