Please just...Shush

*Exhales*
I love my giant fish tank.
Truly I do.
But it's being a problem to me recently and it's really frustrating.

I mean.
I get it. Fish get sick. Illnesses beyond my control happen.

But it's when the mechanical pieces break down that it gets even more frustrating.

So a couple of days ago one of my over the back filters broke. 
Which after having it for nearly two years is rather impressive.

And I thought the simple solution would be to go to the store and just get the same brand filter.

Only stupid 'innovation'
Changed the design of said filter.
So it was a noisy little thing.

And considering I am rather noise sensitive.
I can't stand the sound of trickling water for long without it irritating me.

And the filter I'd gotten as a replacement.
Was irritating me.

So my goal yesterday was to find a different brand of filter that would be quieter. 

I already knew that Aqueon wouldn't help me.
As that filter was noisey despite being a "quiet flow" 
XP As it was the original filter I'd gotten in the very very beginning and HATED because of the trickling noise.

Which left me with three other options.
All of them more pricey.

Still.
After some thought.
I went with the marineland brand.
Mostly because it was on sale.
And pulling it out of the box it looked like it would sit lower in the tank, which would hopefully mean that the water would flow quieter.

….You'd think that when they rate filters as "quiet" they would take into account the trickling water flow.
But no when they think "quiet" they think the quiet of the motor running the filter. *exhales*

In any case. 
I got the new filter home.
Partially set it up (as in I didn't put the cartridges in and such) so that it would be easier to take down if it didn't work.

And I plugged in the filter.
And the water that came spewing over the side of the filter had enough power that it completely missed the gap to go back into the fish tank and instead spilled out on top of the glass lid. :S :S :S
Which luckily I'd been watching, so I was able to quickly react and pull the lid away so the water could fall into the tank before any of it spilled onto the ground below.

But if anything the filter was NOISIER than the one I'd bought the day before.

Which was heartbreaking as I didn't want to go back to the store to try ANOTHER filter. Gah. 

Still I unplugged it. 
Because I can't stand the noise.
And got it ready to put back in the box...when I saw the front lid to the filter...on the ground.
The lid I'd neglected to put on when I'd partially set up the tank in the first place. ^^;;

And looking at it. Putting it on.
I saw that it would trap the water so it wouldn't go bursting so far out.
So I thought.
Why not try it again?

So I reset it up and made sure that front lid was on to better control the flow of the water.
Plugged it in.

And amazingly it worked!!

AND THE WATER WAS QUIETER!!!

I mean it wasn't as quiet as the filter that died on me.
But it was much quieter than the one I had in the tank before this one.

So huzzah!
I fully set up the tank.
Grateful that it was quiet enough that it would hopefully not bother me.
And figured I would be good.

Only today....
Right now.
As I'm trying to watch TV.
I noticed that the water sound was much louder than it had been before.

And I have no idea why.
Like nothing has changed.
I even filled up the tank a bit more to see if that would help quiet the trickling noise. 
To no beneficial effect.
If anything the trickling water GOT LOUDER.

Gah.
I ended up unplugging it.
At least while I'm trying to watch tv in the same room.
Because the noise was distracting enough that I would get a headache if I had to listen to it as background noise.

So now I'm trying to decide if I should still stick with this filter.
Or when I go back to work I should try yet another brand and see if I can get it to be quieter than the Marineland….

*exhales*
I probably will end up buying one other brand to try. To see. 
Because who knows when that second filter is going to go out.
But I'll wait until Monday, and see if that brand will go on sale as our current sale doesn't include it and it ends Sunday.

For now though.
I hope the fish don't mind only half their tank flowing.
I'll be sure to plug the thing back in when I'm done in this room.

Still it's disappointing.
I want to get my quiet fishtank back.

Is that too much to ask??

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi