sizing an air pump for 5 tanks in bedroom.

[looney_trout]

Currently have 3 in my bedroom. 20H, 10L, and a 3.5g cube. 3.5 is going to get moved out to the kitchen.

My filters currently (canister, hob) all need replacement or parts like impeller and media. I've got an empty 40b, 10g, and 20L that I want to put in here. 

I'd rather just run them all off of sponge filters for simplicity instead of fixing/replacing my current filtration. 

One side of the room will have a 40b, 10L and 20L on a rack. Other side of the room will have 20h and 10L on another rack. 100g total for tank volume.

Like to run a air drop type setup.

There will be about 20 feet between the tanks running the line along the walls.

I'm thinking the whisper AP300 will work. There's also a brand pawfly that has a big one that seems sufficient. I don't know how well a large diaphram pump will work using an airdrop type setup. If a single diaphram pump isn't up to running that length of lines I can go with 2 pumps. Piston pump is way overkill in this situation.

This setup would simplify my life in a power outage. Live on the gulf coast and after going through 4 days on a generator, a single plug to power all the filters would be way better vs several extension cords and pieced together power strips.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@looney_trout I run 5 tanks on a Tetra Whisper 150. 

 

Both outlets of the pump feed into the pvc, and then there’s 6 taps in the pvc tubing. I could probably pull off 6 tanks, but I’m happy with what this set up can do for 5 sponge filters. 
 

I’ll also add that this pvc outlet goes in all directions (pvc and pump is sitting on middle rack, 2 tanks on top rack, 2 tanks on middle rack, 1 tank on bottom rack) and several of the tanks have a HOB in addition to the sponge. 

The biggest issue I see with your proposed set up is that the tanks will be on opposite sides of a room. 20 feet is a loooong airline run that will greatly deplete the pressure from the pump. 
 

Me personally, I would use 2 pumps. One for each side of the room. Just my $0.02 with this pump running these 5 tanks for coming up on 3 years with additional filtration via the HOB’s.

Edited February 21, 2023 by AllFishNoBrakes

[nabokovfan87]

The dual outlet version of the ACO version 2 airpump (USB C) should give you a good amount of flow.  It would also give you power backup in an emergency situation.

That being said... I've used a LOT of pumps.  The one I've settled on is the Tetra Pond AP150.  They also have a 300 version, same thing, dual output.   That being said I haven't tried the ACO one, but I have tried a few other brands.  Fluval I liked, but it broke way too early.  Aqueon I like a lot, design is great, but it breaks and you likely need a backup for it.  Multiple is better for any air pump install for this amount of tanks.  I would imagine two pumps and two gang valves.  If you ever have to drop in meds, add an airstone, then you'd have ample room to add more drops of air into the tank.

I like the above suggestion as well.  I am using a tetra whisper pump for my QT tank and it's just fine.  I don't think any air pump is perfect, and I plan to purchase the ACO ones when need be in future.

On 2/20/2023 at 8:09 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

Me personally, I would use 2 pumps. One for each side of the room. Just my $0.02 with this pump running these 5 tanks for coming up on 3 years with additional filtration via the HOB’s.

100%

 

[looney_trout]

On 2/20/2023 at 10:09 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

@looney_trout I run 5 tanks on a Tetra Whisper 150. 

 

Both outlets of the pump feed into the pvc, and then there’s 6 taps in the pvc tubing. I could probably pull off 6 tanks, but I’m happy with what this set up can do for 5 sponge filters. 
 

I’ll also add that this pvc outlet goes in all directions (pvc and pump is sitting on middle rack, 2 tanks on top rack, 2 tanks on middle rack, 1 tank on bottom rack) and several of the tanks have a HOB in addition to the sponge. 

The biggest issue I see with your proposed set up is that the tanks will be on opposite sides of a room. 20 feet is a loooong airline run that will greatly deplete the pressure from the pump. 
 

Me personally, I would use 2 pumps. One for each side of the room. Just my $0.02 with this pump running these 5 tanks for coming up on 3 years with additional filtration via the HOB’s.

Originally, I was going to do 3 tiers to my rack but the top will so tall I have to get a ladder out. Which translates to me not wanting to do maintenance unless I force myself once the newness of the setup wears off. 2 tiers I can just use a step stool If I have to do anything major with the upper tier. 

I run a whisper AP150 on 2 tanks in the living room. A 45 (24" tall) and a 10L. They are about 15 feet apart and I have to bleed all the excess or it just boils. 2 sponges on each. I run hob as well but I'm going to take those off. They also need new cartridges and one needs a new impeller as well. I'll just throw the hob on for a while a few times a month just for water polishing. 

Considering how the 150 performs, I figure the 300 model might be enough. I had planned on pex instead of pvc since I can get much narrower pex. Less volume to pressurize and drive the sponges. Or just using the pipe as a sheath to run the airline through for a cleaner look. 

[looney_trout]

On 2/21/2023 at 1:14 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

The dual outlet version of the ACO version 2 airpump (USB C) should give you a good amount of flow.  It would also give you power backup in an emergency situation.

That being said... I've used a LOT of pumps.  The one I've settled on is the Tetra Pond AP150.  They also have a 300 version, same thing, dual output.   That being said I haven't tried the ACO one, but I have tried a few other brands.  Fluval I liked, but it broke way too early.  Aqueon I like a lot, design is great, but it breaks and you likely need a backup for it.  Multiple is better for any air pump install for this amount of tanks.  I would imagine two pumps and two gang valves.  If you ever have to drop in meds, add an airstone, then you'd have ample room to add more drops of air into the tank.

I like the above suggestion as well.  I am using a tetra whisper pump for my QT tank and it's just fine.  I don't think any air pump is perfect, and I plan to purchase the ACO ones when need be in future.

100%

 

I saw they have those battery pumps now. I was planning on picking up one or two once hurricane season starts in a couple months after I get everything set up and going. When Sally (or Zeta maybe) came through and I was on a generator for a few days, I just ran the filters about 8 hours a day and the lights on each tank in 2 hour shifts. No plant or fish loss. 

As the other reply says, I have the Whisper AP150 running the 2 in the living room. Has tons of air to spare running 15 feet apart and have to bleed off the rest. Why I think the 300 might be enough. It still looking like 2 pumps is probably best. 

I haven't used a lot of pumps but used them since the 80s. Up until I got out of the hobby in the mid 2000s. They never wore out, minus the diaphrams, so I used the same Whisper Challenger (pre tetra brand) pumps the whole time. Kick myself a little for selling them off when before I moved down here. But I had switched to all hob or canister in  about 2012 when I got back in. I'm going to build the racks from 2x4 and enclose them so HOB or canister isn't going to be fun to maintain. I'll have 8 tanks running so simple and easy is what I want. Then I don't get lazy. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 2/21/2023 at 1:01 AM, looney_trout said:

Originally, I was going to do 3 tiers to my rack but the top will so tall I have to get a ladder out.

Yup. Gotta break out the step ladder to do a little bit of the maintenance on the top tanks, but thankfully I’m tall and knew what I was getting into when I set it up. Just one of those things if I wanted that many tanks, and I definitely want that many tanks lol