Easy flow dilemma

[mynameisnobody]

Hello everyone, I just installed my first easy flow on a large ACO sponge in a 29. It’s being run by an ACO dual outlet pump. I’m not seeing much of a flow and I’m definitely not getting what I saw Cory get in his 40’s. I’m pretty sure I’m doing something wrong. I’m getting more of a dribble. Oh and I did remove the airstone. Any ideas? I would post a photo but I have no idea why it keeps showing up as a black photo. I have it hooked up with the curve at the top just slightly above the waterline. Thank you 

[Guppysnail]

Can you take a video and upload to YouTube then post the link?

[GoofyGarra]

On 12/21/2023 at 10:20 AM, mynameisnobody said:

Hello everyone, I just installed my first easy flow on a large ACO sponge in a 29. It’s being run by an ACO dual outlet pump. I’m not seeing much of a flow and I’m definitely not getting what I saw Cory get in his 40’s. I’m pretty sure I’m doing something wrong. I’m getting more of a dribble. Oh and I did remove the airstone. Any ideas? I would post a photo but I have no idea why it keeps showing up as a black photo. I have it hooked up with the curve at the top just slightly above the waterline. Thank you 

I have a few random ideas.

make sure your air pump doesnt have to pump too high up. The farther the air needs to go the less air flow you get, putting the pump as close to the tank as possible or higher then the tank can increase flow.

Is there a leak? In some situations ive seen a small bubble leak from parts of the easy flow, that is easily remedied by pulling the tube up or down a bit.

Is your sponge filter clogged? I imagine that could lead to  less flow as well if the water cant get through.

Edited December 21, 2023 by GoofyGarra

[mynameisnobody]

@GoofyGarra @Guppysnail I will be checking in on those small details when I get home from work and if it doesn’t work then I’ll post a video to YouTube and paste the link here. Thanks again 

[Lonkley]

I love the co-op air pump for being quiet and having the battery, but.. I find it doesn't drive the easy flow as much as I would like.  Water volume is directly related to the airflow, up to a point, and I found my backup cheap tetra whisper put out significantly more air while waiting for my pump to arrive. Although it's quiet a bit louder. Also I only have about a foot of air line. It will get the job done though.

I imagine that jet flow Cory has is because he's connected to his linear pump and get as much airflow as he wants.

 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Lonkley

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 12/21/2023 at 8:20 AM, mynameisnobody said:

It’s being run by an ACO dual outlet pump. I’m not seeing much of a flow and I’m definitely not getting what I saw Cory get in his 40’s.

I have 2 dual outlet ACO pumps each running a sponge filter. I get flow out of them and the easy flow kits, but it’s nowhere near what Cory has shown in videos. Like @Lonkley said, I believe it’s because the linear piston pump puts out waaaaaay more air. 

[Cory]

Yeah, this is a case of not comparing apples to apples. The linear air piston pump is super powerful. and $250. Vs a $40 air pump. Also I don't use any check valves and I have the shortest possible tube between the nipple and the sponge filter.

These are all the factors that affect flow:

Tank Depth
Pump Strength
Using a check valve
Length of airline tubing
Age of Pump
Uplift tube length

Some things most people wouldn't realize, an air pump say sitting on top of the glass or a shelf at tank height will be stronger with a shorter airline and no check valve. Also double stacking the sponge filter, to raise the nipple you attach the airline tube to, will increase the flow as there is less back pressure.

Air will always be wattage vs sounds vs cost. You've gotta decide what you value. If cost is no concern, a linear air piston pump installed remotely in a closet, garage, attic etc will provide the most air, at the lowest sound, but at the most cost and work to get setup.

Also flow isn't everything. With the heavy flow I have now, sponge filters are getting dirty much faster, I've been turning some of them down a little it. Also remember that an easy flow with the same air pump is still way more efficient than without an easy flow and just a short tube.

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/21/2023 at 12:54 PM, Cory said:

Yeah, this is a case of not comparing apples to apples. The linear air piston pump is super powerful. and $250. Vs a $40 air pump. Also I don't use any check valves and I have the shortest possible tube between the nipple and the sponge filter.

These are all the factors that affect flow:

Tank Depth
Pump Strength
Using a check valve
Length of airline tubing
Age of Pump
Uplift tube length

Some things most people wouldn't realize, an air pump say sitting on top of the glass or a shelf at tank height will be stronger with a shorter airline and no check valve. Also double stacking the sponge filter, to raise the nipple you attach the airline tube to, will increase the flow as there is less back pressure.

Air will always be wattage vs sounds vs cost. You've gotta decide what you value. If cost is no concern, a linear air piston pump installed remotely in a closet, garage, attic etc will provide the most air, at the lowest sound, but at the most cost and work to get setup.

Also flow isn't everything. With the heavy flow I have now, sponge filters are getting dirty much faster, I've been turning some of them down a little it. Also remember that an easy flow with the same air pump is still way more efficient than without an easy flow and just a short tube.

This is something I noticed as well and had to tuck in the back of my mind when looking at the tanks.

@AllFishNoBrakes had just done the exercise of balancing a few sponges on his air system and that led to my own self-examination of my own tanks.

I ended up pulling off one of the felt discs on the sponge that didn't have the air collar to loosen up the back pressure on my air pump and then the air collar is generally unrestricted.

I run an air pump designed for a 150G "deep water applications".

So let's ball all that up and explain what's really going on here....

1. Any air pump has to overcome the depth of the tank.

2. Any air pump has to overcome the back pressure from the restriction of the actual air diffuser device.

3. There is a balance of the system where you either need to add more pressure (stronger pump) or adjust the actual diffuser itself to allow the air to flow easier.

#1 + #2 leads to #3.

In the latest video series with aquapros Cory was noting how well the water shoots out when the tank is drained slightly, and I do see that sometimes with the pump I'm running, but ultimately it's when I realized... "Oh yeah, he's got the linear air piston and that makes a big difference."

In all, the air collar has very low, basically zero, restriction on flow or back pressure from the pump. It's also not adjustable in the sense of bubble size of something like the ziss air stones are. That means there might be a minimum pressure needed depending on the depth of the tank and installation setup you have going on.

As mentioned above, I would be very curious to see your setup via video and the type of flow you're seeing. Everyone's setup is unique and it's helpful with questions like this to try to determine what's going on if we can see movement and circulation.

On 12/21/2023 at 7:20 AM, mynameisnobody said:

large ACO sponge in a 29

This is my setup as well.

[gardenman]

As everyone else has said, more air means more flow, but do you really want more flow? Sponge filters are great biofilters, but biofiltration can take place at relatively low flow rates. If you want crystal clear water without a hint of mulm or detritus, then you want a high flow rate to suck in absolutely everything. And your filter, of whatever type, will clog fairly quickly and need frequent cleaning. In my younger days when I wanted immaculate tanks, I'd use a Vortex diatom filter on my tanks regularly. These days I'm more of an organic gardener when it comes to aquarium keeping. The mulm and detritus we see in our tanks is essentially free compost/manure for the plants, so I leave it be. I have sponge filters operating at a slower rate and debris, fish food, whatever is in the water, just floats past them and settles on the gravel where it's available for the plants to consume and use as they please. It's how nature works, so how wrong could it be? I use a dark gravel so the mulm and whatnot don't show up as much and I don't have a lot of bottom-dwelling fish constantly stirring things up. I have mystery snails as a cleanup crew and they do very little riling of the debris. My plants are thriving and so are my fish. My water tests great, and everyone's happy. Is the tank "clean?" Not by a longshot, but it's healthy and the plants and fish are happy, and my filters need very little maintenance.

[mynameisnobody]

As a follow up, I tried all the suggestions and as it turns out, the dual outlet pump crapped out on 1 outlet. It seemed to be only have 1 functioning outlet. I contacted the coop and they have made it all better as they always do. Temporarily I have the new lift tube connected to another air pump and it’s rocking and rolling. Super impressive. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Nice. 
 

I noticed my air collars connected to one of my dual outlet pumps wasn’t functioning as well as they were when I first set it up. With family in town I really didn’t have the time to mess with it, so I threw on a different pump and they were back in business. Idk if maybe the sponges just need to be cleaned, but in my mind that shouldn’t affect the amount of bubbles coming from the air collar. 
 

Now that family has left town, I’m hoping to investigate it more this week. Really hoping my dual outlet air pump isn’t already becoming weaker, but I know that if it is the Coop will make it right. 

Edited January 1 by AllFishNoBrakes

[awesomejen2]

Ok I am having the same problem and everything is brand new (sponge, easy flow, battery, etc) thoughts? I tried switching to a smaller (thinner hose) and lifting the battery up high and still have this issue.

 

[GoofyGarra]

On 1/1/2024 at 12:25 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

I noticed my air collars connected to one of my dual outlet pumps wasn’t functioning as well as they were when I first set it up. With family in town I really didn’t have the time to mess with it, so I threw on a different pump and they were back in business. Idk if maybe the sponges just need to be cleaned, but in my mind that shouldn’t affect the amount of bubbles coming from the air collar. 

the bubbles will be the same no matter how clogged the sponge filter is, the bubbles will be the same even if you take the collar off the sponge filter, however if the sponge filter is clogged then less water will be able to pass through it and flow will be reduced.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 1/1/2024 at 3:59 PM, GoofyGarra said:

the bubbles will be the same no matter how clogged the sponge filter is,

That’s exactly what I was telling myself. Thank you for confirming. I’m also just one of those people that has to prove to myself that what I’m thinking is legitimate, lol.