sidpost
Community Member
I run some deeper freshwater tanks and keep losing air pumps. Common pet store options die pretty fast and don't put out much air, or any at all, at a ~3-foot depth.
What brands and air pumps should I be looking at that are relatively power efficient (won't drain battery back-ups fast) that will last over the long haul? I am running common 75G pet store tanks and a larger, deeper 400G tank right now. What sort of price range are the better options in, generally?
I have run everything from sewer air pumps, larger Chinese import finned linear pumps, and common Tetra/Eheim/... aquarium store options. I need secondary pumps to back up my main air supply in case of a failure while away or during a power outage, so a more common Tetra APS 300 style air pump on batteries is what I am thinking right now but, Penn Plax, Tetra, etc. have fairly short lives and high failure rates which defeat them as a back-up safety air supply if I am out of town for a few days (lost a tank of Tilapia this way).
The common fish store tanks are easier to work with their shallower depths, so the common off the shelf pet store stuff will work if it doesn't die prematurely or unexpectedly. The 400G tank and some water air lift needs a pump with some real pressure to run deeper with adequate airflow, to oxygenate the water, "air lift" is secondary for a 2 or 3 day "limp mode" if I am away on a long weekend.
TIA,
Sid
What brands and air pumps should I be looking at that are relatively power efficient (won't drain battery back-ups fast) that will last over the long haul? I am running common 75G pet store tanks and a larger, deeper 400G tank right now. What sort of price range are the better options in, generally?
I have run everything from sewer air pumps, larger Chinese import finned linear pumps, and common Tetra/Eheim/... aquarium store options. I need secondary pumps to back up my main air supply in case of a failure while away or during a power outage, so a more common Tetra APS 300 style air pump on batteries is what I am thinking right now but, Penn Plax, Tetra, etc. have fairly short lives and high failure rates which defeat them as a back-up safety air supply if I am out of town for a few days (lost a tank of Tilapia this way).
The common fish store tanks are easier to work with their shallower depths, so the common off the shelf pet store stuff will work if it doesn't die prematurely or unexpectedly. The 400G tank and some water air lift needs a pump with some real pressure to run deeper with adequate airflow, to oxygenate the water, "air lift" is secondary for a 2 or 3 day "limp mode" if I am away on a long weekend.
TIA,
Sid
