*Urgent* Help Weatherizing My Fish/Tanks

[madmark285]

Glad everything is OK. Now the biggest danger is, all those chainsaws running with inexperienced operators. I hate chainsaws....

What I remember, how eerie that night was when the power went out, it was so silent until crack! as a big branch broke or a tree fell.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Glad everything is OK. Now the biggest danger is, all those chainsaws running with inexperienced operators. I hate chainsaws....

What I remember, how eerie that night was when the power went out, it was so silent until crack! as a big branch broke or a tree fell.

"What I remember, how eerie that night was when the power went out, it was so silent until crack! as a big branch broke or a tree fell."

Same here...back in '97...we don't have ice storms often down here...

 

[Fishiemang]

....sure makes the trees pretty tho....don't it?

A good, heavy, sticky snowfall does as well. Mix the 2 and it's the stuff Christmas stories are made of.....

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Glad everything is OK. Now the biggest danger is, all those chainsaws running with inexperienced operators. I hate chainsaws....

What I remember, how eerie that night was when the power went out, it was so silent until crack! as a big branch broke or a tree fell.

Well, my dad is experienced and he taught me. I was also wearing proper safety gear and he was supervising me.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

....sure makes the trees pretty tho....don't it?

A good, heavy, sticky snowfall does as well. Mix the 2 and it's the stuff Christmas stories are made of.....

It does make them pretty, but also makes the surroundings dangerous. All of the ice is super heavy, and it weighs down all of the trees.

 

[eatyourpeas]

We are surrounded by 60’-80’ trees. A windstorm is always treated with the outmost respect out here.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

We are surrounded by 60’-80’ trees. A windstorm is always treated with the outmost respect out here.

We also live in a heavy forest, although most of our trees are strong boys.

 

[Slaphppy7]

This was a neighbor's tree, took out the fence between us when it fell during Hurricane Delta this past October...missed my shed and garage by only a few feet (that's them in the background)

 

[Colin_T]

Ok guy, I need your opinion. Which one should I get? (These are my only options)

With battery operated air pumps, get the biggest one you can. All battery air pumps are weak compared to normal mains powered air pumps so the bigger pumps can produce more air.

Don't use an airstone on battery air pumps because they put heaps of back pressure on the pump and flatten the battery really quickly. Just have airline with a small weight on the end to hold it down in the water.

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Good to hear you came through this ok

 

[Slaphppy7]

With battery operated air pumps, get the biggest one you can. All battery air pumps are weak compared to normal mains powered air pumps so the bigger pumps can produce more air.

Don't use an airstone on battery air pumps because they put heaps of back pressure on the pump and flatten the battery really quickly. Just have airline with a small weight on the end to hold it down in the water.

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Good to hear you came through this ok

This is excellent advice, thank you for posting it...but I have a question

Considering the above advice, would you also advise buying a battery powered air pump with adjustable airflow? I have no idea if those are even a thing you can buy, never looked.

But with no airstone, and just the end of the tubing as the bubble source, there would be QUITE the difference in aerating a small tank vs. a large one...think 5.5G vs. 40G...if the airflow is not adjustable.

 

[Colin_T]

They don't have an adjustment valve so the air coming out is not variable unless you get a plastic T-piece and tap for airline. Then you can adjust the amount of air going into the tank.

 

[Slaphppy7]

But then you would still tax the battery with mechanically reduced airflow.
Still, that is a viable option with pumps with no airflow control, and an easy and inexpensive one, as well.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I ended up not needing to use them, but I’m going to keep them on hand until this cold front blows through. Then if I never end up using them, I can return them.

 

[Colin_T]

But then you would still tax the battery with mechanically reduced airflow.
Still, that is a viable option with pumps with no airflow control, and an easy and inexpensive one, as well.

No it doesn't tax the battery.
You run airline from the pump into the tank.
You cut that airline a couple of inches from the pump and insert the T-piece.
You put another short piece of airline on the spare part of the T-piece and put the tap on the end of that piece.

Most of the air goes into the tank and you adjust the tap to allow some air to escape. The more air that escapes, the less air going into the tank.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Well explained, thanks again.