Recommend an Air Pump?

[Jeff]

Ok, so I am at the stage where I am ready to fill my system with water for the first time, and I want to have a good air pump in there to help oxygenate the water.

I went to my local pet store, but a lot of their air pumps look like crap. Therefore, I am leaning towards finding an online solution. Could you recommend a good air pump that will be good for my system? Right now, it's a 110 gallon FT, but I would take a pump that would be recommended for something much larger in case of future expansion. Plus, it never hurts to have as much O2 as I can get!

So any recommendations would be great!

PS The local pet store guy even said, "Stay away from these brands we carry!" I tried to check home depot but they only had water pumps (for ponds) and filters.....not air pumps.

[commander]

I have been using the Harbor Freight 650gph pond and waterfall pump

[Eleven11]

I would recommend the Pondmaster AP 20. Works great for me.... On Amazon for about $80.

[Jeff]

I have been using the Harbor Freight 650gph pond and waterfall pump

How long have you had it running, and have you noticed anything you'd change about it, like noise or heat output?

[Jeff]

I would recommend the Pondmaster AP 20. Works great for me.... On Amazon for about $80.

I will look into that. Someone on another forum also recommended this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Active-Air-Com.../dp/B002JPPFJ0

I hope to narrow down all these suggestions based on what you guys think of them.

[Eleven11]

Here's the water pump I'm using. I bought 2 so I could have a spare pump ready to go.

http://www.harborfreight.com/16-horsepo ... 68422.html

[commander]

Mine has been running continuously for about 4 months. I haven't really found anything that junmps out at me that puts me off buying another. IN fact I am about to buy a second one to have as a spare.

[davidstcldfl]

I would recommend the Pondmaster AP 20. Works great for me.... On Amazon for about $80.

I will look into that. Someone on another forum also recommended this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Active-Air-Com.../dp/B002JPPFJ0

I hope to narrow down all these suggestions based on what you guys think of them.

Jeff, I ran that same air pump for over a year.(till I pulled my system apart) Lot's of air for the price.... However they do make some noise.... I placed mine in a ventilated box, away from the system.
I've heard that 'piston pumps' will run for 7 years or so without missing a beat. They are quite....but they are 3 to 4 times the cost.

[keith_r]

i've been using the "petco" brand air pumps, Model #9904,, it is 4 outlets, comes with4 airlines, checkvalves and airstones... the first one i had was running for almost a year before one stone stopped blowing much air, bought another,and returned the bad one for a replacement, so now i have a spare. oh, and they're 5 watt..