Is Plumbers Silicone Grease safe for aquariums?

[Newman]

Hi,
I am trying to quiet my aquaclear filter because all aquaclears have the annoying rattling impeller noise. this happens because there is play in the plastic impeller which is attached to the magnet part and also between the imperfections of the magnet and the magnetic rod from the motor. So I've dealt with the plastic part by using Teflon pipe tape to seat the plastic piece more snugly to the magnet. next to deal with the other source of rattle people recommend plumbers silicone grease be put on the end of the magnet piece and when it slides into the motor the grease should stop the noise.
my question is how safe is plumbers silicone grease with fish? other people used aquarium silicone instead of the plumbers grease and i know that one is harmful to fish so idk why people would use that. this is making me nervous but i really want to stop the rattle with this method.

btw here is the link to the method:
Silence that AquaClear! - APE - Aquatic Plant Enthusiasts | A Planted Aquarium Community

 

[FreshyFresh]

I've used a small amount of silicone plumber's grease on my canister filter fittings & O-rings and used it on one of my HOBs.

The only tank I've had unexplainable deaths in, had zero contact with plumber's grease.

 

[FishDad]

Man do I hate those aquaclears. They perform great but are unbearably annoying. Sorry Newman, I don't know. I take it that silicone grease is not 100% silicone, right?

 

[FreshyFresh]

Granted I've only been back into aquaria for about a year, I've had three different HOB filters at this point; A cheapo Top Fin 30, a small Penguin biowheel for a 10g and currently have two AquaClear 30's. They all make some rattling from the impellers. Not sure if the AC's have the tiny rubber boot at the end of their impeller shafts, but if you loose that, she's going to rattle.

 

[FishDad]

They do have a boot but the boot is fixed to the casing. So unlike the marinelands, where the impeller is one unit (boot, shaft, magnet) the AC's are totally detachable. So when you need to replace the impeller you remove the magnet and wheel, they slide off the shaft, then the shaft can be pulled from the boot. But the boot remains inside the filter. I have purchased new impeller shafts for AC's in the past and still they rattle. What I've been told is that if you don't install the shafts perfectly strait then they'll rattle regardless of wear. Never was able to get it perfectly straight if that's even possible. Terrible design flaw on an otherwise well design filter, IMO. The best all round HOB filter I've owned to date has been penguin 350.

Sorry for getting off topic Newman.

 

[Newman]

no problems. just wanted to know if it was fish safe and it sounds like it is. I'm going to get some of the grease on monday when i drive back home from school. I will let you guys know if it helps quiet down my aquaclear 70. it should after a few applications.

 

[Newman]

well after a few applications of plumbers grease the AC still rattles lmao. so i need suggestions on a better HOB filter that is more silent. What do you guys think?

 

[OrangeCones]

Sorry, I don't use that type of filter anymore. I'm sure others will chime in with what works well.

For what its worth, sponge filters driven by submerged powerheads are quiet

 

[FreshyFresh]

well after a few applications of plumbers grease the AC still rattles lmao. so i need suggestions on a better HOB filter that is more silent. What do you guys think?

You're going to hear lots of different experiences on that. IMO, most folks in the hobby will still recommend AquaClear because of the endless media options for them.

I didn't like my TopFin HOB because the filter pads would easily fall apart and they're designed such that you need to use direct fit pads or it's not going to work well.

My Penguin Bio Wheel HOB was nice and they use much heavier-duty pads that you can rinse out several times, but I can't stand the stupid bio wheels. I dunno how many times I had mine apart for cleaning, etc and the bio wheel would still completely stop spinning.

If you want to stick with HOBs, my first choice would be AquaClear. Fluval C-series look to have great features and Aqueon HOBs look good too. Both of those have nice plastic grids to house beneficial bacteria.

At the end of the day, they probably all filter the same. Mail-ordering is way cheaper then buying at a store.

 

[FishDad]

My Penguin Bio Wheel HOB was nice and they use much heavier-duty pads that you can rinse out several times, but I can't stand the stupid bio wheels. I dunno how many times I had mine apart for cleaning, etc and the bio wheel would still completely stop spinning.

To politely disagree, the Penguin 350 is the only HOB that I think is worth buying. I like the clear cover as opposed to the emperor 400 model. Regarding the bio wheels, I like them. I can discard my filter media when ever I want and not have to worry about bacteria loss. Also I've never had them fall apart on me, but then I've never tried to clean them. When they stop spinning, I have found that the problem is always a dirty pocket that the spindle sits in. I just hit that with a cotton tip and they're spinning just fine again. That's just my experience with them. I have owned 3 AC 110's and every one of them has rattled no matter what I did.

Also with any marineland filter, replacing the impeller is a piece of cake, unlike the AC's.

 

[Newman]

can the pengiun 350 filter use aquaclear filter media? i want to be able to not lose any BB and re-use my filter sponge and ceramic media. can i just stuff those into the penguin within reason and have it work? or am i forced to use stupid cartridges like for the tetra whisper 20i filter that i also have running in my tank (i tossed the cartridge because not only did it cause my filter to overflow and pour water all over behind my tank when i was away, but also because i use it primarily to add flow to my tank. I have hypancistrus plecos that like warmer but also very well oxygenated water.)

 

[FishDad]

I used to keep ceramic rings in a mesh bag in my 350. Its a little tight but if your not using a cartridge it shouldn't be a problem at all. You actually have quite a bit more room for media in the 400. And its pretty much the same filter. I just like the clear top on the 350. It looks nicer and I like to see that those wheels are spinning.

 

[FreshyFresh]

can the pengiun 350 filter use aquaclear filter media? i want to be able to not lose any BB and re-use my filter sponge and ceramic media. can i just stuff those into the penguin within reason and have it work?

Not sure how you'd get an AC mechanical filtration sponge to work in a Penguin filter. It wouldn't filter as designed that way.

Like FD says, there's probably room in a 350 or 400 to stuff a bag of ceramic AC bio media, but as far as I know, Penguins are designed to use the bio wheels for that purpose.

Like I say, I know everyone's preferences will vary on this topic, but if you participate on other busy fish forums, most people who have been in the hobby for years and owned Penguin bio wheel filters, no longer own them.

 

[FishDad]

That's true, they do. I think they use the AC's for two reasons: 1. They have a much higher gph. I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of water that my 110's moved. 2. Like you said freshy, the filtration options. Its sort of like having a stock car, make it what you want. And as people get deeper into the hobby they want to make their builds more personal. The AC's give you that opportunity. Its just a box, do what you want with it.

I would absolutely run AC's exclusively but those damn impellers are so flawed that they take the "serenity" out of having an aquarium.

Also, while I'm thinking of it, the AC's are made with better plastic. That marineland plastic feels like recycled tires.

 

[Newman]

darn that just sends me back to square one. so aquaclear are the best HOBs but i have had no luck with them being quiet. every single filter i buy rattles no matter what. my case is hopeless then..

 

[FishDad]

I think you'll be happy with a marineland 350 or 400. They're not that expensive either. And if the impeller goes bad marineland will replace it for free. And installing them in as simple as just dropping them in the housing, b/c impeller and shaft come as one whole unit.

 

[Newman]

are the marineland 350s relatively quiet to the aquaclear 70 or 110?

 

[FishDad]

Oh yeah. They are silent in my experience. The only problems I have had is when I use a sand substrate. If you use sand your impeller will fail quickly and start rattling. But when I have enough of it I just got new impellers and removed the sand. Still have those ones and they're just as quiet as the day I bought them.

 

[Newman]

dang nabbit, no matter what there is always a plot twist. i do have play sand as my substrate...
well no good filters for me then. maybe when i get rich and can easily throw $400 at a canister filter I'll get me the Fluval G6 for my 20 year old 40gal flatback hex that is falling apart lmao.

i can only dream. I'd really like that filter though

 

[FishDad]

What kind of fish do you have with the play sand? If they don't kick it up then it might work. Cichlids and sand are a bad mix though for hob filters.