Air Pump

[smudge_]

Hey guys,


I recently set up a new tank, the first I have ever had. I noticed my friends fish seem to be fond of swimming into the bubbles made by an air stone and it looks lovely so I decided to buy one for my tank, so i went into a fish shop today and bought this http/www.amazon.co.uk/Interpet-Aquatic-Air-Pump-Airvolution/dp/B003VYXHCU/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1326928743&sr=1-1 they said it was the right one for my tank size (60L) but when I put it in the tank it proved too powerful and was clearly annoying my fish. Is there a way to reduce the power of these? Someone mentioned you could get a valve of some sort?

I would appreciate any advice that anyone can provide on this issue

 

[pezmanw]

There are valves you can get and most LFS have them. The don't cost too much either. You can also use a "bubble wand" if you are using just an air stone right now. It passes the same amount of air over a larger area and the bubbles are smaller. Good luck hope it helps. The bubble wands are flexible and you can get them to fit the aquarium you are using.

 

[Lufbramatt]

Tank sizes given on air pumps are for if you want to run an under gravel filter in the tank, where the air pump is basically powering the filtration in the tank by releasing bubbles at the bottom of an uplift tube causing the water to flow up from under the UGF. For a little airstone you only need the smallest pump, unless you have a rediculously deep tank.

 

[OldMan47]

If you buy a thing called a gang valve, one with more than one outlet, you can throttle to get what you want into the tank and release the rest of the air into the room. Simply throttling air flow without giving it an alternate place to go will end up damaging the air pump. A short piece of air tubing on that unused outlet will act as a muffler so that it does not make annoying loud air noises.