Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So, I have a main FT that is 2000L. I also have 3 x 700L IBC FT connected to this.

Thinking of airation.

Air Pump Pros
More bang for buck
Add and move air stones as required
Quality/outdoor rated pumps from $300 +++

Air Pump Cons
Noisy ACO electro piston thingy I currently have
Not waterproof so need to be housed
Runs too hot to touch

Pond pump with shower/venturi Pros
Quiet
No need to be housed
Moves water from main FT to IBCs
Cheaper

Pond pump with shower/venturi Cons
Fixed plumbing
Less air produced (?)

Thoughts?

my thoughts would be to do both. My system has air pump running at alternate time to water pump. With GBs above FTs; while air is off water being dumped from GBs and flow from FT to FT becomes my supply of air, and while water pump is off air pump is on. and so on and so on.

More a case of running the air water pump 24x7 in place of air pump.

Airation occurs as a result of the air bubbles breaking surface tension and moving water across surface. If you had a pond pump on the bottom of the ft pumping a shed load of water straight up at the surface it would do the same as a airpump

A little bit more than just water movement...the bubbles themselves are part of the surface area and gas exchange...and airation

Hence air pump with stone is more effiecient

Oh boy this was the subject of some heated debates in the past.... I like a combination of both as a general rule.

While I am intending to repair my Hailea one when I have time I picked up a Aqua Pond One O2plus 4000 (35LPM) link
So far I'm very happy with it. Can barely hear it running from 1m away and the air going out is a lot cooler than what I was getting from the Hailea.

My system is setup to use a combination of both. The pump that is on backup provides some air ration via a T.
Going to have a 8 or so hour outage for a transformer upgrade on Wednesday

Well just orders a Laguna Max Flo 3500 to be used to
1. move water from main 2000l FT to the 3 700l IBC FT
2. provide air via venturi for all 4 FT/IBC

Old ACO will be dismantled and see if some tinkering can reduce the noise. Will form part of the backup airation when I get my AintoG.

The ACO electromagnetic is too noisey, runs hot and does not serve the watermovement requirements I feel I need in my system.

The IBCs are connected via the 50mm taps on the bottom. I am finding that there is alot of gunk in the bottom of the IBC which does not flow to the main FT to be picked up by my Laguna Max Flo 16000. Maybe its confused as I have so many joins.

I also have had issues bleeding off water from the main pump in the past. With bleed on, my water was chocolate soup, with bleed off, it took 2 days to clear the water.

The electromagnetic 'AC0' airumps are junk.

They're cheap, but that's about all they are.

Now proud owner of PondOne 02 series airpump, 3 years warranty too - quieter, cooler, more efficient. About 50% more than the AC0 I bought, but if it lasts 3 years instead of 3 months then its a winner. Wish I had of got this unit first up. Very impressed with it (Had for ~4months)

I have 2 of these (Aqua Pond One O2plus 4000) up to $90 each servicing all the air I will very need..... I actually have each pump with 10 outlets from each covering the other pumps back so to speak as a back up I have 2 lines from each going to my 2 x 5,000ltr perch tanks, then I have 2 from each pump going to my 10,000 ltr sump/yabbie/feeder fish/duckweed tank, I have 1 from each pump going to 2 x 1,000 ltrs Feeder fish catchment tanks, 1 from each pump going to a 2,500 yabbie/feeder Fishtank And I still have 2 from each pump to swing around my head when i get bored instead of grabbing the Cat.... like i have said before I have killed my fish by giving them too much air before but the fact that they had no water with it(100% air 0%water) was the main factor and for the power useage of 20 watts each and have been going non stop for 14 months is a great selling factor I have around 30,000 ltrs in my system and they well and truely service the oxygen have never had fish gulping at the surface... Even if you had 1 operating on a back up inverter 20 watts is bugger all draw....And i have them outside sitting on a box under a peice of black plastic, which blows off every now and then when it rains and they get wet.... and they are very quiet

these pumps sound to good to be true but i'm thinking i want one

Just thought to reply back with what happened.

The laguna 3500 isnt strong enough to provide enough air.
Also, the distribution of water is uneven. Would need to stuff around to alot of componentry. My system is messy as it is.

So, gonna grab myself a POND ONE O2 PLUS 8000.

"POND ONE O2 PLUS 8000" gee that is good, 70L/min, using only 47watt for under $200 and a 3 year waranty

I'll be bookmarking that one.

Looks like they are rated outdoors also....designed for the UK elements...

So should be good for the Melbourne winter.

Anyone care to comment about its outdoor suitability?
Do you have this protected or just outside?

My Pond One O2 8000 started making noise.

It's 4 weeks old

Apparently the diaphragm needs replacing.

NOT covered by warranty.

So a 4 week old pump needing a new diaphragm.

Apparently all pump diaphragms are not covered.

The pump is good and quiet. Just thought it a bit ludicrous that the diaphragm dying after 4 weeks is a bit pot luck.

I would have expected more.

It's the last Pond One / Aqua One I am ever buying.