• You liked BFD7 now you should join this forum and of course become a club member to see what CCA is all about.
  • Thank you to everyone who registered and showed up for the BIG Fish Deal #7.

ISO Air pump

JLW

CCA Members
Air pumps are usually measured not in "gallons per hour," but in cubic feet per minute (CFM), or better, litres per minute. 750 GPH works out to be 1.6 CFM, or 47 LPM, which is not a whole lot.

You're going to have a HUGE amount of variance based on things like the number of outlets on it, the amount of pressure, etc. Jehmco has a couple of models in your range:
 

Leffler817

CCA Members
What Josh said!

I like the Alita air pumps that Jemco has. I have an Alita 6a or is it a6? It runs a 12 gang manifold with room to spare just fine.
 

DiscusnAfricans

Past President
www.yourfishtuff.com carries them also, I have an AL-80 which i believe they carry.

Knowing the types of tanks and how many you need air for will make a big difference, as Josh said. The depth of the tank is a big factor, more so than volume.
 

mchambers

Former CCA member
I bought an Alita from YourFishStuff last year and have been very happy with it.

How many tanks and other things are you looking to run of the pump?
 

DiscusnAfricans

Past President
Yeah, always a good idea to go bigger than you need, or plan for future expansion. You can always bleed off excess air, but once you reach capacity, your only option is to buy a bigger pump, or add a pump. Just consider what types of filters you're using, for instance, I keep 2 filters in all tanks 40 gallons and up, so I have to count those twice when determining needs.
 

DiscusnAfricans

Past President
If I got a bigger pump for future tanks, would it be damaged running only on the few.
If you bleed off the excess air it won't hurt the pump. Its only damaging to the pump if 'back pressure' exists. There are commercial bleed valves that can be purchased, or you can make something simple with a ball valve. Noise level will depend on how much air you're bleeding, but some of the commercial setups have diffusers to help with the noise. I think Christine had some pictures of her setup that helped control the pressure and the noise.
 

chriscoli

Administrator
The other consideration is how deep do you want the air to bubble in the tanks. That's always been my limiting factor. Having a slightly larger pump will cover you in the case of a deep tank or a long run of airline tubing.

BTW, how are you planning on getting the air out to your outdoor tubs? Are you thinking of using the same pump as inside and running a long tube out a door or window to the tubs? If it were me, I might get a smaller airpump for out there if there's an outlet available.
 

LiluDallas

Chairpersons
Staff member
The other consideration is how deep do you want the air to bubble in the tanks. That's always been my limiting factor. Having a slightly larger pump will cover you in the case of a deep tank or a long run of airline tubing.

BTW, how are you planning on getting the air out to your outdoor tubs? Are you thinking of using the same pump as inside and running a long tube out a door or window to the tubs? If it were me, I might get a smaller airpump for out there if there's an outlet available.
A separate pump for those tubs is going to be easier. The deepest tank I have is 24".
 
Top