# Air pumps??? for planted tanks.



## Old Dog 59 (Nov 11, 2018)

Is there a secret to being able to control 2 air stone lines for two separate 5.5 gal planted tanks? I have a Tetra whisper 10 air pump with a single outlet. I have put a plastic T on two lines that measure the same length from the T. I have a 1 inch air stone on each end in each tank. I have a 3 inch piece of tubing cut in half and a control valve in the center and have the one end connected to the pump,and the other connected to the center of the T. At first each stone was getting air and both stones worked fine. Today I noticed one of the air stones was not producing bubbles. I took it off and cleaned it and put it back on. still no bubbles. The Other side was working very well. I turned the airflow off at the control and turned it back on. The air was starting to bubble on the right tank but not the left. I turned the control onto full flow and still nothing on the left side. I disconnected both lines from the T and connected each one at a time to the control valve. Both sides work very well. I connected them back to the T and the left side didn't work again where as the right side seemed like it was on full. 

Can someone tell me what I need to do to get both sides to work and adjusted for the air flow.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

IME, the air stone is faulty - for some reason, clogged. If it can release air, use a valve on the other tube (one that works fine). Otherwise, you need to replace the air stone.

*** Not sure about US products, but local products sometimes get clogged - even newly used (I used to keep several spares in case - for goldfish). Only relatively high pressured air could get through.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

I have a single tetra whisper10 air pump hooked up to two sponge filters for two of my betta tanks. I had the same problem at first. The only way to the get the amount of air I wanted to each sponge filter was to have a separate control valve for each one. Then I could tweak it so they each got the right amount of flow.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Same as finnfinnfriend.

I used a three-way gang valve and controlled each sponge filter or air stone individually. I have also had fairly new air stones clog same as indjo.


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Gang valve is what you need.
If you remove the tubing for the right stone from the T section and block it so air only flows to the left, do you get bubbles from the left?


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## Old Dog 59 (Nov 11, 2018)

Yes I do get air from the left when the right is blocked and I get air on the right when the left is blocked . However I fixed the problem all together. I bought two Top Fin 5 gallon air pumps and each tank now has their own air. I even have one for the new tank and it is working fine. 

Thanks everyone for the time and assistance. I value all the information and the people who gave it.


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## jijicat (May 9, 2019)

I was using whisper 10 until I got the frogbit. Frogbit doesn't like water flows, so I switched to a corner filter and it works really well. If you don't have floating plants whisper 10 is a great choice.


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## Old Dog 59 (Nov 11, 2018)

Thank You jijicat, my black mustard gas tank is using the Whisper 10 and I have a whisper 10 for my elephant ear tank. I just bought 2 Top Fin 5 gallon pumps for the other two tanks I have.


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## jijicat (May 9, 2019)

@;


Old Dog 59 said:


> Thank You jijicat, my black mustard gas tank is using the Whisper 10 and I have a whisper 10 for my elephant ear tank. I just bought 2 Top Fin 5 gallon pumps for the other two tanks I have.


Maybe you could place the pump in a higher platform so the air always being pumped down? I don't know your settings so just guessing.


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## Old Dog 59 (Nov 11, 2018)

Well I now have 4 pumps each has their own tank. I'm set for now. I think with in the next 6 months I'll need an industrial air compressor to do all the tanks in the basement I have planed. My wife said I can have all the tanks I want down there but she is going to limit me to 6 up stairs.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Old Dog 59 said:


> Well I now have 4 pumps each has their own tank. I'm set for now. I think with in the next 6 months I'll need an industrial air compressor to do all the tanks in the basement I have planed. My wife said I can have all the tanks I want down there but she is going to limit me to 6 up stairs.


At least you can have some in the house. Lol.
Zero tolerance at my end - all must be outside hence very difficult to maintain plants.


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## Old Dog 59 (Nov 11, 2018)

indjo said:


> At least you can have some in the house. Lol.
> Zero tolerance at my end - all must be outside hence very difficult to maintain plants.


indjo I know that feeling, up until we bought this house 2 months we lived in an apartment own by my sister in law. There was an accident with my 75 gallon tank and I was told nothing more than a 5.5 gallon tank would remain. So when we bought the house I told my wife it's my house and I will have tanks. she agreed to having some upstairs but if I wanted larger tanks I would have to have them in the basement. I gladly accepted that offer. She has never seen the basement. I have 5 very large rooms to play in. I will fill every room. LOL


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

You're lucky. Wish I had that much space to play with.


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## Old Dog 59 (Nov 11, 2018)

The space came with the house. The people who owned it before us decided to just walk away and leave the bank take it back. We got it in foreclosure for less then the bank had listed it for and we were able to take some of our savings and pay cash. I really didn't know how much space I had in the house until the day we started to move in. My hobby and passion have been fulfilled. I'm trying to find a way to combine both and start a business. There are no pet shops or fish stores within 60 miles of the house and there are so many small towns close by that might be able to support it. It may take a few years yet to do but that's the plan.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Turning hobbies into a business, that would be a dream come true. 

I wouldn't want to live there. I can't live without pets; whether fish, birds, or mammals.


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## Old Dog 59 (Nov 11, 2018)

It has was a hard 4 years in the old apartment. We were allowed to have our two cats with no problem. I was also allowed to keep the tanks I already had 2 5.5 gal a 29 gal. and the 75 gal. but that was until the accident my grand daughter had when she accidentally smashed the front glass on the 75 gal. I was told no more tanks over 5.5 gal. and all the rest had to go. So I was able to keep my three betta but no others. Now that we own our house and it is our's out right. I can have as many tanks as I want. (but I would need to keep all large tanks in the basement.) I don't see any problem with that. LOL I've been setting up the tanks I had purchased after the accident and I've been filling them with betta. I just purchased 3 40 gal. breeder tanks from Petco on their $1.00 per gal. sale. and I also just may go back before the sale ends and purchase a 75 gal. at 50% off. My wife calls it sweet revenge. LOL I say YOU BET.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Lol. Yeah, I'd call it revenge as well. . . . I would probably do the same. Lol


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