# Aquarium bubble wand tubing



## LemmiWinks (Jun 11, 2011)

So i am in the process of cycling a new 30 gallon tank, just bought a bubble wand and when i hooked up the tubing to the wand it was very hard and i couldnt get the tube on all the way but i think its on their good enough. It has been running for awhile but now i noticed that their is water in the tubing, what can i do to fix this? is this bad if it reached my pump? I probably wont have it on this week because i added a couple danios and they seemed stressed to be in a new tank as it is. Thanks!


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## Rob72 (Apr 2, 2011)

i have a bubbler led light wand, i turn mine when the light is not one, then when the lights are on i turn the air off, i have the same problem but never had any water go higher than the water in the tank


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## glassbird (Feb 2, 2011)

You can (and should) buy a check valve for the air line. Fish stores sell a few different types, but basically they only let air go one way thru the tubing. That way, if your pump stops (or gets disconnected), a siphon can not get started. And even though an air line is not very big, a suprising amount of water can be drained over time.

I have had aquariums for over 30 years, and have had check valves in all my tanks except for the 10 gallon that I had hidden in my dorm room during the 1980's. I was new to the area, and did not have a car, so shopping for fish supplies was tough. I decided to not worry about the lack of a check valve...and then my roommate unplugged the air pump because she did not like the noise. Fortunately, I came home a few hours later and noticed that the tank was half-drained...and my bed was soaked. Took weeks to dry out!

Also, if you have a hard time getting air line tubing to fit onto something (like an air stone or wand) try soaking the end of the tubing in hot tap water for a few minutes. That makes it soft and a bit stretchy. Let it cool after getting it onto the airstone, and it will shrink back enough to create a tight fit.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

glassbird said:


> and then my roommate unplugged the air pump because she did not like the noise. Fortunately, I came home a few hours later and noticed that the tank was half-drained...and my bed was soaked. Took weeks to dry out!


Not cool! Not cool at all! I would have made the room mate sleep on the floor and taken their bed!


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## glassbird (Feb 2, 2011)

I agree. But she was letting me keep the tank even though it was against the rules, so I cut her some slack. Also, she did not know that the air pump was important to the health of the fish...she thought the bubbles were just decorative.

The wet bed was bad. And I could not request a new mattress, because someone might have asked how it happened. I could not think up a good lie to explain 5 gallons of water...and I did not want to risk exposing the presence of the "forbidden" tank.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Your room mate was "letting" you keep the tank? Your room mate sounds like they weren't much fun! Lol. I would have been like, "the more tanks the better.... and bring some cats and puppies!"


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

LOL @ Holly.Cats and puppies huh?

Yeah I have heard horror stories on air pumps so I make sure to have a check valve handy,though I dont use pumps for anything but the BBS hatchery.

I could easily explain five gallons of water."I was scrubbing pizza off the floor and tripped over the bed,lol"


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## Copachick (Jun 7, 2011)

They told us when we bought our air stone and pump that we need to keep the pump elevated, like on a shelf or something so water doesnt get inside the tube and down into the pump.


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

i can see some water in my air line aswell when its been off for a while .


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

My pump stays above the water line and I have it set up where if the hose disconnects then it falls back into the tank!  ...Check valves make resistance and the least resistance the better..  ..I also try and use the shortest amount of tubing for the same reason.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Mine must have an internal check valve.... it's been set up for months now and is sitting below the water line, with no water in the tube. Even when we turn it off no water back flows into the tube.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

holly12 said:


> Mine must have an internal check valve.... it's been set up for months now and is sitting below the water line, with no water in the tube. Even when we turn it off no water back flows into the tube.


Assuming is the mother of all screw-ups. I would get one if I wasn't sure.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Assuming is the mother of all screw-ups. I would get one if I wasn't sure.


LOL! Duely noted!


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## mjsullivan204 (Jan 4, 2011)

I need help with my air pump. I bought the largest Top Fin air pump, placed it on top of the china cabinet which has a 50 gallon and a 100 gallon tank on either side. I only used two of the outlets using a airstone and one 6 inch air wand. They worked fine for a couple of months and just stopped. If I lift them 6 inches off the aquarium bed they work but not if placed on the floor. All I can think is that maybe I need some of those check valves. I wanted glorious bubbles and this is bumming me out.


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## glassbird (Feb 2, 2011)

If your air stones work when they are at less depth, then I would bet they are getting clogged. Either replace them, or soak in hot water for as long as possible. Maybe microwave them a little? Something to destroy the algea clogging them up inside. Microwaving may damage them, so keep that in mind. There must be another way to clean them....but I usually just replace them.

A check valve wont make the air pump work any better...a previous poster is correct in that they do add resistance, but I will trade that for dry floors (and/or beds). And you may get away without a check valve for eons, and then some combination of events (that I have never been able to determine) will come together and cause a siphon for no apparent reason. Very unpredictable.


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## Sasquatch (May 29, 2011)

mjsullivan204 said:


> I need help with my air pump. I bought the largest Top Fin air pump, placed it on top of the china cabinet which has a 50 gallon and a 100 gallon tank on either side. I only used two of the outlets using a airstone and one 6 inch air wand. They worked fine for a couple of months and just stopped. If I lift them 6 inches off the aquarium bed they work but not if placed on the floor. All I can think is that maybe I need some of those check valves. I wanted glorious bubbles and this is bumming me out.


If it has more than two outlets why not connect all of them together! Airstones get clogged with stuff thats in the air and they clog from the inside, Best just to replace them. Check valves will not give you more air. Get some Tee connections and tie them all together for more bubbles.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

To the hardness of the airline mentioned by the original poster - it's improbable, but are you sure you didn't buy CO2 tubing? It's much more rigid and slightly thicker in the walls than regular airline, to prevent the CO2 from corroding the plastic.


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