Aerating a wall of tanks

[ButterBee]

Hi everyone! I am new! I normally just stalk but I have a question today...

I have a wall of tanks and having a hard time keeping them all aerated... I need ideas to keep my poor finny babies from smothering. I lost an Angel and a Penguin Tetra before I realized the two separate tanks where down. the aerators I have are "Aqua-Supreme Air Pump 8 Watt" 4 outlets and rather expensive- I rather not have to replace them (again) and I do have limited plugs to have them all have an individual unit- with each tank having a hood and a heater as well. I also don't really trust the outlets strips we set up to have so many surge bars on them... these where the few ideas I thought up quickly...

I would so appreciate any ideas you may have? Thanks everyone!

 

[Wy Renegade]

Hi everyone! I am new! I normally just stalk but I have a question today...

I have a wall of tanks and having a hard time keeping them all aerated... I need ideas to keep my poor finny babies from smothering. I lost an Angel and a Penguin Tetra before I realized the two separate tanks where down. the aerators I have are "Aqua-Supreme Air Pump 8 Watt" 4 outlets and rather expensive- I rather not have to replace them (again) and I do have limited plugs to have them all have an individual unit- with each tank having a hood and a heater as well. I also don't really trust the outlets strips we set up to have so many surge bars on them... these where the few ideas I thought up quickly...

I would so appreciate any ideas you may have? Thanks everyone!

You can buy commercial grade air pumps that are large enough to run an entire room of tanks. This is what most pet stores utilize. They are much more expensive of course and then you will have to running plumbing (usually PVC) to all the tanks. Don't buy an air compressor, as it will dump oils into your tanks.

 

[coralbandit]

Go Alita...
How many tanks are you running?
If you fixed the pump you have already and it worked better for a short time I would consider a different pump..
I run over 50 tanks on my Alita.
Let me know how many tanks and size and will suggest a properly sized pump...
At 8 watts you are in the Alita 6a range..The next [15a] is almost double but only about $15 more...

 

[ButterBee]

On one wall I have 12 10's (and would love to add 12 more) and another I have 4 20's (and would love to add more to this too!)

I will look into the Alita brand.

I have a real fear of having all the tanks on 1 filter- I worked in fish stores and in walmart (outdoor & fish section) and when one tank is diseased then they are all diseased. they didn't treat for ich in the local PSP and lost Everything! So I am naturally really worried about a mass filtration though it would probably fix my aeration issue...

 

[coralbandit]

I would go with the 15a
Alita AL-15A Air Pump + 12 Gang Manifold
It is $9 cheaper without 12 gang valve but in general those cost about double that so I always got them.

 

[ButterBee]

Oh! That's neat!! I wonder- can I add on to the gang-valve? Or do I need to buy a couple of these to get to all my tanks. Or... do I daisy chain tubing? That's always fun!

 

[coralbandit]

I ran hose/tubing from the gang valves to each rack and then used splitters for each tank..I think I ran over 30 hoses off the 15a.

 

[ButterBee]

I will start with one then! I may invest in a second 12 count slitter just in case I need it down the road though... free shipping so why not?

I just dug out some old pumps to get air to the tanks now- Really makes me nervous to daisy chain electric so bad... especially around water

 

[tunamanphd]

Alita pumps are worth the investment.

 

[coralbandit]

I will start with one then! I may invest in a second 12 count slitter just in case I need it down the road though... free shipping so why not?

I just dug out some old pumps to get air to the tanks now- Really makes me nervous to daisy chain electric so bad... especially around water

I am an admitted Kens junkie...Food ,supplies lots of my stuff. $50 is easy to spend with 50+ tanks...
I like these valves myself and the price is right .
Ken's Pro Metal Air Valve 5 Gang
I have bought bulk hose [250 / 500 ft ] and the blue silicone hose will melt /fuse the plastic valves till they don't work. Same for the disposable air stone stems .. Trying to re drill them has proven they are altered some how [chemically] and are then too soft..
I just set up an Alita 40A with a manifold and 1/2 lines going to each rack were I reduce to these valves I have linked . I have 26 of the 5 valve units so far..I have 3 daisy chained off one line at each rack or level of the rack and they blow more then I could need so flow is no issue.
Here is a pic of my pump from my thread..
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f70/coralbandits-fish-room-362673-14.html#post3480737