Question about air curtain?!

KellyL

Hi all, I got a flexi air curtain thing as a free gift today. Its got a valve type thing with it but I cant get it to work? Do I need a air pump or something?
Also my new filter 1000l/h for my 200l tank seems very powerful and is blowing my fish around if they go anywhere near it, should I get a less powerful filter and loose some L/h or will they get used to it? I have baby Molly in there at the moment too?!

thanks guys!
Kelly

Nilet699

Yes you definitely need to pick up an air pump else you'll just have a rubber tube in your tank


As for the filter. Turn the outlet around and face it at the nearest wall... this will take most of the force out of the water flow.

FranksTanks

Air stones/curtains that I know of and have seen need an air source attached to them, they have to get air to them somehow right? What is the make and model of the air curtain? Perhaps a picture of the item might help us identify it... But as far as I know, all air stones/curtains need to be attached to your air pump.

In regards to your filter, what is the level of your water? I use an external 30 to 60gal filter along with an internal 10 to 30gal filter in my 30gal tank, so obviously, it would be considered "overkill". But I find that it is ok for the fish.

I have to keep my water level high, as I find that when it gets low, that it creates a "falls" effect and creates more turbulance in the water.

So I guess my question for you would be; Is the level of water in your tank high enough? If it is, and that is causing a TON of turbulance, than I would guess most likely your filter is too big.

Again, anyway you can post a pic of your setup?

jentralala

You can always baffle your filter flow with a water bottle. There's tons of tutorials online, just type in "diy bottle aquarium filter baffle" or something along those lines. :)

KellyL

I figured it would probably need a pump! I just wonder why they sent it as a free gift knowing I probably wouldnt be able to use it (probably wanting me to buy more!!)
I guessed it might just work on its own with pressures kindof like a backwards syphon! (wrong!!)

I cant turn the flow of water to face a wall, the outlet is front facing and you can only move it from side to side a tiny bit if I stick it to the back of the tank the closest wall is the front of the tank and I dont want any fish getting smashed into that!

Its an internal filter (unfortunately I have no room around the tank for an external one) water level is high. We have removed the new filter now and put the old one back in for now. I took the new one apart and I think I will need to seal the inner valve thing (that controls how much water passes through) with silicone or something to make sure only a certain amount of water can pass through. - Does anyone know what the fishtank-safe silicone is called? I can get you a photo if you think it will help?

Thanks!

KellyL

I have heard of baffling filters before but I have only ever seen it on external filters that kindof pour the water back into the tank over the side! I just had a look again and people are talking about a sponge baffle? But I'm not really sure where I'm supposed to put the sponge!

Nilet699

Firstly - whats the filter? Make and model would help immensely here.

You could buy a basic filter sponge and cut a square out....just basically put it over.

As per siliconing the inlet, IMO i wouldnt suggest it. Messing with the inlets is widely seen as a bad thing with filters. You could actually cause the opposite too by forcing the water into the filter at greater pressure and therefore reasonably jetting it out faster.

Another option would be to buy a small plastic curved pipe and once again aiming it at a wall again.