29.11.2016

I own a 190 litre corner tropical fish tank (see image attached!) as well as a smaller cold water fish tank and this pump is absolutely perfect. Having owned a number of cheap air pumps in the past (many of them loud and weak), this one has completely impressed me with its overall design, quality and specification and is the best pump I have owned. Let me talk you through some of the frequently asked questions you are probably asking yourself now:Specification:* Mains Powered (standard UK 3 pin plug)* 2 Watts* 50 L/H* 230v/50HzIs this air pump powerful?I have found this air pump to be powerful but this is a difficult question to answer. Different people have different sized fish tanks along with different requirements and different expectations.In my experience of owning cold water fish tanks, tropical fish tanks and Axolotl tanks, this is one of the most powerful pumps for its size and I can use this no problem with a medium sized bubble stone. Do bear in mind this is the smallest air pump from the Tetra series and if you do require a more powerful pump for larger fish tanks then it may be a good idea to check out some of the larger models.Is the air pump quiet?When I first plugged this air pump into my electric socket I was horrified by the loud noise the pump was creating. The noise wasn't actually coming from the pump itself but from the actual output inside the fish tank whereby I was using a medium sized bubble stone. The pump was simply chucking air out at maximum power which the bubble stone was unable to cope with. I then found a little valve inside the box which allows me to control the pressure of the air output, after using this I turned down the pressure considerably and the air pump became much quieter, in fact I have turned it so far down (for use in my small cold water tank), so that there is a little trickle of air and it is now virtually silent. The key is to ensure you have the correct sized bubble stone to cope with the amount of air pressure you require, a bubble stone too small for the required pressure will create a loud noise due to the air coming out too fast. Alternatively you can simply turn down the pressure to reduce the overall noise providing you still supply sufficient oxygen for your own fish tank requirements. Please note, there is no bubble stone supplied in the box and this must be purchased separately.How long is the power cable?After measuring with a measuring tape I can confirm this is approximately 1.9m long (or 1900mm).Does the box come with everything required?No the pack doesn't come with everything required. An air tube is required to transport the air from the pump to the fish tank, this can usually be purchased from any pet shop for a matter of pence. The air tube is also required to operate the air pressure valve, which is a little valve supplied in the box which can be used to control air output (see images attached), which you can connect to the pump using a small amount of air tube. Also an air stone which is not supplied isn't necessarily required but it is strongly advised to use one. Simply placing an air tube into a fish tank without a bubble stone will just result in it floating around at the surface of the water unless it is tied down inside the tank. A non return valve is also strongly recommended to prevent water from being drawn back to the pump.Can the air output be controlled?Yes, as mentioned above, the box comes with a little air control valve which you can connect to the pump using a little amount of air tube. The valve can then be turned to alter the amount of air flow required, from a little trickle of air to maximum power. The air flow valve is not built in to the actual pump but can be used externally from the pump itself (see attached images).Can this pump be used with a fish bowl or small tank?Yes this is the ideal pump for fish bowls and small tanks as long as you have used the supplied air output valve. The air output valve can adjust the power of the air output and by turning it right down and using it with an air stone makes it perfect for fish bowls and small tanks. Without using the supplied air valve the pump would be far too powerful.What types of tanks can this air pump be used with?This air pump can be used with cold water fish tanks, tropical fish tanks and marine fish tanks.Can this be used with a Biorb?Yes this pump is perfect to compliment your biorb tank.This review has been based on my experience of using this air pump for a number of months, I hope it helps!

6.11.2018

So, my problem was really the noise... I'd purchased a BiOrb 15L fishbowl and it came with its own airpump and light (both powered by same mains transformer) but to my surprise the airpump shipped with the BiOrb was ridiculously loud.We keep the BiOrb on top of the chest of drawers in the bedroom, so you can imagine the noise factor was something extremely disturbing and needed be fixed asap!The only reason I've bought the Tetra Tec APS airpump is because it said on it "silent"I really needed to sort out the problem that I was having, which was as multiple times repeated in this post --- the noise.When I've unboxed the new received Tetra Tec my first thought is to plug it into the mains to see if it is quiet.

21.8.2014

For a small relatively inexpensive pump, I find it quiet and efficient for a single round disk airstone I use in a 40L aquarium. Now my fish have aerated water as recommended.Added bonus was that the pump comes with a regulator valve so you can turn down the amount of bubbles if you feel it's giving the fish concussion or a headache! There is plenty of output for one small or medium sized airstone.As for noise, which seems to be the biggest talking point on air pumps, I bought 2 metre length of airline tubing, Cut approximately 10cm and place this first piece on the pump air outlet. Then cut a smaller piece of tube 5 cm. Place the regulator valve in the first piece of tube already connected to the pump,

23.6.2015

I'd been making Compost Tea for my plants using manual labour methods and figured I needed to buy an inexpensive, but quiet pump. After seeing a couple of videos on YouTube about this one, I went for it. I'm very pleased with it, it is very quiet.Because I couldn't get round to making another batch of Compost Tea, I decided to give some ailing plants oxygenated tap water. I ran the pump on the water for about 6 hours and the results I got from feeding it to my plants was astonishing. So much so, that I've decided I'm going to use this pump to aerate water for myself, and bought a solar powered, larger pump, for the plants.When you aerate water for minimum 2 hours,

10.5.2015

I am not easily impressed when something does as it says but...This is by far the best pump you can get for the money. I have a biorb 30 and like other reviews was shocked by the noise of the pump supplied (aquarium is fantastic). Read a review on this pump to check and thought I would give it a go, worst case scenario it would be a good back up as the pump is an integral part of the biorb filter so always worth keeping spares.Delivery was impressively quick and delivered on a Sunday which is great. Plugged pump in to test noise without pipes connected and it was quite load (sigh here we go again) Put my finger over the air outlet and the noise went away.

16.6.2016

Was a bit sceptical of the reviews posted regarding how quiet this pump was, especially when compared to the Biorb air pump but bought it regardless since it the price was reduced and I was in the market for a second pump anyway.Upon arrival I immediately installed the pump (without the inline airflow regulator) and swapped the airline from the Biorb pump. The noise difference was AMAZING! It's around twice as quiet and I can now only hear the bubbles being formed at the airstone and bursting on the surface, there is almost no noise emanating from the pump at all! I also noticed it was more powerful than the standard Biorb pump this has now replaced and the flow of water around the tank appears stronger.

18.12.2020

To start, I have very sensitive hearing, so sounds can bother me easily.I have a 30l betta shrimp tank in my bedroom for therapeutic reasons. My previous air pump (hailea silent), woke me up at times, so I had to buy a different type.It is helpful to wake up and fall asleep next to an aquarium so I had to find a really quiet design.This air pump has thick rubber on every leg, and the design is that all the weight is distributed on these feet. It means that any audible vibrations are suppressed.I have a drum kit and it has rubber feet - it follows a similar idea, but unlike drums, it blocks out most of the noise.No air pump can be truly silent, as it's a mini compressor, basically.

22.11.2020

Not silent, but that was expected. Significantly quieter than the air pump it replaced which started getting really noisy after only a few months. This is backed by a good warrentee and is a company that has a UK base so I considered it a safe buy. So far I have not been disappointed. The bubbles that it makes are louder than the pump.It powered my existing micro pore air stone quite well, but not as well as I thought and was wondering if I had a bad pump. Read a few articles and found one on cleaning the airstone.... Poured some vinagar (only had Malt) on the air stone and left for an hour, then mixed 1 part bleach (I only had toilet bleach) to 2 parts water and left the stone for 3 hours.

11.4.2019

It’s very rarely I have the need to question the legitimacy of other reviews, however on this occasion I must. The noise level on the current Biorb was always a mild concern so I decided to seek an alternative.This pump appeared to be a favourite among reviewers who’d experienced the similar problem with the biorb.On receipt of the item I was struck with how much bigger the pump was and it’s certainly well made. However on turning the pump on, my Joy was short lived. The noise caused our 2 conures to flee from their perch around the room and my wife who was 2 rooms away came to investigate the noise. I tried adjusting the air flow to no avail...it’s just NOISY.The increased airflow is great for the fish although there’s only so long you can spend in a jacuzzi.

9.4.2017

Oh bliss and such joy! After putting up with my biorb pump for as long as I could I did some online research and found this pump was highly recommended and so I purchased it through Prime and it was delivered the next day. I fitted it without any problems and as it was so very quiet I thought perhaps it wasn't working, but it was.The airflow is much improved and the bubbles in the tank filter system are livelier and faster moving and look very pretty.To say I am pleased is an understatement. I am delighted.I stupidly thought that I was not able to change the Biorb pump and had to continue to be deafened by it.It vibrated so loudly that I wrapped it in cotton wool,

23.4.2017

Was not as silent as I had expected, I actually bought this to replace a much cheaper twin outlet air pump worth only £12 I have been running for the best part of 5 months straight, which I thought was probably a bit noisy compared to say something in this price bracket. It turns out that I was wrong, while this is a good pump and produces a great stream of bubbles through anything, air stone, air tubing ect. It's just not as quiet as I thought it was going to be based on the other reviews I had seen here.I would say great pump, but just that price point is a little too much, in aquatic retailers this pump is priced the vast majority of the time over the £30 mark, which even after Amazons good price for £25,

27.6.2013

Not the most expensive air pump of the market, but so pleased I did not spend more.Simple to put together, but you will need a Stanley knife to cut neatly through the pip to add the release valve (supplied) and (only if you are putting the pump under the tank).the non return valve (not supplied).The flow is adjustable and creates plenty of bubbles that break of the water surface, this gives a little more oxygen to the water and a lot more aeration to the water surface, something that helps with the production of a well balanced aquarium. The bubbles add another level of interest to any tank too.The pump is nearly silent and only makes a slight noise if not set on flat surface.Note,

16.6.2012

I purchased a Biorb flow 30L as my 1st ever aquarium, I st it all up, plugged the air pump supplied with it and me and my missus looked at each other in disgust at the racket the pump was making! lol.Then next day I looked all over the internet for the best air pump money could buy for with noise reduction 1# priority and this get coming up in forums etc etcordered it for £12 including p+p and think its the best buy Ive made this year! so quiet i can now hear the bubbles in the tank instead of the working parts of the air pump day and night, bought a non return valve for £2 is well, added that and placed the pump under my desk, if it wasn't for the bubbles i wouldn't notice it was even there now!.A must buy if you are looking for a quiet,

17.2.2014

This was the 3rd different pump I purchased in my quest for the least noise possible. I have a small 30ltr tank in the living room with a small air stone. Now the first thing to say is that no matter what pump you purchase it is going to make some noise, there is no such thing as a silent pump, however this Tetra pump was the quietest of all 50 to 100 ltr pumps I have tried, in fact it is considerably quieter than the others I tried. Can I still hear this? yes does the TV need to be at a higher volume than pre fish tank days? Yes...If like me you are endlessly looking at small pumps, I can assure you this one is the quietest of them all. (For reference mine is in my AV unit with a closed front,

21.7.2016

I have been using aquarium air pumps for over 30 years. I've used various Rena, Whisper and Interpet models and ALL of them have produced a good deal of noise. This is the third Tetra APS that I have bought and besides this latest APS 300, I currently have an APS 50 and APS 150 in continuous use on different tanks. These pumps are remarkably quiet - they are not 100% silent, but no reasonable person could expect that - I reckon they make no more noise than the bubbles they produce. The design is sleek,modern and attractive - and they are powerful. I heartily recommend them to all hobbyists, they are quiet enough to use in the living room without disturbing your TV viewing,

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