Ticking sound and more

I have a ticking sound coming from my motor is this normal? It does not speed up or get louder when i give it gas. its not a knocking sound its a tick like almost like when a battery is dead and you try to start a car and it goes tick tick tick tick... I noticed it when i I had my hood up and the car idleing in my garage (installing a cone filter) i cant figure out if its something to worry about or not...but i am worried because my brothers saturn threw a rod out the block yesterday and its a complete loss so i am worried about my motor it has 96900miles on it. also what do i do with the small like 1 inch hose that connected yto the air filter box i was just going to put a small filter on the end of it...