There are many essential aquarium accessories and an air pump is one of them. This is used to provide oxygenation and circulate water in order to maintain the health of the fish. And there are a few factors you will need to consider before purchasing an air pump.
You should first find out the air volume needed for your tank size
You can calculate the volume of your aquarium and then as a general rule, you need to select a turnover rate that is a minimum of three times per hour. This can also go up to five times per hour. Another important factor is the depth of the tank. If you have a deeper tank, a strong air pump is required so that it can push air down right to the bottom of the tank. You can purchase a small aquarium pump with a lower depth. You will need to look for a specially designed air pump when it comes to deeper tanks. There are also air pumps that come with adjustable settings for airflow that can come in useful in this situation. Air pumps can be quite noisy but you can look into air pumps that are designed to be more silent. This will be ideal for an aquarium that is located in a living room or office.
When searching for air pumps online
You can search for silent or ultra-quite air pumps in order to make sure they are not noisy. Make sure to read the description to check how this is achieved. Also, you will need to decide on the number of air stones or outlets you will need in the aquarium beforehand as you will need to have airline tubing for each one. And you need to make sure that the air pump you select is able to work with the number of outlets you are looking for. If you are planning for the air pump to run continuously, you will need to look into its energy efficiency. You can find pumps that are labelled to be energy efficient so that these can save electricity costs. Make sure to check online reviews and ratings for the air pump before you purchase it so you have an idea of what to expect.
The durability of the air pump is another consideration
And this is something you can learn when you read online reviews. Also, you will have better assurance of its long lasting properties when you purchase from a known brand or manufacturer. You should also look into the materials that the air pump consists of to get an idea of the quality and its wear resistance. As this is a crucial piece of equipment for your aquarium, you need to select an air pump with low maintenance. This means purchasing an air pump that is easy to disassemble and clean. There are also replaceable parts to some air pumps so that you can maintain their performance over time. Check whether these parts are easily accessible so that you can easily take care of the maintenance tasks.