(Part 2) Best aquarium air pumps according to redditors
We found 444 Reddit comments discussing the best aquarium air pumps. We ranked the 86 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Hey guys,
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I saw this awesome video by Derek Gilman about an automated curing system he had built: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jho0qeTUZnA
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His rig is with 5 gallon gamma lid buckets, and he loads about 2 pounds in each one. The way the system works is you put your dried bud in the buckets, and you hook up an air pump to the buckets, on a timer. The timer I have set is for 15 mins every 24 hours. (The timer kicks on the pump, pushing air through the buckets, and auto shuts off after 15 mins). You install little valve outlets on the container and they exhaust out the old the air when the pump comes on, and then seal back up when it shuts off.
Being a micro grower who grows autos that yield ~100g, at about 179 grams a gallon I would be nowhere close to filling a 5 gallon gamma lid bucket, and even at 2 gallons I'm still a bit short.
So, I went to the store and found 1 gallon airtight food containers and it works! I was able to fit a Seedsman Zkittlez Auto I just got finished drying/trimming and ready for cure.
The system I built is:
- Aquarium Air pump, ideally with a built in manifold so you can hook up multiple containers: (NON AFFILIATE LINKS!) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ILGHAU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Air line https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255NYQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Check Valves: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FKJXZ78/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- 3/16" Drill bit
- 1 Gallon airtight food storage container https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-Flip-Tite-Square-Food-Container-16-Cups/370961661
- Timer with 15 min increments: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MVFF59S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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I noticed that the pressure was a little too high when I had only one check valve as the outlet and it was causing the lid to pop up, so I added two more. If you are growing photos, you're most likely yielding more than I do with my auto plants, so you'd prolly be able to just use the 2 gallon gamma buckets, which should hold about 1/2-3/4 pound. https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Black-Bucket-Screw-threaded/dp/B018BFY2KY/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=2+gallon+gamma&qid=1574473805&sr=8-5
Kits tend to be more expensive and lower quality compared to buying things separately.
A 5 or 10 gallon tank from petco, pet smart, pretty much any pet store is usually only around $15 max.
An air pump, some airline tubing and a sponge filter, all about $12.
A simple adjustable heater, $9 and a thermometer, $2.
Water conditioner, a small bottle is like $6.
Those are the vital basics, for about $35.
Another thing that is a bit pricier but ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to get as soon as possible is a liquid drop water test kit which currently on Amazon is $22. Do not get the paper test strips, they are a bit cheaper but they are completely inaccurate and they'll end up costing more because you need to keep buying new ones.
A test kit will be absolutely necessary to cycle the new tank, which, if not done carefully, can kill the fish.
If your friend can't get the test kit right away, I'd check around your local pet stores, because often times they'll offer free water testing. Until then, do big water changes (at least 50%) every day to be fairly sure the water is kept clean and safe.
If you're doing daily changes and using a dechlorinator you'll be be fine but an ammonia spike may happen sooner rather than later. Your best bet is a sponge filter. Usually graded higher than the tank you're in (using a 20g get a 30+ sponge). A powerful air pump is also a good idea.
I use a 55 gallon double sponge (in a 33g long) that you can get on Amazon for 10 dollars. Will link the air pump for you if you are interested. Adjustable flow and 4 outlets for bubblers if you wanna use one down the line.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008ILGHAU
Jeez poor betta in a tiny cramped 1g bowl for a year, no wonder he’s doing so poorly right now. Please read our caresheet and other articles.
PetSmart has a 5.5g tank kit for a reasonable price, also Petco has dollar-per-gallon sales until Aug.24 starting with a 10g (stand-alone tank) for $10.
Then for the standalone tank I recommend also getting:
Read these articles:
https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/3ow6vz/info_betta_care_sheet/
https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle
https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki
Give this a read-through too: https://www.maryvillecollege.edu/media/dsx/manager/Faculty/NaturalSciences/dcrain/Undergraduate_Research/Dolan2015.pdf
Thanks for the edit. I did a bit of digging and there is a forum with some people's ideas here but here is a TL;DR version.
> If you want to use the airstone, you could just have the stone sit directly under the surface of the water.
> User a flow regulator/timer and have it not constantly on. When its off he will probably make a bubble nest etc etc and give him a bit of rest while also keeping o2 levels up in the water.
You could use a product such as this and be sure to monitor the fish's behavour aka how its swimming and see if it is struggling before and after.
It depends on you personal preferences;
I really like sponge filters and internal filters since they fit in nearly every tank. Sponge filters are cheap and really gentle, but they do make a bit of noise. Internal filters have more flow, but are (in my experience) very silent. You can easily baffle them by placing some sponge over the spray bar.
I know you said the next hour. But, if you have time to get to the store, you can get some of the below items. I just wrote this for someone in California who is getting ready for power outages due to wildfires so you have to sift thru, but it's the basics that are the same. I would get the battery backup now, they have them at the bigbox stores. It will last longer than the battery on your current backup. But, they don't stock a ton, so I'd head out now. Get Battery Backups (4 if they have them); each takes 2 DD batteries; buy extra airline hose. If they only have 2 backups, buy splitters and extra stones and you can run 2 in each tank. Buy space blankets anywhere with camping gear, walmart, target, etc. maybe even drugstore. Good luck!
Here's the info from the other post:
So sorry to hear. I can only give you hints re the outages. I can't imagine what to do in event of evacuation. Would it even be possible to take something in the car? I guess. Have a bucket with a lid and a battery backup with airstone. But, that only works if you have the time to actually CATCH your fish! But, for the outages. Lots of variables. Re: the heater, prob the easier question. What's the ambient temp inside your house (day and night/high and low)? This assumes the brushfires don't raise the temp outside/inside your house? I have no idea if that happens, make changes accordingly I guess. But, if your house temp for the quest i asked is at least always between 70 and 85 and you don't have some exotic species they'd probably survive. If it were winter, I'd have different feedback. Although Cali's big, so if you're in the Mts and it is colder, hmm, add blankets around the tank. i bought those space blankets to tape around the tank. Also hand/toe warmers can be taped to outside of tank with duct tape.
Re the filtration: Suggest that in preparation, doing more frequent pwcs and keep the nitrates as low as possible so that if the pwer goes out, you will have as much leeway. I guess you could still do a pwc if the power went out too. If you don't have a well.
I find this to be the best of the battery backups. If it's a big tank you could run 2. You'll want to have extra airline tubing to make your line longer probably. If the power goes out take the filter media out and wrapt the airstone with a rubber band or something so the air flows thru the media and put in the tank. It's hard to keep the stone under and the media on top so be prepared to play around with it to do that to keep as much of the cycled media alive as possible. Have an extra set of DD batteries, but I found they lasted a really long time. But, then again I've never been in the wildfire area.
Good luck!
I have a Tetra Whisper powering it so it's a tad noisy. The filter was extremely loud until I got a nice fitting lid on them. There is maybe a 1/2" by 2" space for the cable and airline tubing to go in to so not much noise gets out.
I run sponge filters in all my tanks. They are all freshwater and planted. I use them in everything from my shrimp tanks to my community tanks. My water quality is immaculate and I have never had an issue with a single parameter.
For my 20G long, I use 1 large square sponge filter and another one those with 2 sponges and a directional flow output that suctions to the back wall.
https://www.amazon.com/Aquaneat-Sponge-Filter-Aquarium-XY-2831/dp/B06XZZ2BXY
Two of these with an air pump would be more then enough surface area for denitrifying bacteria in a 20G
https://www.amazon.com/Uniclife-Aquarium-Outlets-Adjustable-Hydroponic/dp/B01N7GUPXC
This is one of the pumps I have
https://www.amazon.com/Hamineler-Distributor-Splitter-Straight-Connector/dp/B07Q9ZPG6Y
And this kit comes with air line tubing, check values and a splitter for controlling flow.
I can post some pictures later of my set up when I get home.
For maintenance, I’ll clean 1 sponge maybe once a month. Just squeeze it out in some dirty tank water or dechlorinated water. Just never clean all the sponges at once otherwise you may crash the cycle.
Do you think this would also be okay? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Superfish-Aqua-Flow-Filter-100/dp/B003ZGC22K?th=1&psc=1
(The 50 one)
Get a moving bed filter like this or a sponge filter like this, both powered with an air pump.
You might be able to split those 2 outlets on your air pump and use 8 of the smallest airstones you can find, but i do not anticipate much success... this is roughly 0.9L/min per 15L Res.
You want as much air as you can get to the solution and the roots.
I use one of these with 2 of the airlines going to each of 2x 19L reservoirs, which is roughly 5L/min per 19L Res.
I suggest using one of these and having a 4"x2" airstone connected to each airline. This will be around 8.75L/min per Res.
Whatever you do, I HIGHLY suggest real plants. Java fern, Anubias, and marimo balls are all great. No need for special substrate as the rhizomes need to be exposed to light. Just tie down to weights, decorations, or rocks. (You can use stones from outside, but make sure they are smooth, and boil them to kill any bacteria. Do not use soap or bleach to clean the rock, as the residue will kill your fish.)
5 gallon tank is recommended here. I will say I’ve kept bettas in 2.5s before and they’ve done great, but my boy seems much happier and active in the 5.5 I got him. (Only $13 at petco and the aquarium hood I got for it was $31 when I bought it, but the price went up. They rarely sell this hood in stores.) you could also go for a 5gallon tank starter kit which is usually cheaper. I just didn’t buy a kit because I already had a filter and such.
A heater/thermometer and filter are needed. Preset heaters are ok, but if you can afford an adjustable heater, that is better. Most preset heaters aren’t the best, but they’ll still keep the water from getting cold. For filters, I recommend a sponge filter that will double as a bubbler. This will clean AND aerate the water, as well as break up the film that will form at the top of the water. It will help your betta breathe much better. I have this filter and this air pump from amazon and am please with them. :)
Water treatment: you will need water conditioner to dechlorinate your tap water and make it safe for your fish. I use API Stress Coat+ and it does well. I also use Indian almond leaf “tea” to manage the pH. more info here You’ll also want something to test your water with. Many people recommend the api master test kit. I use tetra’s 6in1 test strips and they have served me well. Only thing is you want to check them before purchasing, so don’t buy online. Occasionally the nitrate pad comes brown and is faulty. Only reason I use those instead of the master test kit is I can’t find one that will test for all six things. They normally only test for four.
>diaphragm pump
Thanks. Do you mean something like this? https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Commercial-Aquarium-Hydroponic-Systems/dp/B072N2HPWB/ref=sr_1_36?crid=3A0WZZR0GUGV3&keywords=diaphragm+pump+air&qid=1564799691&s=gateway&sprefix=diaphrag%2Caps%2C362&sr=8-36
Even expensive and quiet aquarium pumps are nowhere near the lpm/gph of the one linked above. My laser-cutter's air pump is a 1100 gph one which translates to 70 lpm.
The top-of-the-line, and far quieter, Whisper-300 from Tetra produces about 10 lpm, I have 4 of them on my 600-gallon aquarium... I tried several air-pumps before choosing the Tetra for its quietness (the laser is in the garage, I don't care about the noise. The aquarium is in the living-room wall. I do care about noise there :)
Now, whether you need more than a Whisper-300 can deliver, I don't know. My limited understanding is that the better the air delivery, the better you can do deep cuts, up until the air-delivery is producing a detrimental cooling effect. That's why I went big, and put a valve on it to adjust the pressure.
At the moment, I'm letting the air go full-blast. I'll start characterising the laser when my macken-knock-off power-meter arrives and part of that is going to be air-assist effects.
I keep a couple of these battery powered air pumps that I use for moves or I suppose if my power went out, but my place only has surges and never had an outage long enough for me to be worried.
I dont recconend hydro if you suck at keeping plants alive dude. Buy any 5 gallon bucket plus the following...
Net Pot:
https://www.amazon.com/Wide-Lip-Bucket-Basket-Container/dp/B0049XIIGC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543448234&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=5+gallon+bucket+net+pot&dpPl=1&dpID=41OyuQEug2L&ref=plSrch
Air Pump
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004PB8SRM/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1543448287&sr=8-6&keywords=air+pump+aquarium&dpPl=1&dpID=51GDMPD2gDL&ref=plSrch
Air stones
https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Stone-Cylinder-Aquarium-Hydroponics/dp/B01MV5C1I4/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1543448415&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=air+stones&dpPl=1&dpID=61kdxK4TwKL&ref=plSrch
Air hose
https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Airline-Aquariums-Terrariums-Hydroponics/dp/B079DFWLX4/ref=pd_aw_fbt_86_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01HBSU9EA&pd_rd_r=1ef20a78-f367-11e8-b5ba-5dfed4e35b83&pd_rd_w=ry8W3&pd_rd_wg=odzaM&pf_rd_i=mobile-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=b98fa1a4-6e6e-4981-835c-7fb29e0f4dd2&pf_rd_r=XE7EVET4QSQ7P0K5GKH5&pf_rd_s=mobile-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=XE7EVET4QSQ7P0K5GKH5&th=1
And then buy some hydroton or some other medium, maybe rapid rooters or some rockwool cubes to sprout in. Set up is very cheap and easy.
I’ve seen that one but users are saying one tank last a week if that in their smaller tanks, even smaller than mine. I guess if I were to get that one an air stone under it would be sufficient? I was also checking this one out but the reviews aren’t so great: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074RHS1BM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_G8dZCbWPP4R6E
im know nothing about stepwell living soil, but super soils should feed it for at least most of its life, may have to help in flower, but youre right to not feed them yet.
i dont know your budget but you can get meters that check ph and moisture in soil for $10 usd. they are shitty but it is a ph tester for cheap. they make digital ones for about $25. you can get digital ph pens for water for cheap too i personally would avoid the cheapest ones. blue lab makes quality testers but you wont find a new one under 100$
cut the light back a bit. do like 18/6 or 20/4. plants develop more roots during night time. its not like they dont when the lights are on, just when lights are on plants prioritize storing energy as to spending it. some strains get stressed as well from 24 hours light.
dont let your water sit for 4-5 days. get a air pump and stone and bubble it. this thing is good enough to bubble the water in a 5 gallon bucket. or if you can get a chlorine filter.
definitly test the soil and your water going in to see where its at. as you just water, the ph of the water shouldnt matter to much. but if your soils to acidic and youre adding acidic water, or if its to alkaline and youre adding alkaline water, problems compound. you probably just transplanted into to rich of soil as super soils tend to be very rich. plant got stunted as a result. if its been 2-3 weeks since transplant they dont look dead so they should recover, just will take some time
Here's my setup!
I have my personal bettas in 15-gallon tanks, each tank divided in half with one these (https://www.lifewithpetsgci.com/store/c3/_Tank_Dividers.html) the Life with Pets dividers. Each tank has two of these https://www.lifewithpetsgci.com/store/p21/Corner_Sponge_Filter.html sponge filters because I like how they look against either side of the divider. Each tank has one of these air pumps: https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77852-Whisper-Pump-20-Gallon/dp/B00B39POAI. For airline tubing, you can just check out Petco, they sell it in (I think) 10-foot length. I run the airline tubing into a check valve (https://bit.ly/2MRTsS7) and then continue the tubing into one of these guys (https://bit.ly/2St74bL) which sits overtop the divider, and splits the airflow (and also allows me to control the intensity) so I can run one line into the sponge filters on either side of the divider.
Since you don't have a split tank, you'd only need one air pump, a pack of airline tubing, one check valve, one control valve (https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-air-control-valve) and one sponge filter.
I got this one off amazon and it the most quiet air pump I’ve ever owned.
Uniclife Aquarium 2 Outlets Air Pump 4 Watt 4-LPM Adjustable Flow Rate Oxygen Pump for 20-100 Gallon Fish Tank Hydroponic Systems https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7GUPXC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1DDKBb8749M2N
I just discovered aquarium pumps are often measured in gallons per hour. 3.4 CFM would be roughly 1520 GPH.
Quick search on Amazon yielded me these results. There's some much cheaper with lower output if that would work.
VIVOSUN Air Pump 1750 GPH 102W 110L/min 12 Outlet Commercial Air Pump for Aquarium and Hydroponic Systems (102 W) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072N2HPWB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_iW-BDb2N50DK2v
I have a pair of Collar aPumps. They are super quiet but a little pricy and might be too much for a 5gal? https://www.amazon.com/Collar-aPump-Silent-Aquarium-gallons/dp/B00J7X5VZU
https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-17554-Pressurized-1-6oz-CO2/dp/B074RHS1BM
Update 2: I just noticed my pump was barely working and found it was clogged with all kinds of gunk (although I had cleaned it the day before). Do any of you think that the the temporary reduction in DO from the pump not functioning for a day could be enough to kill one of my fish, even though I have supplemental O2? The fish has cloudy eyes if that is any indication.
I have the pump working again and will continue monitoring.
Here is the mobile version of your link
The 4th fact was that you need control of your lighting and photo period to correctly balance everything. You will have to combat many types of algae. Direct sunlight is not ideal.
You are correct on waste, but who has time for 10 feedings a day... However you want to describe it, goldfish have a large bio load and they need a filter. They are also not ideal for Walstad.
Here's an air pump to go with that sponge filter.
I've had two bettas (separated) sharing a 5-gallon portrait tank while I've been trying to cycle a second identical tank. Several months in and several restarts later I'm having zero luck fishless cycling, despite having been successful in the first tank. I mean, the first tank is really doing well, apart from having two fish in it.
So I'm starting "fresh" (so to speak) in the new tank, completely replaced the water twice (Prime both rounds), next I'm trying a sponge filter; I've ordered a biologically active sponge and a small air pump, the idea being when both arrive I'll plop them in and have cycled media.
Other than the obvious API test kit tests, is there anything I should have to do before moving one of the bettas into his new tank? Should I continue running the powered filter while the sponge is going, too?