please help

[SweetlilMarce]

My filter is driving me absolutely nuts. It's really really loud. At first it didn't bother me, but now it really does. I have problems concentrating so it distracts me. Plus I can't fall asleep. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

But my tank is doing very well. I lost one fish during the cycling process, and everyone else is doing quite well.

Oh, and if there is nothing I can do about the noise, I'll just try to get through it. I wouldn't get rid of my fish because of it. :)

thanks everyone

[Nell]

What kind of filter is it?
If its a power filter (HOB) with an impeller that sucks the water up, it may be the impeller itself, or it may not be sitting in there right. I'd say, take apart the filter in clean the impeller. Take a close look at it to see if any of the parts are missing or worn. If you need a new part, many local fish stores have replacement parts or can order them for you.

[SweetlilMarce]

Thanks for the reply Nell.

I actually ended up finding the pamphlet that came with the (ironically called) Whisper filter. It suggested to let the water drain out of the filter and then put the piece back in. That didn't help so I added more water. It's a little quieter now. I think I might invest in a new filter though. But it's MUCH better now. Also, when should I change the filter? It's a 10 gallon tank with 7 fish.

Thanks again. :)

[mr gerbil]

What type of fish are they? The general recommendation is every month or so.

[gizmo pig]

How high is the water level? If you fill it almost all the way to the top, it might help.

[SweetlilMarce]

gizmo pig - that did help, but it's evaporating already! It just seems that happens really quickly. But yeah, that helped the most.

mr. gerbil - 2 platys, 3 mollies, my betta, and a goldfish. Yeah, I know about the goldfish. bad idea. but he was going to have to live in a 1/4 gallon container and I couldn't leave him in there. I read the recent thread that was talking about goldfish and really learned a lot! I never knew they could get so big, or live that long! But then I figured, we have a pond at home and when he gets a little bigger I'll put him in that. But I couldn't leave him in that container. He had only gravel and no friends. He's happier now. His scales are really healthy looking as opposed to before. There was also no fighting between anyone when I added him.

[mr gerbil]

Right. With a goldfish, you're going to have to clean the filter every week and change it every 3 or 4. You might get away with changing it less often, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
If you're going to leave the goldfish in there, it might be a good idea to turn the heating down to about 20-22 degrees. I would recommend getting him a coldwater tank of his own, however. Still, at least he's not in a 1/4g container!

[mr gerbil]

Right. With a goldfish, you're going to have to clean the filter every week and change it every 3 or 4. You might get away with changing it less often, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
If you're going to leave the goldfish in there, it might be a good idea to turn the heating down to about 20-22 degrees. I would recommend getting him a coldwater tank of his own, however. Still, at least he's not in a 1/4g container!