Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi guys I am just setting up I have my tunnel house and icb set up bt am trying to decide which water pump and air pump to get?
I hear laguna pumps are pretty good for water but the air pump is a drama.
I feel I should get one with a battery backup it needs two outlets and needs to pump to the bottom of a 2 meter tank and an .800mm tank, and thoughts?
Thanks Norman
QLD

As always it depends your water pump needs to turn over your fish tank every hour at a minimum so a 2000L fish tank will need at least a 3500Lph pump probably more as head and pipe bends all rob pump flow dramatically .
I started with cheaper pumps but have a laguna now I like the long warranty .

Air pumps the little aquarium types wont push down far , I have a Hailea V30 really pleased with it should have got the V60 , You can stand on these pumps .

For airline I use the new soft 4mm garden irrigation line its terrific and the barbed garden line joiners ect .

I don't think you need to put the air stone at the bottom of the 2m deep tank, pumped air volume will be greatly reduced on spec and there will be increased load on the diaphragm, leading to reduced life. I run my air about half way down my 1m deep tank, which does the job perfectly well.

Another option is to put air stones in a "airlift" this vertically exchanges water as well as mixing in air, photo was with old aquarium pump it cranks out lots more now air stones down about a third the depth , need to screen intake so small fish cant get in .

Thanks for the info the airlift is interesting is there somewhere i can see how to build one on the net pls?