Air Pump?

[fishypps]

Hiya, trying to get the new tank to the best it can be, at the moment we haven't got much more than a filter, heater, ornaments and fish in there, we can't afford to do everything at once but little by little we were going to make it just the way we want it. Anyway, will stop talking rubbish, we're wanting to get an air pump to run an air ornament and/or air stone from. I know the air pumps get more powerful the bigger the tank but what output would i need for our 80l tank? Also, what are the pro's and cons of an air pump except for the pretty ornament? lol!

 

[The Duke]

Hi. I got a pretty strong tretratec air pump for my 190 litre. The only downside to air pumps is the noise they omit!! That said, wrap the pump in a towel and it should be ok. Tetratec do a good range, I paid about £40 for mine so you should be looking to pay about half that for yours. IMO they are a bit of a novelty and I actually don't use mine as much now but they do add a nice effect to a tank and good for adding oxygen if you experience any disease in your tank.

 

[Gilli]

You dont need an air pump. Save your self the price of buying one, the price of the electricity bill in running it , and the noise! As long as you position the filter outlet so it is gently agitating the surface of the water you will have enough air in the tank. As long as you have some movement (and you dont need bubbles) it will be fine! I have a massive 4 foot 250 liter tank with no air pump - have never bothered with them.

 

[DJH584]

We've got a Tetra APS 100 for our 80 litre tank and it is a very quiet pump.
If you do decide to get one, make sure that you buy a check/one way valve to go with it.

David

 

[Cazgar]

You dont need an air pump. Save your self the price of buying one, the price of the electricity bill in running it , and the noise! As long as you position the filter outlet so it is gently agitating the surface of the water you will have enough air in the tank. As long as you have some movement (and you dont need bubbles) it will be fine! I have a massive 4 foot 250 liter tank with no air pump - have never bothered with them.

+1 you really don't need an air pump if your filter is positioned so it ripples the surface of the water.
Using an air pump only increases the amount of electricity you use, & even the quietest ones can be quite noisy

 

[BigbruiserAl]

ill agree you dont need a air pump but they can save your tank if you filter packs in and the added oygen is not a bad thing, cost to run is small per year. I got a tetra APS 300 for £6 off ebay and it great

 

[OldMan47]

Unless you are driving your filter with air, an air pump is purely optional equipment. I have several because some of my tanks use air powered filters and on others it suits me just to watch the bubbles. If you are in a bind for money, the air pump is definitely something that can wait until you happen to have the cash.