How much air?

[lister]

Due to a slight overheat problem I want to get a biggish air pump to replace a couple of internal powerheads,but previous experience has tought me that air pumps buzz like mad and drive me batty.
I can solve the buzzing by putting the buzzy air pump in another room (kitchen) and feeding the airline through the wall following the same route taken by my HMA water supply.

My questions are:
1. How much air do I need for a 7'X2'x2' Central American cichlid community tank for good aeration?
2. How much air can I send down one 6mm airline (so I can figure out how many pipes I'd be dealing with)?

I have my eye on a 768lph pump on eBay.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; I recall your previous thread. On your second question; air can be run any distance you wish. My experience is to run it in more sturdy line or hose. I am thinking that under pressure and over a long distance regular tubing may swell and pulsate and cause a loss of effective pressure. I have also known of regular tubing to swell and soften near a strong pump due to the concentrated heat at the pump outlet. My thinking is to make much of the air line run of some hard tubing and then tie it into the more flexable tubing near the tanks.
While it may not be quite stiff walled enough, I have wondered if the flexable plastic tubing used with medical home oxygen might be less prone to swelling under pressure than regular aquarium tubing. It has small internal ridges to help prevent it from being squeezed together, I suspect to prevent the oxygen from being stopped if a patient rolls a wheelchair on it or being stepped on.
There are systems designed for running compressed air around a garage made of hard plastic tubing. I have seen homemade PVC pipe setups. Perhaps a 1/4 inch run of tubing. Perhaps a check of garage accessories may turn up a solution. GL (good luck)

 

[thacarter546]

Why not use a decent loft pump, use 1/2 stiff walled vinyl tubing, or ridged pond tubing then put the aquarium tubing tee that comes with it near the wall. You can vacuum cap off the ports you dont use, then run as many tubes off of it as you need.

Oh and about the medical tubing, I have a couple hundred feet of it, because of the internal ridges it doesnt seal i typical aquarium hose barbs.

 

[lister]

Why not use a decent loft pump, use 1/2 stiff walled vinyl tubing, or ridged pond tubing then put the aquarium tubing tee that comes with it near the wall. You can vacuum cap off the ports you dont use, then run as many tubes off of it as you need.

Oh and about the medical tubing, I have a couple hundred feet of it, because of the internal ridges it doesnt seal i typical aquarium hose barbs.

Not heard of loft pumps,is that a type of pump or a manufacturer?

I have a 2HP air compressor in my garage that uses pipes with an inside diameter less than you're suggesting,so I think half inch pipe is probably too big for what I need.

I'll try running it down one 6mm tube,and if that restricts it too much and I still need more air I can double up with another tube.

 

[skjl47]

Why not use a decent loft pump, use 1/2 stiff walled vinyl tubing, or ridged pond tubing then put the aquarium tubing tee that comes with it near the wall. You can vacuum cap off the ports you dont use, then run as many tubes off of it as you need.

Oh and about the medical tubing, I have a couple hundred feet of it, because of the internal ridges it doesnt seal i typical aquarium hose barbs.

Hello; I have some lengths of the tubing myself and ran into the same issue. Perhaps a member has solved the problem of connecting it to aquarium type tubing and will post.