Aquarium air-pumps - which are best?

I'm so tired of buying airpumps that wear out in less than a year. We
replace the diaphragms and flappers and the improvement is minimal.
Sometimes they're even worse! Why is this? There is no cigarette smoke in
the air and the house isn't dusty. Can anyone recommend an air pump that
lasts awhile outside the overpriced Tetra pumps. BTW I paid $44 for one
several years ago and the replacement parts didn't fix it. Why do they even
sell replacement parts when they either don't work or improve the
performance of the pump so little, and for such a short period of time?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences?
--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Troll Information:
http://tinyurl.com/9zbh
http://tinyurl.com/d8e4
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

"Koi-Lo" wrote in message
...
I'm so tired of buying airpumps that wear out in less than a year. We
replace the diaphragms and flappers and the improvement is minimal.
Sometimes they're even worse! Why is this? There is no cigarette smoke
in the air and the house isn't dusty. Can anyone recommend an air pump
that lasts awhile outside the overpriced Tetra pumps. BTW I paid $44 for
one several years ago and the replacement parts didn't fix it. Why do
they even sell replacement parts when they either don't work or improve
the performance of the pump so little, and for such a short period of
time?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences?


I have an Elite 802. Cost $14 CAN and has lasted me a year so far with no
problems.

Sean

"Sean" wrote in message
...

"Koi-Lo" wrote in message
...
I'm so tired of buying airpumps that wear out in less than a year. We
replace the diaphragms and flappers and the improvement is minimal.
Sometimes they're even worse! Why is this? There is no cigarette smoke
in the air and the house isn't dusty. Can anyone recommend an air pump
that lasts awhile outside the overpriced Tetra pumps. BTW I paid $44 for
one several years ago and the replacement parts didn't fix it. Why do
they even sell replacement parts when they either don't work or improve
the performance of the pump so little, and for such a short period of
time?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences?


I have an Elite 802. Cost $14 CAN and has lasted me a year so far with no
problems.

Sean
========================
Have you seen much loss of pressure? I have a small Elite 799 running 4
airstones with no loss of pressure, but can't find the receipt to know
exactly how long it's been running. I think it's only a few months old. I
don't mind spending more money for something that'll last, but they've all
been so short-lived so far, even the more costly ones.

I'm about to toss one in the trash right now. Come to find out, it doesn't
even have a NAME on it! That's how ashamed the mfg is. All it has is a
country - Malaysia. I bought it last August and it's already crapped out.
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Troll Information:
http://tinyurl.com/9zbh
http://tinyurl.com/d8e4
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

========================
Have you seen much loss of pressure? I have a small Elite 799 running 4
airstones with no loss of pressure, but can't find the receipt to know
exactly how long it's been running. I think it's only a few months old.
I don't mind spending more money for something that'll last, but they've
all been so short-lived so far, even the more costly ones.

I'm about to toss one in the trash right now. Come to find out, it
doesn't even have a NAME on it! That's how ashamed the mfg is. All it
has is a country - Malaysia. I bought it last August and it's already
crapped out.

Nope no loss of pressure and I am running a air curtain across the back of
the tank. It about two feet in length and bubbles something crazy.

Sean

Have you seen much loss of pressure? I have a small Elite 799 running 4
airstones with no loss of pressure, but can't find the receipt to know
exactly how long it's been running. I think it's only a few months old. I
don't mind spending more money for something that'll last, but they've all
been so short-lived so far, even the more costly ones.

I'm about to toss one in the trash right now. Come to find out, it doesn't
even have a NAME on it! That's how ashamed the mfg is. All it has is a
country - Malaysia. I bought it last August and it's already crapped out.

Airstones are real pump killers. No matter what kind they all clog, when they
do you have back pressure and you can expect your pump to die shortly after.

I won't use airstones (any more).

Another thing that might help is to build a plenum out of black PVC
piping. This gives the air a fairly good sized chamber to accumulate
pressure and you might be surprised how much more milage you get
out of what air you have now. I run 170 gallons in 8 tanks off
two Hagen Optimas this way. One of the tanks is doinwright boiling
over with tubulence.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

"Richard Sexton" wrote in message
...
Have you seen much loss of pressure? I have a small Elite 799 running 4
airstones with no loss of pressure, but can't find the receipt to know
exactly how long it's been running. I think it's only a few months old.
I
don't mind spending more money for something that'll last, but they've all
been so short-lived so far, even the more costly ones.

I'm about to toss one in the trash right now. Come to find out, it
doesn't
even have a NAME on it! That's how ashamed the mfg is. All it has is a
country - Malaysia. I bought it last August and it's already crapped out.
=============================================
Airstones are real pump killers. No matter what kind they all clog, when
they
do you have back pressure and you can expect your pump to die shortly
after.

I won't use airstones (any more).

The ones I have don't have back-pressure. They're those disposable ones
made of some kind of white foamy plastic. I change them constantly. The
only back pressure is against the water itself which is unavoidable.
Without something on the ends of the hose the air is too wild, bubbles too
huge - splashing the glass and everything else.

Another thing that might help is to build a plenum out of black PVC
piping. This gives the air a fairly good sized chamber to accumulate
pressure and you might be surprised how much more milage you get
out of what air you have now.

?!?!?!?! What is a plenum and how is one made for two 10g tanks? How does
it accumulate pressure and not put back-pressure on the air-pump?

I run 170 gallons in 8 tanks off
two Hagen Optimas this way. One of the tanks is doinwright boiling
over with tubulence.

How do you build the pressure up without back pressure in the pumps?
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Troll Information:
http://tinyurl.com/9zbh
http://tinyurl.com/d8e4
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

?!?!?!?! What is a plenum and how is one made for two 10g tanks? How does
it accumulate pressure and not put back-pressure on the air-pump?

Take a one foot length of 1 1/2" PVC pipe. Glue (with pvc cement) on two
end pieces. Drill holes just big enough to stick some rigit air tubing
in it. One in for the pump, as many out as you want. That's it.

It's not uncomon in setups with lots of tanks to see PVC pipe running along the
back - you can drill a hole and bleed off air wherver you need.

Before I did this I never had enough pumps. I'm amazed at how many tanks
you can run off 1 pump with a plenum.

Have you considered sponge filters instead of airstones?

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

Mid posted.
Richard Sexton wrote:
Have you seen much loss of pressure? I have a small Elite 799
running 4 airstones with no loss of pressure, but can't find the
receipt to know exactly how long it's been running. I think it's
only a few months old. I don't mind spending more money for
something that'll last, but they've all been so short-lived so far,
even the more costly ones.

I'm about to toss one in the trash right now. Come to find out, it
doesn't even have a NAME on it! That's how ashamed the mfg is. All
it has is a country - Malaysia. I bought it last August and it's
already crapped out.

Airstones are real pump killers.

You should use my regeneration method (do a google groups search on this
newsgroup there for daniel morrow airstone and examine the one with the
forced air method of keeping airstones in top shape. I use a bicycle air
pump (with presta valve setup) once every month or two on all of my
airstones whether they are air wands or plain airstones and they operate
like new all of the time and I have been using the air-wands with tetra luft
g pumps and a cheap airmaster air pump for shallow airstones/tanks for over
two years now without a problem. The lufts are the best in my opinion for
both indoors and outdoors but indoors the danner dynamaster 2 packs more
power, is easily repairable (truly) and outputs at high pressure, but it
shouldn't be used outdoors. Both are expensive compared to the others though
but theres that saying "you get what you pay for". The cheap airmaster won't
do air wands but I still like it because it is a good cheap pump for shallow
water projects. The rena microbubbler airstones can be cleaned once every
month or two by soaking it in peroxide overnight I am told, but I clean mine
with my bicycle pump method. Good luck and later.

No matter what kind they all clog,
when they do you have back pressure and you can expect your pump to
die shortly after.

I won't use airstones (any more).

Another thing that might help is to build a plenum out of black PVC
piping. This gives the air a fairly good sized chamber to accumulate
pressure and you might be surprised how much more milage you get
out of what air you have now. I run 170 gallons in 8 tanks off
two Hagen Optimas this way. One of the tanks is doinwright boiling
over with tubulence.

"Koi-Lo" wrote in message
...

Troll Information:
http://tinyurl.com/9zbh
http://tinyurl.com/d8e4
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Which one of your "identities" is this one, Carol?

Why don;t you know thew answer to this questioon yourself .afterall
your the self imposed queen of fish and ponds and seem to think yu
know everything..........and here you are asking us common folks what
is best. Perhaps one of yur sock puppets can answer that question, and
with all the hot air they seem to have you should not have a problem
with getting all kinds of already heated air, and then you can turn
off your heaters a well.


On Mon, 6 Feb 2006 12:07:44 -0600, "Koi-Lo"
wrote:
I'm so tired of buying airpumps that wear out in less than a year. We
replace the diaphragms and flappers and the improvement is minimal.
Sometimes they're even worse! Why is this? There is no cigarette smoke in
the air and the house isn't dusty. Can anyone recommend an air pump that
lasts awhile outside the overpriced Tetra pumps. BTW I paid $44 for one
several years ago and the replacement parts didn't fix it. Why do they even
sell replacement parts when they either don't work or improve the
performance of the pump so little, and for such a short period of time?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences?

--
\\\|///
( @ @ )
-----------oOOo(_)oOOo---------------


oooO
---------( )----Oooo----------------
\ ( ( )
\_) ) /
(_/
The original frugal ponder ! Koi-ahoi mates....