# Air pump?



## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

which should i get?


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## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

super luft 2.9psi ?
rena 400?
tetra whisper 100?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

What kind of aquarium do you intend to use it for? Are you planning to use the air pump split amongst multiple aquariums? Multiple ornaments/air stones? Is noise a factor?

There are many factors that play into which air pump to choose...


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

ilikefish said:


> super luft 2.9psi ?
> rena 400?
> tetra whisper 100?


Why would you ask such an incomplete question?
You mention three airpumps, one is twenty times the power of the third.

What vehicle should I get? An eight cylinder pickup truck with 400 ft lbs of torque or a 3 cylinder Smart Car?

It's like going "What filter should I get". What's your application?

Why get an airpump at all? Why don't you just splurge on a five horsepower gasoline compressor?


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## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

I am going to get 3 x 5led air bars and 1 ornament for now. I am wondering what u think of the brands and noise levels.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

The deepness of the tanks matters as wells. The deeper the tank, the stronger the air pump you will need.


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## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

k i got 65 gal tank. but im asking what u think about each brand/model!


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

ilikefish said:


> super luft 2.9psi ?
> rena 400?
> tetra whisper 100?


Go with the Rena 400 but if you want to save some money then go with the Tetra Whisper 100.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

ilikefish said:


> k i got 65 gal tank. but im asking what u think about each brand/model!


A 65 like 3x18x28? 5x12x15?


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> A 65 like 3x18x28? 5x12x15?


3 is 3feet? 3x18x28 so 36x18x28=18144/231=78.55gal
and the other one is 60x12x15=10800/231=46.75gal
A 65 tall s/b 36x18x24


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## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

mine is 36x18x24


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

dl88dl said:


> 3 is 3feet? 3x18x28 so 36x18x28=18144/231=78.55gal
> and the other one is 60x12x15=10800/231=46.75gal
> A 65 tall s/b 36x18x24


Outsmartassed   



ilikefish said:


> mine is 36x18x24


Get a pump rated for at least 40G if not 60. If you put the airstone at the bottom 2 feet of water is a fair bit of pressure to pump through.


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## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

ya but which of these a quietest and most durable. what about the super lufts 2.9 and 3.3?

i stated how many ornaments/stones i will be using let me know


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

ilikefish said:


> ya but which of these a quietest and most durable. what about the super lufts 2.9 and 3.3?
> 
> i stated how many ornaments/stones i will be using let me know


You won't find a * quiet *pump at the output you desire. If you want silence, perhaps two 40 rated Tetra pumps each on a single splitter. Airpumps are not what they once were. "Quiet airpumps" these days just mean very low output. You used to be able to get high output low noise but the manufacturing is no longer there. It will not be obnoxiously loud but you will not find a silent solution. Sadly it is the way of things right now.


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## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

ok then lets forget about quiet then how about most durable and what about the super lufts 2.9 and 3.3?
Two 40 pumps will be enough for what i want to run? I saw 100 tetra running in the store on 3 things and the third item barely had any air flowing.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

ilikefish said:


> ok then lets forget about quiet then how about most durable and what about the super lufts 2.9 and 3.3?
> Two 40 pumps will be enough for what i want to run? I saw 100 tetra running in the store on 3 things and the third item barely had any air flowing.


What's your definition of barely any air flowing 

I wouldn't personally want any more air coming out of something than what was needed to operate it so I'd say for a modest level of air, the 40 pumps. If you really want a heavy stream of bubbles and heavy 'action' out of your ornaments (though all of these things just scare fish and look bad IMO) you may actually want to look into something like 2 100 pumps. That's a tonne of air though. I honestly don't think you need any 'non bottom tier' air pumps. All the standard one or two output commercial grade ones (tetra whisper brand, etc) will do the job you want. Usually people only resort to the heavier duty units for running a whole rack of tanks. Just make sure you don't create so much movement in the water with all the bubbles that your fish are tumbling around. Air bubbles make a lot more water movement than most realize.


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## snaggle (Feb 19, 2010)

lots of good info in thithread, http://www.gtaaquaria.com/


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Within a year this thing will be sitting on your shelf. Most people turn off the ornaments and take them back out again in less than one year.

You don't need an air pump. Your fish don't need it. Buy a big filter, and pretty pretty fishies, and save your $50. Your future self sent a message back in time to me, to give to you, to say, save that $50 you were going to spend on ornaments and a big air pump. You're gonna need it for more pretty fishies!



W

P.S. If you must get an air pump to run two ornaments, come on over here and you can have one of my old spare ones that I paid $50 for (dual high output) for a mere $20. I can set you up with a water-wheel and babbling brook ornament, real cheap, too!!! ;-)


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