how big of an airpump for HMF?

[SSJChar]

Hi, i have a 20g long tank and have a swisstropicals HMF filter on it. i haven't set up the tank yet(checking to see if its good, bought it used) and i will have to also get an air pump for the filter. I was planning on getting this one :

 but noticed the air pump is kinda weak. I dont know the requirements for an HMF filter but is this strong enough? it will be for my future shrimp and possibly some celestial pearl danios or chili rasboras but i'm worried that the air wont even be strong enough to lift the water up the tube. any help would be greatly appreciated.

[ibebian]

Doubt this will generate enough pressure for the jetlifter, but I'm curious to hear some opinions on this as well!


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[jessaweeshrimp]

Danner AP4 adjustable airflow, relatively quietand hangable too!!! Thats what I put on my 29 gallon HMF filter and the OG deisgn really moves some water!!! DIY is cool but nowhere near ar efficient or well made

[seaj]

I have a danner air pump, and it's nice because it comes with a dial to adjust the air pressure. Not sure if all models have that. I think I heard somewhere that that the jetlifters pump out 4 times the the amount of water in relation to how much air you pump in. 20 longs aren't very deep, and jetlifters are crazy effective. I have one in a 20 long, and it blows my guppies around.

[SSJChar]

thanks for the advice guys. i may end up getting this pump and if it doesn't work out just grab a different one from amazon. unless someone has actual experience with using HMF filters with very low output airpumps

[ibebian]

thanks for the advice guys. i may end up getting this pump and if it doesn't work out just grab a different one from amazon. unless someone has actual experience with using HMF filters with very low output airpumps

Can't hurt to try but be prepared to buy another

Would also be a useful experiment for the forum to know just how low jetlifter requirements are in practice so at least it won't be a complete waste (not to mention having a tiny air pump is nice to have)


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[jessaweeshrimp]

I also have a 12 gallon bookshelf that is 36" long by like 9" x 9" with a Swiss Tropical sponge cube, tile base and it puts out some serious flow but it is on the surface and my Tigers don't mind it at all. I have a dual output (not Danner) that I run into one hose (with flow adjustment dial as well) and the cube with curved top exhaust just like the real deal because it is ? In fact half of that tank has a UGF with a cheap PH 8 and they dart in front of that flow just for fun at times it seems. 

But the Tigers are the more aggressive of the wee little shrimps I guess. The Danner is a better pump and quieter as well, just saying. 

[seaj]

The 20 gallon long HMF kit from Swiss Tropicals comes with the large jetlifter

 

The large jetlifter can pump 700 to 800 liters of water per hour, or 11.66 to 13.33 liters per minute.

 

To achieve that flow, you need an air pump that can pump 2.92 to 3.33 liters of air per minute, or 178 to 203 cubic inches, since the water to air volume is ~4:1. There's 61 cubic inches in a liter.

 

The Danner AP-4 is suppose to pump 275 cubic inches of air per minute, so it should be perfect. That total is probably for both outlets combined. It has two outlets, but you can connect them with a T connector, and it's adjustable so you can turn it down. I have the same HMF from Swiss Tropicals, and I find that running it at full power produces too much of a current. I also have an Danner AP-4, but I'm not using it right now.

 

I hope that math is correct.

[jessaweeshrimp]

Sold!!! AP-4 it is ? Flexibility will pay for itself quickly

[SSJChar]

thanks again for the replies, and math. my jetlifter is actually a medium(i'm canadian and the kit i got was an 8in medium jetlifter with 30ppi foam) but i see that the swisstropicals website has info about the gph requirements for the jetlifters. The phantom says it supplies only 8gph of air so that in itself is too low unless the flow required for shrimp is that much less.

i was looking at the AP-4 and it seems to be around $31 here in canada. i'm mainly looking for something really really quiet. does the AP-4 seem pretty quiet compared to other air pumps of that price range?

[jessaweeshrimp]

It is the quietest of the 3 brands I own but it is only like 15$ on Drs. Foster and Smiths website !!!

[SSJChar]

So i ended up buying a dual outlet pump just like the one i was looking at, so its very small and not much air flow. i have the output of the jetlifter still in the water around halfway so the bubbles themselves dont have to do much to get it flowing. it seems to doing decent output, not much but i wasn't really looking for much since its for shrimp and CPD. what do you guys think? The output is also pointing towards the back left corner and the grass gets a bit of movement from the circular flow it gets

tank2.mp4

[ibebian]

So i ended up buying a dual outlet pump just like the one i was looking at, so its very small and not much air flow. i have the output of the jetlifter still in the water around halfway so the bubbles themselves dont have to do much to get it flowing. it seems to doing decent output, not much but i wasn't really looking for much since its for shrimp and CPD. what do you guys think? The output is also pointing towards the back left corner and the grass gets a bit of movement from the circular flow it gets
tank2.mp4

Did you get the Danner AP4?


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[SSJChar]

i didn't, i went with an Apump maxi air pump from the amazon. Its a dual outlet pump that i just combined and we'll see if it works for me. I'll be upping to a danner AP4 if its too low a flow but since the spout is in the water it seems like this may be okay.

[jessaweeshrimp]

It seems okay but how big is that tank? Almost looks like a 75 gallon

[SSJChar]

its a 20long. the lower filming angle probably makes it look bigger

[ibebian]

Got the AP4 for a magnetic corner HMF. Supposedly the whisper10 at 1.5W will top it out but I guess we'll see


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[jessaweeshrimp]

Don't believe the misinformation. My dialable air pump makes my little 8" lifter roll. It isn't the AP 4 and is a little less powerful but when you get the Jetlifter brand you get precisely drilled and  deburred holes and a machined concave ring to deliver the air equally on all sides of the tube. It is so much more than just a tube to displace water like the DIY and they aren't that expensive ?