Faulty Air Pump

[Eloise]

Hi:

I am new to the forum, and I am having a bit of a crisis.

My air pump died sometime today. I would be fine with having to get a new air pump, but this pump sucked water OUT of the tank. Could someone please tell me what would cause this. Also, I would like to know if my fish will be ok with out an air pump for one night. I have a couple Dwarf Puffers that I am really worried about. I was told when I bought them to keep the tank well aerated. What should I do??

Someone please help me. I am still very new to the whole aquarium maintenance, and until now I have been very lucky, but I am very worried that my fish (especially my puffers) will be affected by the lack of a working pump...

I will also need advice on getting a new air pump that will not break on me. I have only had this pump for 2 1/2 months! Thanks to anyone who helps me....

 

[QTOFFER]

Hi Eloise and welcome to AA!

Sorry to hear about your air pump. Sometimes when they burn out or suddenly stop during a power outage, they can cause water to back siphon through the tubing.

Two and a half months isn't a very long lifespan for a new airpump. Do you still have the receipt and warranty? What brand was it? I've been happy with my 2 Tetra Deep Water air pumps, which have both been running quietly for about a year. When you buy another pump, get a one-way check valve (costs about $1.5). Check valves can be installed anywhere between the pump and the aquarium, and they will prevent floods caused by back siphoning.

If you are running a power filter, the fish should be OK so long as you can see ripples and disturbances on the water surface. You could lower the water level a bit or adjust the filter return so that it creates more splashing. That would keep the water just as well aerated as an airstone until you can replace the pump.

 

[Eloise]

Thank you so much for the quick reply. I still have the box, but I can't get to it right now (it is burried somewhere in the garage behind my roommates stuff). I don't have the receipt because it got destroyed in when the water was siphoned out of the tank (I had all the aquarium receipts in a box under the stand so that I would be able to find them. Now all my receipts are mush in a mushy box).

I have a pretty good flow from the filter right now, and about a gallon of water was siphoned out of the tank so the water line is about an inch from where it should be.

Thanks again for the reply. Now I can sleep soundly nowing that I am not going to wake up to a tank full of dead fish....

 

[Lonewolfblue]

What is the temp of the tank? With your filter, if the temp is 80 or lower, there's no need for an airstone as long and the filter provides some agitation. But above 80, it's preferred you have another air source, like an air stone or bubble wand.

 

[Eloise]

my tank sits comfortably at 78 degrees all the time....

I was told by the people at The Fish Store....that's the name of the store....that the puffers should have an air stone. Is this true? or not true? I wouldn't mind not having an air stone as long as all my fish will survive without one.

This is what I have in the tank:

1 Bleeding Heart Tetra

1 Golden Algea Eater

2 Dwarf Puffers

2 Julii Cory

1 Electric Blue Lobster

and some Guppies

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I'm not sure about the puffers, don't know anything about them. But the other fish wouldn't need it. So lets wait to see who else responds that knows more about puffers. My tank is at 78 also, and just have my power filter with bio wheel. And it's just fine. What is your filter?

 

[Eloise]

I have a Penguin Bio-Wheel Power Filter 150B. I currently have the flow chanel open all the way to create the most turbulance to keep the tank as aerated as possible.

I checked on the fish just a little bit ago and the puffers look a bit more pale than usual, but they sometimes do that. I asked the specialists about this the other day and he said that some puffers just lose color sometimes. To me this would be a deffinate sign of distress though. I don't know what to think, and I can't really do much about the problem tonight aside from sitting up all night blowing air through the air stone....That just doesn't sound like fun to me.

 

[greenmaji]

they sell cheapy little check valves to keep water from backsyponing into the air pump..
sometimes they just need to dry out (power going out and the water backsyponing can toast them for a little while) and will work afterwords..
HOB's do a decent job of keeping a tank suffecently oxgenated.. youll notice that alot of people here dont run airpumps just for air alone if they have a HOB..
you didnt mention how big the tank is but if your getting more then 5 cycles per hour with your HOB I wouldnt stress about this..
HTH

 

[Eloise]

I have a 30 gallon tank...I am only really worried about the puffers. I know all the other fish will be ok, but the puffers are looking a little stressed.

I might have to call my sister and see if I can borrow her 1 gallon betta tank that came with an air stone. It would at least assure these little guys a safe night.

 

[greenmaji]

what I was trying to say is I dont think the lack of an airpump will do that in your case..
you have a HOB running at 5 cycles an hour.. it should be suffecent at providing O2.. and if you really think that is the problem just sypon a little water out of the tank so the output of the HOB drops a little into the tank..
HTH

I hope your not considering putting the puffers in a betta tank? that very well could be far more dangerious to there health then leaving them were they are at right now..

 

[Eloise]

Well I considered it because it is a tank that I have used in other emergency situations for the puffers, and it has helped in the past.

It wouldn't be permanant. It would just be something to get me through the next couple of hours.

Yes the HOB is running at 5 cycles an hour, yet the puffers still look very stressed.

Oh, and I was instructed by a specialist the last time I had problems with my previous air pump to put the puffers in the smaller tank with the air stone. The smaller tank used to house my betta, but I gave it to my sister when I got a 7 gallon tank for my betta. I use the 7 gallon tank as a hospital tank when I need to take care of injured fish, and that is why the betta is there. I was told that this would be an excellant way to keep the tank cycled. I am however just going off what I have been recommended to do.

 

[Acer]

i have had a couple of accidents dropping the pump into the tank, all 3 times that resulted in a very wet pump, i simply used a phillips screwdriver to open the bottom up, and just left if drying on a table or in the boiler room overnight, the next day when i get home i put it all together again and it still worked.... although the last time i did get a significant reduction in ariflow... i just replaced it... if your that worried about it petsmart sells some cheapy ones for about $10.. thats what im using and they work great.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

That's a decent filter, IMO, will oxygenate plenty.