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Question: Do i need a new air pump for my aquarium?

(Posted by: Haaghnesh on 2010-02-06 05:18:39)

Hi, I think my air pump might be broken, but i'm not sure... There was water leaking out of the pipe going back inside the air pump. Here's how it's set up. I have a pipe going from the pump to a 3 way splitter, the first goes into a small fizzer, the second goes along to the other side of the tank to a larger fizzer. It used to work fine... but I think I might have buggered it somehow because there was water leaking into the pump... But the other thing is, when I blow down the pipe, it's actually hard to blow down... so what is going on? Thanks.

Posted by: Barracudaaa on 2010-02-06, 05:27:06

Is the airpump positioned lower than the tank? try putting it at the same level of the tank or higher and see if the problem is solved

Posted by: jogi on 2010-02-06, 05:26:24

I have to say, an air pump isn't really important for any tank - ever. A properly stocked tank never needs this. A filter however is a must for a tank. So if your air pump is broken, just remove it all together.... and if I was you I wouldn't even bother buying a new one. Waste of money, space, and electricity T_T

Posted by: Martin on 2010-02-06, 05:45:42

It may be the diaphragm, you can see if it can be replaced. They loose there robust nature over time, and loose their power to pump air, ether that or buy a new one. Be careful in future, electricity and water are a deadly mix. One more thing, the fizzer or air stones become clogged, if you cannot blow down through them, this shows that it needs to be replaced, this will also deal a blow to the diaphragm inside the air pump, and damage it. And as the another answer stated you really don't need the air pump if the fish are OK, I use them only in tanks where extra oxygen is required, like my rift lake tanks or where the fish like high levels of oxygen, or indeed to power sponge filters.

Posted by: John M on 2010-02-06, 15:20:08

The person above who has been marked down twice so far is spot on!! If you have a filter, which is a must, and good planting, an air stone does nothing. in fact it can harm the tank by allowing too much more oxygen into the water, which STOPS the plants being able to use the CO2 to make more oxygen than the airstone helps create!! So you think u are helping but u are harming your plants! Just google "does an aitstone do any good " and you will get hundreds of pages of people telling you the same thing.