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Thread: Air pumps

  1. #1
    Members Eleven11's Avatar
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    Air pumps

    Any suggestions for a good air pump for a 250 gal fish tank?
    Nothin to it but to do it yourself

  2. #2
    Moderator stucco's Avatar
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    Re: Air pumps

    I’ve been pretty happy with this one that I picked up from my local hydro shop.
    http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Sunlea ... mp-Air.asp
    Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.-- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
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  3. #3
    Members Eleven11's Avatar
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    Re: Air pumps

    Hmmm not bad and only 18 watts.

    Was it cheaper local?

    Quote Originally Posted by stucco
    I’ve been pretty happy with this one that I picked up from my local hydro shop.
    http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Sunlea ... mp-Air.asp
    Nothin to it but to do it yourself

  4. #4
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Air pumps

    I have the 'largest version' of the one Stucco mentioned. I've been using it about a year. They produce lots of air for the money.. However, they are not considered an 'outdoor' pump...I have mine in a vented box....and mine is very noisy....I can hear it from 15 -20 feet away. ...

    My buddy Sahib, has the larger of these two....
    http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories ... -Air-Pumps
    He's had them for over a year ...they are an outdoor pump, and they are perfectly quite. I don't hear them, even when I'm right beside them.

    If you can spend the extra cash....consider a piston pump....thery are quite too and are supposed to last the better part of a decade. I asked Santa for one ....
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  5. #5
    Members Shas's Avatar
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    Re: Air pumps

    From my reading I find that the recommendation is
    10 gallons of air per minute per 1,000 gallons of water.
    That would mean your tank needs 2.5 gallons per minute,
    or 10 liters or 0.33 cubic feet or 578 cubic inches per minute.
    (I really wish the manufacturers would agree on which units to advertise in)

    The unit stucco mentioned pushes 600 gallons per hour,
    which is 10 gallons per minute,
    making it theoretically appropriate for 1,000 gallons of water.

    In my experience most manufacturers have little shame
    in overstating the power of their pumps

    I've been out of the business for 25 years
    and the old piston pumps I used are no longer available,
    so I, Like you, am looking at pumps.
    I went to Amazon.com,
    searched for AIR PUMPS,
    and read the reviews posted there.

    I think I'm going to buy a Pondmaster pump by Danner Manufacturing.
    They seem to be powerful, fairly quiet,
    and above all SERVICEABLE.

    The small Pondmaster, the AP-20
    comes with a 1-year warranty,
    pushes 28 liters per minute with 20 watts
    and costs around $80, with the rebuild kit at $10.
    That will leave you enough excess power
    to run some diffusers under the media in your grow beds,
    and will likely last you a long time.

    That's not a sales pitch,
    just the fruits of my recent and ongoing research.
    Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you're a nice person
    is like expecting a bull not to charge you because you're a vegetarian.

  6. #6
    Aquaponics 101 Oliver's Avatar
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    Re: Air pumps

    I am familiar with the Sunleaves 600 GPH air pump. The problem we've had with them, is that the supplied hard black air divider (manifold) is very brittle and the vibration from the pump through the supplied short connecting tube over time causes the manifold to come apart (break).

    As far as the amount of air required to be pumped through your fish tank water in order to have good aeration, that particular pump is good for about 100 gallons of fish tank maximum, in my opinion.

    In order to get the DO level we require, we are now pumping 950 GPH of air into a 120 gallon fish tank. With the addition of the water conditioning tower, we may stop aerating the grow beds and decrease the air going into the fish tanks. If so, then that 600 GPH number for 120 gallon FT looks about right. We will be testing it to find the optimum number of air GPH to water gallons in our system.

    This is all about reducing our energy costs without compromising on the operation of the system.

    We have learned that it is a good idea to place a check valve in the air line to prevent water from siphoning back into your air pump when turned off, if it is located at a level below that of the water.

    Oliver
    To measure is to know

  7. #7
    Members Eleven11's Avatar
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    Re: Air pumps

    Thanks for the extra info Shas and Oliver.

    I checked out the AP 20 pump. It does look like a nice one.
    Nothin to it but to do it yourself

  8. #8
    Members foodchain's Avatar
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    Re: Air pumps

    Pondmaster and Danner are VERY good. I have copious amounts of stuff from them. I like em all.
    At first I left this blank...but now I believe: "It's better to keep your mouth closed, and have the world think your a fool, than open it and confirm it."

  9. #9
    Members Eleven11's Avatar
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    Re: Air pumps

    I ordered the Pondmaster AP 20 from Amazon. $82

    Thanks for the input everybody.
    Nothin to it but to do it yourself

  10. #10
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    Re: Air pumps

    IF you have any problems, which I doubt you will, but if you do please let me know. I don't have that particular model.
    At first I left this blank...but now I believe: "It's better to keep your mouth closed, and have the world think your a fool, than open it and confirm it."

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