WolfPack21

Hello Everyone, I just purchased a Rena 200 air pump and I have a question about it. The pump went in my 29 gallon tank and the air pump is sitting under the stand, running through one small air stone. The pump is sitting about 3 to 4 feet under the stand/tank. The pump makes a little bit of noise, so is this normal or it is because I need to buy a more powerful pump because of the distance from the pump to the tank? The bubbles are coming out fine and I can adjust the amount as well. Oh and my fish are look at it like it is crazy . Thanks for any help!

EdnJean

Hi Wolfpack21,

I am certainly no expert, and others on this site will have good advice for you, but my air pump make noise and I beleive most of them do. I found you can minimize it by having it rest on something that is noise dampening, like a towel or cloth. I don't think it has anything to do with the location, distance etc.
I was advised that the air-pump should not be lower than the tank, because when it switches off, or fails, the water pressure will make the water flow back into the pump, potentially ruining it.

Ed

pepetj

Wolfpack21.

EdnJean advice is right on target. Try using a piece of dense cloth around it (or at least let the airpump sit on it).

Since your airpump is at a height below the main tank water level I hope you are using an air check-valve to protect your pump from back siphon if the power is off. There are several ways of dampening the noise these pumps make. In one extreme case, with a cheap branded unit, I had to take it out of service. For most airpumps I use I try to find a way to suspend them with a tie-wrap or whatever works well (a piece of wire can do the trick) so they don't touch any surface whatsoever. Most become barely audible when hanging like that. Keep in mind that some airpumps come with a small screw to adjust its output, sometimes fine tuning it gets rid of the noise as they can get out of tune due to shipment and handling.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

WolfPack21

Yes I am using a air check valve and Ill try puting cloth under it.

ilikefish

All pumps make noise. Even those that advertise that their "silent". Dont worry. And the distance from the pump to the tank doesn't matter. All that matters is the distance from the water surface to the stone. If its too much air won't flow... But since air is flowing your good. Good luck!

aquarist48

Hello WolfPack. Like everyone else I have yet to find that "silent" air pump so I stopped using them. As long as you're getting bubbles in the tank then you don't have to worry about the distance between the pump and inside the tank. I'm glad you're using the air check valve. I valued them as a necessity to prevent a back wash and possible electrical shock.
Good luck!
Ken
I've moved your thread to the "freshwater tank equipment/air pumps" section of the forum.
Thanks!
Ken