DIY aquarium compressor: how to make and install

Many people have an aquarium with fish, it’s so nice to admire them. But after all, fish also need care, like other living creatures. For their comfortable living, it is necessary to provide all conditions that will resemble their natural habitat to the maximum. There are many attributes for this, one of them is a compressor or an aerator.

Aquarium compressor

Essential thing for aquarium. It allows the water to be saturated with the necessary amount of oxygen. The compressor, by producing small bubbles that rise up, allows the water in the aquarium to be enriched with oxygen.

It should not be forgotten that if the aquarium has a large volume, then one compressor will not be enough, because it is necessary to provide all the water with oxygen completely, and not partially. In addition, preference should be given to silent compressors so that there is no unnecessary irritation. Economical owners of fish can easily make a compressor for an aquarium with their own hands.

Making a compressor at home

To make an airbrush at home, you must have:

• Eccentric
• small electric motor
• Pump

There are several methods for making a homemade aquarium compressor.

Let’s take an electric motor, it is recommended to take it with a power of up to twelve W (in the event of a long power outage, such an engine can be connected to a car battery), and we connect it to the power supply. An eccentric is attached to the surface of this engine, setting a small pump in motion. This method allows you to make a silent compressor for the aquarium.

If noise is not a fundamental point, then another way to manufacture a compressor can be applied. In addition to the previous elements, an electric magnet will be needed. A small magnetic starter that will work with a frequency of 50 Hz from 220 W voltage, may well play the role of an electromagnet. A small pump must be connected to the magnetic starter and the membrane of this pump will move with the same frequency equal to 50 Hz from side to side. Thus, the movement of the pump allows you to pump air, thereby enriching the aquarium water with oxygen.

For the most part, aquariums are always placed in rooms where people spend most of their time. And therefore, one should not forget that the quality of an aerator for an aquarium should not be neglected, since its work is round-the-clock and the load on it is not small. If you have made a compressor that makes excessive noise, such as with an electromagnet, then you should think about placing it in an enclosed space (for example, in a long duct). An aquarium aerator can also be placed in an old film box or a wooden box, which will help reduce the sound level and reduce the force of the shock wave.

Beginners should be aware that a do-it-yourself aerator should create a moderate supply of oxygen to the aquarium water. And for this, it is necessary to calculate in advance the power of the engine used. And as mentioned earlier, you should use a powered compressor, not exceeding 12 W.

But the owners of a round-shaped aquarium need to know that very powerful equipment in such an aquarium has a very negative effect on the life of fish. All this is due to the fact that the circulation of water will be very fast.

It is also necessary to remember the fact that placing a large number of plants in the “house” for fish, it is not at all necessary to turn on the compressor during the daytime. During the day, oxygen will be supplied by plants, but at night they themselves will absorb it on a par with fish, and therefore the presence of a compressor will be a necessary attribute. It will be necessary to install on the tube that goes towards the atomizer, check valveso that when the device is turned off due to back draft, water is not poured into the aerator.

How to install a compressor in an aquarium

After you have made an aerator with your own hands, you need to proceed to the installation stage. Installing it is actually not a difficult task, and is easily performed even by a non-professional in this matter. Of course, the initial step will be to determine the location of the compressor. It can be placed both near the aquarium, placing it in a box, for example, and inside the aquarium, but without touching the water.

Hoses and nozzles it is recommended to fix at the bottom items that will not allow them to float. Since in this case, the saturation of water with oxygen will be much worse. There are two types of material recommended for hoses connected to the compressor:

• silicone;
• elastic rubber.

If any part of the hose hardens, it must be replaced with a new one. For a better habitation of fish in an aquarium, special hoses for aquariums should be used.