New project

Here's Colin's article on the eight-outlet Hailea ACO 9630 pump which he was well pleased with:

www.irishfishkeepers.com/articles/14-tro...ea-aco-9630-air-pump

However, a word of warning - since the photobucket picture hosts now insist on payments the illustrations are no longer available, sadly but you can still read the text.
I have one of these (only as a back-up now and I remember having an issue with it as it needed diaphragm replacement and back then they couldn't be bought but no they can so all's well now.

Although having eight outlets there will be more than the six you'll need, but I think it's better to have the option of more air should you need it in the future.rather than only having 'just enough'.

Something like the Blagdon Koi Air 50 would honestly be going way 'over the top' and - unless you are planning a large increase in tanks later this really would be like using the proverbial sledge hammer to crack a nut.

John

I wonder if you have your maths right, Robert?
Maybe you plan to run two filters in each tank, if you do then you are indeed correct but with only one per tank of six you would only need half your estimated output. Please remember, too, the fact that you need another outlet to 'bleed off' excess air produced if you don't want to be having to replace diaphragms and valves too regularly (voice of experience speaking here). Probably a bit late in your planning cycle now, but have you considered under gravel filtration? - I know it has become rather 'last year's technology' in this day and age but if you aren't planning on using these tanks for plant growth this is still a first class filtration system.
You're right in the respect of needing higher air output for a longer length of air tube - it is a proven fact that the shortest length possible will give the best output of air. There's probably a formula somewhere to fully illustrate the 'loss-of-pressure-per-metre' but I don't think we need trouble ourselves with finding it.

Air manifolds with taps can be bought but are you considering running six lengths of tube down from the one manifold? This then - of course - would entail six holes in the ceiling of your room. Might that still be acceptable to the 'planning permission' department of the household?

One last point - and this has been touched upon by an earlier respondent - evaporation really will be your worst enemy once you start having banks of tanks indoors (speaking as someone with a degree of experience of this). You might want to think about obtaining a domestic dehumidifier - you will be surprised just how much water it will collect. But be warned - they aren't cheap, aren't cheap to run and don't exactly run silently.

John

Pics added for Robert