System Concept: Redundant Aeration

[kris2341]

Among the many types of hardware failures common in aquaria, the two that are by far the MOST common are aeration and heating related failures. In my book though, aeration related failures take the lead and I have suffered dearly in this department.

Again, this is an area where having another pump could have saved many fishes' lives.

If you are someone whose system circulation is handled ONLY by a single canister filter or powerhead, PLEASE for the sake of your fish, consider adding another source of aeration.

The simplest, cheapest way to have insurance against a water pump failure is the use of an air pump and air stone, they are cheap, simply made and relatively hard to mess up, but they do go bad from time to time so check it regularly.

http://www.amazon.com/JW-Pet-Company...words=air+pump
http://www.amazon.com/JW-Pet-Airston...words=air+pump
http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Silicone...ords=air+stone

The problem is, some people dont like bubbles in their aquaria, air pumps also tend to be noisy. This can be solved through the use of a powerhead near the surface of the tank turning the water. It doesnt need to be big, it just needs to be enough to give some turbulence at the surface, and MOST IMPORTANTLY the mounting system for said powerhead must be reliable! The pump does no good as far as oxygenation if the pump falls to the bottom. If you choose a suction cup based mounting system, make sure it sticks! I prefer a clamp based mounting system.

The tried and true Aquaclear powerhead meets all the requirements of this purpose and has a venturi air intake that can aid in aeration.
http://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-Powe.../dp/B001EUL5OA

There are also even more ways to do this in an aquarium, such as having 2 canister filters and 2 return pumps in a sump but these depend on the type of setup you have and may not apply depending on present hardware.

Regardless, having redundant aeration is a big asset for the sake of our fish. When it comes down to it, when NOT if, the main pump fails, your fish will thank you for having a back up plan. I speak from experience here and there are many that have been in my shoes...

[rickztahone]

I currently have an xp2 & xp3 and a sponge filter in my tank. Recently, I removed the sponge filter because it was is an eye-sore, and a couple days after a film started developing on the surface. Back came the sponge filter :-/, ugghhh!

[musicmarn1]

I lost $1000 in discus last year because the filter failed and the next morning they were all dead, i have extras in every system now, airstones in every system and if i had had that they would have survived it was actually an overstocked tank and the lack of o2 i think killed them first, i could be wrong there but it was a super clean tank but NO air was running overnight and i learned the hard way.......still makes me sick thinking about the most expensive garden fertilizer i ever used....