penance

I have 2 5g tanks and I was thinking if there was some way to use 1 air pump for both of them ... is there a splitter I could use?


edit - found my answer airline control valve

dvc_r

Absolutely! You can pick up a "tee fitting" and split the air to both tanks. I had one pump split into three tanks with a AccuAir Aquarium Gang Valve to adjust the flow of each. In larger tanks you can even split them to you decor also. You can get real creative if you want. One day I was bored so I ran plastic tubing so there wasn't vinyl or silicone tubing all over the place and to make it look neater

capekate

Yep, all you have to do is ask your LFS for a gang valve. They will lead you right to it. As was posted above, you just split the air via tubing to both tanks.
Wonder if we have any diagrams here in the forum on the how to's of it all for you?

dvc_r

I'm not sure about that but I think I can find a picture of mine.

You can see the pump between the 1st and 2nd two-and-a-half gal tanks, the gang valve is hanging on the back of the middle one (unfortunately you can't see it).

Attached Images

3 and 1 Bettas.jpg (526.8 KB, 45 views)

penance

Thanks for the information I found the splitter and the rest was done! The air flow is just as good as before so no complaints

Imagine I was going to spend $15.00 on an air pump, silly me.

peacemaker92

Hi Penance, glad you found what you're looking for! I actually made a mistake by buying a pump with two air outlets. So now I have it on my 55g. LOL

eiginh

My whisper air pump came with a control valve, it looks like the letter T. Is there a way to make that split for two air linings?

pepetj

That's a T connector. Old Tetra Whisper airpump models used to come with a transparent T connector attached with Scotch tape at the bottom. I believe they are packing black colored ones now.

When you place the T, if you are not using at least one air-control valve, try to use similar devices and similar lenghts of air hose for both tanks. Most small airpumps run with really low pressure and it is not rare that you might end up with air going out in one tank and not in another. To facilitate air flow to both tanks, without air-control valve, keeping both ends as equal as possible should help making it work fine.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

eiginh

so... I should be using the T connector and buy a gang valve instead?

pepetj

If you have a gang valve (one input to two or more output, with integrated flow control knob for each output) you don't need the T, just insert air hose as needed and adjust flow.

If you already have a T, give it a try by either keeping as equal "air resistance" in both ends (otherwise it is possible that you end up with most air flowing through the path with less resistance only leaving one of the tanks without air) or just attach a cheap "in-line" air control valve (one would suffice if splitting for two tanks) to one of the output path for one of the tanks and adjust, once air is flowing, so you get air in both tanks.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo