Air Pump Check Valve Placement

[GregD]

Greetings -
I learned the hard way that my air pump, bubbler set-up was not ideal. I can’t have the pump above the tank; I have to have it near the floor, below the tank. About a year ago, the air tube popped off the check valve (on the aquarium side of the check value). This created a siphon that emptied the aquarium on my floor. Disaster. Now a year later, I’m going for it again. This time I am placing the check value in the aquarium, but above the surface of the water (last time the check valve was closer to the pump, outside and below the aquarium). My thought is that if the air tube pops off the aquarium side of the valve, it will just fall into ten tank, not my floor. If the tube pops off the outside side of the valve- I don’t think anything bad could happen.

See

the pic I attached of the set-up.

Anything I’m not thinking about? Can this set-up work? No airpump check value directions offer this as an option.

 

[Colin_T]

It should be fine and if the airline does come off the check valve, the water should remain in the tank.

Check valves usually have a directional flow and if you put them on the wrong way they don't work and allow water to drain out.

If the airline is coming off the valve, warm the airline up in a glass of hot water and push it onto the valve further so more tubing is on the valve.

 

[emeraldking]

No further comments from me needed. Colin has already stated how it works.... And welcome to the forum, btw...

 

[GregD]

It should be fine and if the airline does come off the check valve, the water should remain in the tank.

Check valves usually have a directional flow and if you put them on the wrong way they don't work and allow water to drain out.

If the airline is coming off the valve, warm the airline up in a glass of hot water and push it onto the valve further so more tubing is on the valve.

No further comments from me needed. Colin has already stated how it works.... And welcome to the forum, btw...

Thanks much!

 

[Archerfish]

To create a second layer of protection, consider looping your airline above the tank. This is one of my tanks showing the five lines held by a carabiner. The loops help prevent siphoning. One other trick is to place your air stone (or bubbler) a couple of inches off the bottom of the tank. In the event you do have a total failure the tank will not completely drain down thus saving your fish.