# !!!PLEASE Hurry HELP!!!



## IAN (Apr 14, 2008)

I am trying to run 170gs or 4 foam filters. I want one pump that will do it all.

DOES ANYONE KNOW FO A GOOD RELIABLE AQUARIUM AIR PUMP THAT CAN DO THE JOB? 

*HOW MUCH AIR DO I NEED TO RUN THE FOUR FILTERS?*

I can't seem to get an answer.

Running 100, 50, 10, 10, and appropriate foam filters only what is the minimum air pump size that I need?


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## IAN (Apr 14, 2008)

I'm thinking of a tetra deep water pump.

BUT I REALLY DON"T KNOW WHAT TO GET. PLS HELP


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## Ricker (Nov 23, 2007)

Maybe these will help you


http://www.petsolutions.com/Super-Luft-Pump+I96301656+C10.aspx

http://www.petsolutions.com/Dynamaster-Deep-Water-Air-Pumps+I25004240+C10106.aspx


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## IAN (Apr 14, 2008)

I still have a lot of questions that remain unanswered!


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Perhaps because this is not an emergency, and acting like it is can frustrate people.


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## IAN (Apr 14, 2008)

*but it is!*

All four tanks have NO filtation. current pump cannot handle load and broke. Need better pump.


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## Ricker (Nov 23, 2007)

Them are good pumps.


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## Guest (Apr 16, 2008)

Not everyone is on the website at night and not everyone knows enough about pumps to recommend one.


Ricker gave you a couple suggestions.


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## Ricker (Nov 23, 2007)

> Ricker gave you a couple suggestions


LOL ya them are good. To much for me though.


> All four tanks have NO filtation. current pump cannot handle load and broke. Need better pump.


Do you not have a HOB are they all sponge?


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## IAN (Apr 14, 2008)

What is a HOB pray tell. I have all foam filters.


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## karazy (Nov 2, 2007)

HOB is hang on the back, like an aquaclear filter


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

It looks like a whisper 100 or Rena 400 or Whisper AP 300 would work. I have one each of the little ones and they've all gone a few years with no issues. See if this page helps.
http://pet-supplies.drsfostersmith....itorID=&cartcount=0&wishcount=0&subtotal=0.00
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/add_info.cfm?pCatId=3676


Do you have a air compressor, like a 1/4 horsepower one for paint or nails? You can use that for fish in a pinch.

Go get the biggest aquarium air-pump wal-mart sells tonight and shop around for the best replacement until it breaks.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

I use the 5-star on the following page in my fishroom. I'm using one on a 125g, 55g, 20g, and 20g, and another for a whole bunch of 20g and 10g tanks.
And its hard to beat the price ($22) for a four-nozzle high output pump...

http://www.kensfish.com/diaphramairpumps.html


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## IAN (Apr 14, 2008)

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I have moved the fish all into my 100 and am currently feeding that with 25 gallon rated pump.

I like the dolphins. Do they hold up well?

What do you think of the Tetra company's products. Their whisper gave out on me.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I think you said the whisper was a 60. It wasn't rated for your size tank. Try to use products in their target specs. I know real specs. are hard to find. The brands all get sold, and the all change parts suppliers, so what was a good brand last year could suck tomorrow. I have a little dolphin air pump that works fine. I can't say if it will extrapolate to their big ones, but at that price, I am tempted to order the one Red recommends myself and replace several little air pumps.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I went down to feed my fish and looked around. I have a dolphin 1P, a 1 star, and a deluxe (2 outlets). The deluxe is powering a sponge filter in a 55g from one outlet. And all of them are quiet compared to other pumps in the rooms.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Why are you looking for just one pump to run all your tanks, anyway? An old adage about eggs and baskets comes to mind.


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

I'm confused.

Are you using an air pump to run under gravel or sponge filters? If so they are inadequate for big tanks like a 100 gallon.

If you are just using them to make bubbles and you have some other type of filtration running, then there is no problem. You don't even really need to produce bubbles. It is an antiquated belief that the bubbles bring chemicals to the surface. They may, but, they do so little that they really don't help any.

As for Tetra / Whisper products verses others, keep in mind that Spectrum Brands owns both Tetra and Marineland and all subsidiary companies associated. Other major manufacturers in the pet arena are Hagen: they make Fluval, Rena, etc. Eheim makes Eheim, Jager, mp, Hetscher, etc. It is impossible to label a brand or a manufacturer as good or bad because they are horribly inconsistent from product line to product line and even from product to product in a line. For instance, I would never ever ever buy a Whisper filter but I like their air pumps. I would never ever ever buy a heater from any Hagen division but I generally like most Fluval canisters and I love Fluval lids.


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## IAN (Apr 14, 2008)

I'm looking for one pump to run all the outside tanks because I don't believe it is that hard to do!

(I don't use air with my inside tanks.)

I am only running 4 foam filters. They are nessecary to keep the water clean since the tanks are sheltered outside water-borne alge grows quite rapidly. I don't know how much air you really need to run the foam filters.

Thanks for exposing the truth about those brands.

My whisper is shot.

The foam filters are rated for over the size tanks I have. A 125 rated filter in the 100 a 80 rated filter in the 50 and 20 rated filters in the 10s.

I use the filters for safe filtration as opposed to aitraition.

I wonder really how much air I need.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> sponge filters? If so they are inadequate for big tanks like a 100 gallon.


 I'm don't agree. Have you seen the pond-size hydro sponges. Combined with water changes and bottom siphoning 4 of them could do the job. Most of my biggest sponge filters have little power heads, but it got to be safer to run airline outside than electrical cords.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

I'm with emc7 on this - sponge filters CAN be the sole filters on tanks if a) you don't overcrowd, and b) you keep up with water changes 

ie just like any other filters.

The funniest thing at the NEC fish convention this weekend was how many of the speakers had a slide in thier presentation showing their fishrooms full of tanks running on just hydro-sponge filters. These are all big-name fish breeders, and its all they use.
It became a running gag, since many of them have been using these for years, but recently Hydro-sponge started doing magazine ads with many of these breeders featured.
Almost every speaker said the following in their presentation:
"These are my tanks, and yes I'm using hydro-sponge filters. Not because I'm in thier ad - I got asked to do the ad because I use the filters, not the other way around" - until finally we had one speaker who HASN'T done an ad, and he said "yes, I'm using hydro-sponges, but they never asked ME to do an ad"

or something like that.
It was pretty cool

seriously, lots of hardcore aquarists don't use any "power filters" or canister filters - trying to run 50 or 100 Aquaclears, Whispers, Fluvals, etc just gets too expensive. Many big fishrooms run on sponge filters and water changes.

(of course, at that point, linear pumps or blowers make more sense than diaphram pumps....)


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

HOW MUCH AIR DO I NEED TO RUN THE FOUR FILTERS

There are really two things you need from the air - pressure and volume

Volume per unit time or flow is often rated in cubic ft./min. You really don't need any more than you would for 8 airstones. Just a strong, steady stream of bubbles on each filter. Airpumps are often rated in # of outlets, which is a measure of air output or flow. But this # is often measured against no or little water pressure. Blowers often have great volume, but low pressure.

You need enough air pressure to overcome the weight of water at the bottom of your tanks so the air can push through. Ratings on size of tank or depth of tank attempt to convey the amount of air pressure a pump puts out. Air compressors have great pressure.

Of course the two variables are related and the graph of output (volume) is dependent on pressure. So you get fewer outlets in deep tanks. Some manufacturers will give you that graph, others just give their pump a number and let you figure empirically if it will work for you. 

I like Jehmco's descriptions of air pumps. But all their pumps are big enough for an entire fish room.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Just want to apologize, I did not realize your tanks were already running. From your first post it looked to me like you were setting up and having difficulty with set up (not an emergency). Sorry for my misunderstanding and I would agree that loss of filtration on a tank with fish in it is not a good thing!!!! (much less on 4... yikes!)

In the meantime change your water daily to replace some of what is being lost via filtration. You can use an airstone in each tank to keep water movement happening, which will help oxygenate the water. 

I would put a filter on each tank. It really helps especially in a case like this. The most you would loose would be one tanks filtration. 

I skipped over a bunch of posts before I put this up, so if I repeated what someone already said, sorry.


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## IAN (Apr 14, 2008)

I have been running on sponges for a long time. I give the water to my mom's garden. It fertilizes them and make them grow strong and big. try it!

That's fine Obsidian. The 10s were breeders, and I just had 3 fish in each. The 50 has fry in it but I lowered the water level and they are doing fine. The 100 has all the big fish. I just kept that running with a super small pump.

I agree with emc7 and redpaulhus in that you can filter on only sponge. It has worked for me so far and the sponges are a lot less work that norm.

Furthermore. I am low on paradise fish. I only have 20 because I just sold a bunch yesturday.

Thanks for saying sorry. 

still, what pumps do you guys recomend?-I'm leaving that open.


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