Powerheads, Filters, and Airstones, Oh My! PLEASE Someone Help

[blauaugigengel]

Hello All,

I currently have 3 takes running, a 55g with a Jack Dempsey and assorted catfish friends, a 55g with several 8"-12" polypterus and a clown knife fish, and a 20g with half a dozen 4" polypterus ornatipinnis. I've decided that I would like to get more air running in the tanks, so...

1. Get an air pump with several air stones?
2. Try a powerhead or two instead for circulation and addition of air bubbles?
3. Do both?
4. What is quietest? All these tanks are in my bed room.

Please give me some pointers, I had tanks for years, but never occurred to me that I might need more than the filter for good air exchange. Thank you.

 

[q_fish]

For my tanks I use regular filter but don't fill the water all the way to the top so there is movement on water and I just powerhead on the other end. I have a 55 100 and 60 and running the same setup and never had problems

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[administrator]

Air pumps can be loud so make sure you get a quiet one if you go that route. Same goes for the powerhead. Air and circulation is good as long as you don't over do it. Especially in terms of flow from the powerhead.

I would personally not just add air, but add a sponge filter so you have the air and a backup filter that you can also combine with a battery backup air pump in case of a power outage. They don't look too great but can they be a life saver.

 

[strollo22]

What filters do you currently have running on the tanks?

 

[isde02]

I would go with powerheads with the air intake hose, they are quieter than airpumps imo.

 

[blauaugigengel]

I have the Marineland Penguin filters, the one for a 20g tank is in that tank, and the ones for 50g tanks are in the 55gs.

 

[Castlk]

I use a powerhead with a sponge filter on the intake end of it and adjust the air flow to my liking, works like a charm.

 

[ragin_cajun]

I have a tetra whisper ap 150. i can't tell it's running unless i see bubbles in the tank. makes no noise at all. i bought some little plastic gang valves, each output has its own screw to adjust air output. So I have 2 airstones in a 6 foot tank. I could just add more gang vavles and run multiple stones in multiple tanks if I wanted, and each one would have its own air flow setting.