How much water does an air pump move

[Botiadancer]

I have pondered this question since I was a kid and Nektonic undergravel filters were the rage (am I dating myself???) The manufacturer states how much air their air pumps move - but water movement will depend on how deep a water column the bubbles pass through and diameter of water column (and by water column, I mean circular pipe that the airstone is at the bottom of) and perhaps some other variables. With skimmers and sponge filters so popular, someone somewhere must have measured this somehow... right???
I am of the opinion that a powerhead attached to a sponge filter will move way more water than any air pump - but how much more?

 

[krichardson]

Interesting querry,while I agree that a powerhead has to outperform an airpump of equal power I have no idea of just how much water it is capable of moving.

 

[tiger15]

An air pump is used to deliver air, not water and any powerhead will out perform an air lift pump in moving water. But UG and sponge filters work best with low flow air lift pumping, because they function as a biological filter requiring only minimal water movement to keep the media aerobic. Hooking up a powerhead to a UG or sponge filter will turn them into a mechanical filter they are not designed for. The strong flow will clog up the UG and sponge filters quickly, shorten the life of the sponge, and create more maintenance issues. If you want a mechanical filter, get an HOB.

 

[rodger]

An air pump is used to deliver air, not water and any powerhead will out perform an air lift pump in moving water. But UG and sponge filters work best with low flow air lift pumping, because they function as a biological filter requiring only minimal water movement to keep the media aerobic. Hooking up a powerhead to a UG or sponge filter will turn them into a mechanical filter they are not designed for. The strong flow will clog up the UG and sponge filters quickly, shorten the life of the sponge, and create more maintenance issues. If you want a mechanical filter, get an HOB.

My experience is, it won't clog a UG. I used powerheads on UG filters for years. It won't clog them as long as you maintain the filterbed properly. I guess it is kind of a moot point since I don't use UG's anymore and I don't know anyone who does. They really are a highly efficient filter system, though.

 

[FreshyFresh]

It is pretty amazing to see how much water is being lifted/pumped through an 'air powered' sponge filter if you watch them during a tank re-fill. To quantify water volume being moved would be tough.

I think the advantage is, even a larger double outlet air pump uses less than 20 watts of power and can power multiple sponge bubbler filters. A power-head will use more watts, but move more water, so it's probably a wash.

I don't see the point in dropping an air line in your tank unless it's "powering" a filter.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; While I cannot quantify your question, I do have much experience running air powered filters. The UGF for sure but also HOB types that ran on air. There were two main types, some had the air plumbed into the filter on the outside with the rising air bubbles pumping the water back into a tank and with a siphon drawing the water out of the tank into the filter body.

The other type had a long tube with an air supply inside the tank. The bubbles moved water up the tube and dumped it into the filter body. The water flowed thru some filter media and then back into the tank. I still have a couple of these survivors that are operational.

These were all I had in terms of outside the tank mechanical filtration for a number of years. I kept them in operation even after the powered HOB's were available as the early powered HOB's were not reliable.

While not able to flow the same volume of water as a powered HOB, they did move a decent amount of water. I will not make a guestimate as to how much.

 

[joe jaskot]

Watch how much water air lift pumps can move:

 

[Mymonsterfish]

Sponge filters air bubbles are meant to disturb the top of the water creating air in the aquarium. A powerhead will circulate the water. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[tiger15]

My experience is, it won't clog a UG. I used powerheads on UG filters for years. It won't clog them as long as you maintain the filterbed properly. I guess it is kind of a moot point since I don't use UG's anymore and I don't know anyone who does. They really are a highly efficient filter system, though.

When a sponge filter gets clogged up, the sponge is compressed and you have squeeze the dirt out to restore the flow. When an UG gets clogged up, there is no apparent reduction in flow because water short circuits around the edges of the plate or holes in the substrate. A properly functioning UG should have uniform flow through the media.

UG is a highly efficient filter for small fish but cleaning is a PIA so it is out of popularity in light that cheap and easy to clean HOBs become available.

 

[tiger15]

Watch how much water air lift pumps can move:

It’s not a fair comparison unless the energy input is the same. A 5-10 watt power head can easily move 300 gph. An air lift system is capable of generating the same flow, but the energy input and the plumbing set up will likely be several times larger. There is also the loud noise byproduct of a large air lift system you don't want to be in your living area.