Air Pumps

[Danny Boy]

My LFS mentioned that I should consider buying an air pump for my 40 litre tank. Now, I'm not entirely sure what these bits of kit do, and some research on the net has left me none the wiser...

All I know is that at present I have no bubbles to look at or listen to in my tank, and I think I miss them! Am I right that an air pump could help here?

Do they go in the water? Outside the tank? So many questions!

Can someone explain why I should have/need/might like to get one?

 

[clunkster]

air pumps are situated on the out side of your tank & can be used for as you say putting bubbles in which will then disturb the water surface thus helping to oxygenate the water. they are also used to opperate undergravel fillters they also opperate box fillters & can be conected to spray bars & airstones hope this helps :

 

[clunkster]

ps there are no stupid questions if you dont know :

 

[Sky042]

Odds are you have no need for it. Most tanks are oxygenated plenty just in the process of being filtered.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I have one that I use when I am medicating my tanks...sometimes meds can lower the oxygen in the water. If you have a planted tank, you don't want to use one because it will drive off some CO2, which your plants need.

Other than that, they are really only for decoration.

 

[vicbarry]

It might be an idea to test one out at your LFS as they can be quite noisy. The cheaper they are, the noiser they be. I got one recently for around €12 and it can get fairly noisy!

 

[debiasir]

if you do get one and find it noisy. wrap it in bubble wrap