# Air Pump is too powerful



## garrickyuen

Is there a way to lower the power of the air pump? It seems as if my killifish are getting drifted by the air pump current and so are the plants. Would it be better to get a gang valve? Any other methods will be just as helpful.


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## Auban

i used to tie knots in my airline hoses to restrict air flow, but i no longer do that as it shortens the lifespan of the pump. a gang valve is the best way to go, just open the two valve, one leading to the tank and one to bleed off air. slowly close the one bleeding off air until you reach your desired flow. this puts a lot less stress on the pump.

the other alternative is to raise the end of the airline(stone/wand or whatever) until it is just beneath the surface. if it isn't very deep, it wont move much water.


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## clep.berry

Why do you see reducing the pump output as the only means of reducing the current in the tank?
I think differently - I know...
The circulation in the tank is dependent on the amount of air that you pump in at a certain depth. Like a paddle, the bubbles push the water upwards creating a current, as the bubbles rise, more water is pushed out of the way as the bubbles grow bigger.
The deeper you release an amount of air in the tank, the more work it does. Basic physics: work = force x distance.
Also true is that because it takes more work to displace the water at greater depths, the pump will struggle to provide the same amount of air as the pressure the pump can produce is limited, where the water pressure equalizes the pump pressure, there will be no more air released into the tank.
So... after baffling your brains with physics, there are 2 new solutions to reducing current in a tank. 
1) reduce the depth that you release the air into the tank - this will pump more air which will be less effective at stirring the tank-water up.
2) (harder) release the air deeper into the tank - this isn't always possible.
cb


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## Gizmo

I've always used a gang valve as a bleeder valve. Get a gang valve with one extra outlet (i.e. if you're putting two airlines into your tank, get a three-outlet gang valve), and just crack the extra valve to let some air bleed out of the system.


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## Aeten

Get a big airbar, they distribute the air flow across a wide area and reduce the power of the bubbles and the current while providing maximum aeration of the water and creating a nice even full tank current


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