# My Fish Room Extended Review Of Overall Progress ~ Big Air Pump



## peacocks (Aug 7, 2011)

check out my video of my fish room! 
let me know if u guys have any thoughts of things to remove or add. im always open to suggestions!


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## default (May 28, 2011)

I'm really surprised sponges could handle so high of a load, I hated using them and have always used canisters or sumps, in which would work great for you as well - as in the sump. Although the bioload of the larger tank would get a lot larger since the fish are getting larger.

Also how come you don't decorate or semi-decorate the tanks? Do you have a show tank that you move them to or do you sell them on a normal basis?
When I bred SA cichlids when I was a kid, I had them in breeding tanks that were effective but personally aesthetic as well. Wouldn't these cichlids enjoy tanks with sand and perhaps slate/lava rock?
Looks like healthy fish, good luck with everything!


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## peacocks (Aug 7, 2011)

thats my "fish room" so thats where all the action takes place. growing and breeding. i sell fish regularly as i grow. but these guys u c in the video besides the German reds ill be keeping and growing out. they are all f1 and one batch of wc usisya peacocks. 

bare bottoms is easier to maintain when working with growing and breeding fish. its less of a hassle. u want to be able to c the fish all the time.

i do have a 125 gallon show male peacock tank. check out my channel and check it out. months of finding some of those fish.

thanks for kind words!


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Sponge filters are the way to go for that type of set up. Your tanks are nice and clean. Having fish crap stored in cannisters is not a better solution than removing it from the tank before it can be broken down.
A couple of things struck me. Many of the Hydrosponges did not have lift tubes. Those filters work a lot better with lift tubes. The air stone/line needs to be at the bottom of the filter and the longer the total run from bottom of filter to top of lift tube, the more water moved. As well, the tanks need to be filled more to take advantage of all the water available. I assume the water level is low due to the high air volume and large bubbles, and you are trying to reduce splashing. You can actually have too much air.
Overall, good use of a tight space.


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## peacocks (Aug 7, 2011)

BillD said:


> Sponge filters are the way to go for that type of set up. Your tanks are nice and clean. Having fish crap stored in cannisters is not a better solution than removing it from the tank before it can be broken down.
> A couple of things struck me. Many of the Hydrosponges did not have lift tubes. Those filters work a lot better with lift tubes. The air stone/line needs to be at the bottom of the filter and the longer the total run from bottom of filter to top of lift tube, the more water moved. As well, the tanks need to be filled more to take advantage of all the water available. I assume the water level is low due to the high air volume and large bubbles, and you are trying to reduce splashing. You can actually have too much air.
> Overall, good use of a tight space.


thanks brother. does the lift tube really help that much? isnt it the same thing. some of the tanks have it and some dont. the smaller tanks dont have it cuz the lift tube is to big. it goes over the water line. as for the air stone thing ur saying. ur saying to put air stone in each of the sponges? if i did ill have less bubbles. especially in the bigger tanks.

ya i did the best i could do with my space. i would love to use the living room but new carpet and its a no no to the parents. its understandable. in the future ill be throwing out the stove in the basement and adding a 75 gallon rack where the 40 rack is. ill have alot more room to work with then  stay tuned im getting some nice stock this week hopefully. lwandas mayb today and lemon jakes this week some time.

thanks again!


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## default (May 28, 2011)

peacocks said:


> thanks brother. does the lift tube really help that much? isnt it the same thing. some of the tanks have it and some dont. the smaller tanks dont have it cuz the lift tube is to big. it goes over the water line. as for the air stone thing ur saying. ur saying to put air stone in each of the sponges? if i did ill have less bubbles. especially in the bigger tanks.
> 
> ya i did the best i could do with my space. i would love to use the living room but new carpet and its a no no to the parents. its understandable. in the future ill be throwing out the stove in the basement and adding a 75 gallon rack where the 40 rack is. ill have alot more room to work with then  stay tuned im getting some nice stock this week hopefully. lwandas mayb today and lemon jakes this week some time.
> 
> thanks again!


tubes would help with the "suction". the filters wouldnt be at their peak without em. and in the case of too much bubbles, apparently it could stress out the fish and cause too much of a vibration effect. i would use a airstone as well. has almost the same effect, looks a little nicer, and is more gentle and quiet.


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## peacocks (Aug 7, 2011)

default said:


> tubes would help with the "suction". the filters wouldnt be at their peak without em. and in the case of too much bubbles, apparently it could stress out the fish and cause too much of a vibration effect. i would use a airstone as well. has almost the same effect, looks a little nicer, and is more gentle and quiet.


i have a lot of bubbles but fish seem to like it. i heard a lot of agitation is really good. point is it has to be the way it is untill i get control valves for each tube. ill c how the fish r today cuz i havnt woke them up yet. hopefully everything smooth.

thanks.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

On the small tanks you can remove the riser from the base and or cut the tube. the tube length does make a difference. The air stones won't reduce the amount of air, but the smaller bubbles will rise a little slower and give a more even density within the tube. Many of the cheap sandstone airstones don't distribute air very well. The best ones are sintered glass, although the foam ones work very well too.
the thing to understand is the the air doesn't "lift" the water. A difference in density between the water in the tank and the water/air mix in the tube causes water to be drawn to the area of lower density.The water moves through the foam to the area of lower density within the lift tube. The bigger the pressure differential, the faster the water will move through the filter foam.


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## vs5295 (Mar 21, 2011)

which air pump do you use ?


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## macKRAZY (Feb 15, 2012)

sweet! nice show tanks too dude!

keep the vids up and check mine out!


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## peacocks (Aug 7, 2011)

vs5295 said:


> which air pump do you use ?


pondmaster ap-40. its a great pump


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## peacocks (Aug 7, 2011)

macKRAZY said:


> sweet! nice show tanks too dude!
> 
> keep the vids up and check mine out!


always try to update with videos! ill release another tom. im getting my lwanda wc group tom so hopefully i can make one!


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## vs5295 (Mar 21, 2011)

AP-40 , how many sponges are you running from it ? also was the manifold included ? and how loud is the pump itself ? i dont mind the bubbling of the sponges , i need a pump for 15 lines , i have 2 - Eco Commercial Air #1's currently with a DIY manifold , its a good setup but a bit loud to my liking


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## peacocks (Aug 7, 2011)

vs5295 said:


> AP-40 , how many sponges are you running from it ? also was the manifold included ? and how loud is the pump itself ? i dont mind the bubbling of the sponges , i need a pump for 15 lines , i have 2 - Eco Commercial Air #1's currently with a DIY manifold , its a good setup but a bit loud to my liking


im running 12 sponges from it atm. i can easily run 30 i know it. it comes with a manifold. 12 splitter one. also its very quite. i barely hear it. i hear more bubbles then the pump. im very impressed with it. and its in a tight kitchen which is better. bigger the room even less of a sound. I was considering the eco comm at first. i ordered it and canceled it. there wasnt a lot of review on it and a lot of them that i found said it was to loud. so i went with this and im the happiest could be atm. i bought the repair kit at the same time so if i counter any errors i can easily repair on spot.

hope that answered ur questions. subscribe! more to come.


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## vs5295 (Mar 21, 2011)

Thank You , im going to get an AP-40 or 50 , now ! thanks !


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Fwiw, I modified my sponge filters with longer lift tubes and that most definitely increased the total water flow, without any change in the amount of air going in. Where the filter allows for it, I put an air stone in the very bottom, then run the air tube up the lift tube itself. Depends on the given filter what size of clear rigid tubing you'd need to extend the lift. I find one that fits, cut it to length, which is easily done with a serrated knife or hack saw, then stick it onto the short lift tube that the filter came with. My largest sponge came with a lift tube that just does not fit any of the rigid tubing I can get, so for that one, I've removed the lift tube it came with altogether and am using a piece of rigid tube that just fits over the collar at the filter's top. It is a loose fit so I'm going to have to find something to fill in a wee bit of space with, maybe a bit of silicone or epoxy, even an O ring if I find one the right size. I make the total height of each lift tube so the top is just below the water surface. There is plenty of agitation, but the bubbles are much smaller, so there is very little splashing and it is much quieter that way than having the bubbles exit several inches below the water surface.


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