Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
QUIET Air pump
- sincgar (Feargal Costello)
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would anyone recommend an air pump that could be used in a living room for a 20l tank, a 80l tank
Thanks
Feargal
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it does make a vibration noise though but if you get a small towel and put it between the air pump and the surface its on its barely makes a sound!

If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.
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hagen elite 802 twin out let. i use three of those two in sitting room. one in the kitchen. AS SB87 was saying a a cloth will reduce the noise.
if anything i find what it is running is as much to do with the noise i use two bubble boxes great for keeping the tank clean but the noise can be annoying. what are you going to run with it.
mickey
Mickey Wallace & Cath Woods
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- serratus (Drew Latimer)
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www.aquatic-village.com
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- Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
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Daragh
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- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
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The Interpet Airvolution are a lot quieter. I used the Airvolution 4 for a couple of years with no problems. Best air pump i ever used for it's size.
To cut the noise down on most air pumps place them in a net bag like those you get vegetables in. Hang the bag on a hook were it is not making contact with any hard surface. You could hang it inside a cabinet or stick a screw in the wall and hang it from that.
Don't forget to get a check valve when you get a pump. This will stop any back syphoning if the power goes out.
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- Orca (Eoin Walsh)
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- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
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If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.
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- Frontosa (Tim kruger)
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I use always the EHEIM Airpumps.You can trust them and they are quiet and have low running costs.Best place to buy is Aquapaws in Galway-they will post aswell.Regards,Tim
Midlands - in the heart of Ireland.
Keeping and breeding : Frontosa Blue Zaires , Synodontis Petricola , Tropheus Red Rainbow (Kasanga) , Tropheus Moliro . Regulary fry for sale.
Community tank with P.Kribensis and different livebearers.
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- Blake123 (Blake O Leary)
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Dont know where I got the idea to change in the first place.
So id say Resun

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- JohnH (John)
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Far better is to split the output, letting the unwanted air escape into the atmosphere. I might have explained this a little clumsily but if you put in a two-way adapter with one airline going to your airstone or filter and the other letting air out to the elements you can control the amount of air you want going into the water with a valve or airline clamp, the rest can escape.
John
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N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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- BenEadir (John Murray)
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I have a Tetra APS 400 running in a 450L Malawi tank and becuase I run an Organic Aqua setup it's critical I have it operating 24/7 as efficiently as possible.
I currently have two problems:-
1. One of the two outlet valves seems to be blocked and isn't putting out any air so I'm currently running on a single airstone. I know with one valve blocked the pressure and volume of air going through the one operating valve may be close to the equivalent of what would be going through the two valves together but I'd appreciate any suggestions people may have as to what I can do to get the blocked valve working. I've had a little poke with a screwdriver to see if there was a physical block but that didn't work.
2. The TetraTec is as noisy as hell. I tried putting it on a foam base but no joy, it still tattles like hell. Is there any good way to quieten it down or should I be looking to purchase a heavier duty air pump which wouldn't be under as much pressure and not as noisy??
Appreciate any help you can give me.
Ben
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- JohnH (John)
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I often find that a blocked air filter is the cause of pump failure eventually, but firstly it becomes very noisy (as insufficient air is reaching the diaphragm).
This might help you - and it's a good place to start looking.
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
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- BenEadir (John Murray)
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Yes tried cleaning the air filter but no joy, the 2nd valve sems to be permanently stuck.
Has anyone any experience of AquaVital airpumps? They seem powerful and good value compared to the established brands. Does anyone around Dublin stock them? See www.aquamania.co.uk/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=264. They are about half the price of an equivalent TetraTec or similar.
Ben
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- scubadim (scubadim)
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One of your diaphragmmes must be broken,it would explain the noise and the lack of air output.
or else o-rings could be gone.if you like,bring the pump and i'll have a look.
all d best,
Dimitri
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- BenEadir (John Murray)
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Do you guys sell the AquaVital pumps? Wouldn't mind having a standy given the importance of airation in an OA setup.
PS that Ehiem heater you receommended is doing a great job, cheers.
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- scubadim (scubadim)
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I actually have never heard or seen these(just googled them and don't recognize them).
available here are the airvolution pumps,resun,rena,hagen and tetra...
come around anytime between tuesday and saturday(exceptionnally sunday and monday this week end)
and yes those heaters are the business,sold hundreds and no return...
talk soon,
Dimitri.
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