Building a QUIET aerator

I'm looking to build a QUIET aerator for my large aquarium. The canister filter has a spray bar, but it's very loud when placed above the water line, and I'm confused about bubble aerators. Some literature says they do very little to oxygenate the water, other's say two or three will easily satisfy the requirements...either way, an air pump costs a lot and is still quite noisy.

I'm drawing my inspiration from the modification I made to my turtle's filter. As pictured below, the water clings to a sheet of plastic and runs into the water instead of free-falling 4 inches and splashing all over. (which is why I made that modification!).




I'm looking to do the same thing, but with a length of PVC pipe. I'd like to cut a slit down the top and cap both ends. The water will flow out of the slit, around the pipe and into the water, very similarly to the turtle filter.




Side view, illustrating flow pattern. The apparatus could be expanded to 2 or 3 feet long if that would optimize aeration. I have 1 to 1.5 inches of air space between the water and the lid, so I'm not sure if this apparatus will even fit.

Do you folks think this will provide adequate aeration? Or should I just settle on a more traditional method (either the spray bar or bubblers).

Furthermore, are there any potential problems with using PVC piping and PVC glue in an aquarium? Can I paint the PVC black to make it less apparent? and how should I affix it to the wall?

 

I have a power head that has a small intake hose on that sucks air and puts it in the water and I have no problems with noise from that also I have 2 bio wheel set ups and the one sprays water on to the bio wheel and it spins pushing air in to the water and it does an alright job of it. I would suggest just buying a power head that aerates the water at the same time cost to build would most likly be as much to buy the power head and with that you would have more water flow in the tank.

 

My only concern would be that the whole purpose of having the water "splash" is that is how the O2 gets into the water. For your turtle tank, I would think that far less O2 is getting into the water because it is not splashing, therefore absorbing O2.

I could very well be wrong though....

 

mmm not sure. I have noticed when I look at my fish after they go by the power head they have vary small bubbles on there under side that got stuck and couldnt go up to the top of the tank its kinda funny.

 

In my pleco/cory tank, I'm using a powerhead attached to a sponge filter. The sponge acts as biofilter and the powerhead aeriates the water. It seems to work well, so far anyways.

 

I have a power head that has a small intake hose on that sucks air and puts it in the water and I have no problems with noise from that also I have 2 bio wheel set ups and the one sprays water on to the bio wheel and it spins pushing air in to the water and it does an alright job of it. I would suggest just buying a power head that aerates the water at the same time cost to build would most likly be as much to buy the power head and with that you would have more water flow in the tank.

cost to build would be about $5, $10 if my PVC glue went bad and I have to buy a new can. I already have hose barbs (the most expensive part) from previous hydroponics projects. A power head would be $20 to $25, so the raw price comparison is in favor of building it. but if my apparatus doesn't work, it's just wasted money.

I would be interested in a power head, but it doesn't really break the surface at all. Anything accumulated up there would just chill indefinitely. A surface film could be quite unhealthy for my gourami.

Also, would a single power head supply the oxygen needs for such a large tank? I still can't find a definitive answer on using bubbles to aerate the water.

edit: I finally found something, for fishermen no less, about aerating bait tanks. Basically, aquarium air stones DON'T do much, but the ceramic type diffusers do. But again, I have to buy an air pump, diffusers and it still won't break the surface. woe is me! lol

mychl717: I think you're at least partially correct. the splashing does aerate better (filling the water with micro bubbles that make it look cloudy), but it isn't necesary. Most HOB filters operate with a gentle cascade (like my turtle tank) and sufficiently aerate the water. I know the turtle tank is properly aerated because it's completely odorless, whereas we all know improper aeration leads to a nasty swampy smell.

I'm just wondering if my apparatus would allow the water to fall fast enough to aerate effectively.

 

I have . If bought online it is 12.99 plus shipping. All you would needed is the tubing from the head out of the tank. Just a thought.

 

when using a power head u need a reg filter with it, and if you aI'm the nosel up to the top of the tank it will move water around or you and face it at a angle that kinda faces the top of the tank and it will push water from one end to the other if u were to put die in the tank you would be suprised how much flow is in iyour tank from filters and power heads. mine I have facing to the side to push air and water around the tank in a circle as the reg filters just pull that water from top and bottem of the tank in the back and dump it in the front... I haven't had any problems and my tank is a 75 gal.

 

well I built my aerator and it doesn't really work. The canister filter doesn't move enough volume to agitate a large surface. the aerator ended up only being 5 inches long, any longer and the water would still flow from a 5" area, just spread along the whole bar, lots of dead space. and I don't think it falls far enough to really "punch" through the surface and bring in air.

total cost to build was $7...it was a fun project and I learned a little bit, so it's still worthwhile.

Now I'm trying to decide if I want to stick with my aquarium pump with home made spray bar (vinyl tube with holes punched in it, lol), or move on to a power head.

the home made thing certainly is effective, it's just kind of loud.

 

I have a spray bar with my canister filter and there is almost no noise unless the water level is down far enough that it is spraying out of the water. Have you tried that? moving the spray bar under the water line and pointed it up on a slight angle? Mine moves the surface water quite a bit. Can post pics if wanted.

 

I have a spray bar with my canister filter and there is almost no noise unless the water level is down far enough that it is spraying out of the water. Have you tried that? moving the spray bar under the water line and pointed it up on a slight angle? Mine moves the surface water quite a bit. Can post pics if wanted.

I get what you're saying. that might work fine.

I already ordered a powerhead though (decided on the eheim aquaball), maybe I'll do both methods. My tank needs some serious aeration.

 

That's cool. Just thought about it when I re-read your first post saying you had a spray bar...then I was like...wait a minute! lol Good Luck

 

That's cool. Just thought about it when I re-read your first post saying you had a spray bar...then I was like...wait a minute! lol Good Luck

yeah, I don't think I went down that path after seeing the goofy flow pattern having it above the water line made. My fish were all confused and just bunched up in the middle.

As it is (placed vertically), I get a nice river-like cross flow. The power head swirls just the surface, not the whole tank.

 

Cool, glad it worked out.

 

just to help clarify what those little bubbles do, they don't actually add oxygen to the water they just temporarily increase the surface area of the tank for more absorbtion. in salty tanks the use of skimmers increase oxygenation by removing the dead biological film and protiens that gather on the waters surface preventing oxy absorbtion. ive found over the years that this is also true of fresh water, so on my conditioning tanks ive installed the fluval surface skimmer to my canister setups for intake. they are easily adjusted to slightly skI'm the surface while still filtering mid tank. using this system I was able to remove all of the air pumps that I used to use. the peace and quiet now is astounding lol. they are pretty cheap to at about 14 bucks.

 

I know that's exactly what bubbles do. Small bubbles stay in suspension much longer than large bubbles, small ones may even float around with near netrual buoyancy...which adds a lot of time for diffusion. but they also have a much greater surface area to volume ratio so they diffuse more efficiently.

That's why air stones do very little for aeration (their big bubbles just look nice), but ceramic diffusers do an excellent job; They're used by commercial fisheries for aeration. plus if they get clogged, a light sanding will shine them up like new.

It's all in the bubble size.

For the education of everyone reading...it's not just oxygen we're concerned about, it's co2 as well. oxygen goes down in the aquarium, so the air naturally pushes more in to the water (diffusion)...but co2 also goes up (which lowers pH, "carbonic acid"), so the water naturally pushes it into the air. The water doesn't "absorb" oxygen, the air diffuses it in. Just like pans don't "absorb" heat, the stove pushes it in. If water absorbed air, or pans absorbed heat, they would achieve saturation levels higher than ambient...which doesn't work.

"aeration" is active diffusion. HOB filters usually provide plenty of aeration, but my problem was lack thereof.

 

...they are easily adjusted to slightly skI'm the surface while still filtering mid tank. using this system I was able to remove all of the air pumps that I used to use...

I have that skimmer, but I have been afraid to remove the air pump. It really does move enough air into the water?

If that is true, I am getting rid of my air pump too.