# Noisy Fluval fx6



## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

I've just set up my new fluval fx6 and am shocked at how noisy it is, does anyone else here have one? All reviews I read before I bought it said it was quiet


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Does it sound like water sloshing around, humming noise or something else?


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## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

Mine was loud (vibrating) when sitting on the wood floor inside the tank's cabinet, until I put a small towel underneath. Now it's just a quiet hum.


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## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

Deeda said:


> Does it sound like water sloshing around, humming noise or something else?


It's humming, I'll try and add a video

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## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

ken31cay said:


> Mine was loud (vibrating) when sitting on the wood floor inside the tank's cabinet, until I put a small towel underneath. Now it's just a quiet hum.


I've got it on a foam pad, maybe I need to add a few more.

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## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

Hopefully you can hear both the louder noise and the hum underneath. Is this normal? I was really expecting it to be quieter for such an expensive filter


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## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Yes that is very irritating! The easiest things to check first is if the canister and hoses are touching any hard surfaces that may be amplifying the sound. If that doesn't help, unplug the power cord and wait a couple minutes, gently shake the filter to see if it helps to dislodge any trapped air and plug the power cord back in.

What media do you have in the filter and where is it placed? Just curious and may not have anything to do with what you are experiencing.


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## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

Deeda said:


> Yes that is very irritating! The easiest things to check first is if the canister and hoses are touching any hard surfaces that may be amplifying the sound. If that doesn't help, unplug the power cord and wait a couple minutes, gently shake the filter to see if it helps to dislodge any trapped air and plug the power cord back in.
> 
> What media do you have in the filter and where is it placed? Just curious and may not have anything to do with what you are experiencing.


Nothings touching anything, and the filter is supposed to be self priming- it certainly spewed out a lot of bubbles when it first started up. It's sat on a foam pad too so I don't think it's vibration. I took out most of the coarse sponges from the inner baskets and replaced with the bio media from my sump, alphagrog and ceramic balls, I left in a pack of the ceramic tubes that came with the filter. I sent video to the shop I bought it from (online) and they said it sounds normal


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks! Actually the filter is NOT self priming, you need to add 6 liters of water to the canister before plugging it in.

Sounds good on the media as long as none of it is smaller than the holes in the filter trays/baskets.

Despite what the shop said, it sounds too loud to me. I have heard complaints on other fish forums that some units seem to have this same issue and they were able to swap out with a new unit from their local shop.

How handy are you with troubleshooting further? My first suggestion is to start over from scratch with setting up the filter, double checking everything is seated properly, not too much media in baskets interfering with how they stack, filling with water and starting it up again.

If it's still loud, I suggest reading page 14 of the manual for servicing the filter and then page 15 for removing the motor to service the impeller. It's possible something is stuck or contacting the impeller or something isn't seated properly.

Do you have a sponge pre-filter on the intake strainer? If so, remove it and see if that makes a difference as a clogged or small pore sponge can impact filter operation.


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## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

I don't have a sponge prefilter. I'm so glad you think it sounds noisy to you too, my husband thinks I'm just making a fuss! If it was cheapo filter I wouldn't worry but it was expensive. I'll repack it tomorrow and see if that makes a difference.


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## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

Also I did almost fill the filter with water before starting it up. The seller has said they will send my video to fluval on Monday but I'm not very hopeful that they will admit it's faulty.

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## Idech (Nov 8, 2020)

Abby said:


> Also I did almost fill the filter with water before starting it up. The seller has said they will send my video to fluval on Monday but I'm not very hopeful that they will admit it's faulty.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't know in UK, but in Canada if you buy with a credit card, your can file a claim with the credit card company to get reimbursed, as long as the filter had been sent back to the seller.

Also, I had a problem with my Fluval filter recently and Fluval sent me a new head for free. I dealt with them directly though, which I suggest you do, as they will be more willing to help if dealing directly with the customer. Hold your ground, those things are expensive and should work as expected. You could also install an app that measures db on your phone, measure the noise level and compare it to the FX-6 specs, if the exist. Decibel meter is said to be accurate.

(Just saw the date of the post. It's probably too late. I hope it worked out for you).


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## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

Update, I got a new filter! It's a lot quieter thankfully. Problem now is it doesn't seem to be keeping the water as clear


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Did the seller replace the filter for you or did you buy another one of the same?

I'm not sure what you mean that it isn't keeping the water as clear, are you saying the water is cloudy or that there is debris and fish waste in the tank?


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## Abby (Oct 28, 2020)

I got a replacement from the seller - Aquatic Sales online , they were incredibly helpful and got fluval to send out a replacement pump unit for me. The water is chemically clean, just there are bits floating about where there weren't before. Maybe I need to change the filter media around


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Usually adjusting the output nozzles slightly will help to direct flow and debris to either a central spot you can siphon debris out or toward the filter intake. The amount of hard decor and even plants can also trap debris or impede the flow. Sometimes it just takes some time and effort to tweak the output flow to where you can live with it.

How do you have the filter media placed in the filter now and what specific media are you using?


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