How to Install an Air Tube for Fish Tanks

Aquarium fish and invertebrate animals, such as sea anemones and corals, add metabolic waste to their water on an ongoing basis. Various filters are used to remove this waste material. One such filter is an air-driven protein skimmer. Air bubbles that are produced by a wooden diffuser within the reaction chamber of this skimmer, attract molecules of metabolic waste, which is removed from the water, with stable foam that forms at the top of the reaction tube. Air tubing connects the vibrator pump, which supplies the air, to the wooden diffuser within the skimmer.

Things You'll Need

  • Small roll of air tubing
  • Air-driven protein skimmer
  • Vibrator pump
  • Scissors
  • Air line T-piece
  • Air line tap
  • Vibrator air pump
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Cut a 2-foot length of air tubing from the roll. Pour boiling water into a small bowl and place one end of the air tubing into the water.

    • 2

      Remove the air tube after a minute and push this end onto the wooden diffuser. Position the diffuser at the bottom of the protein skimmer's reaction chamber. Bend the air pipe gently to prevent it creating a 90-degree angle and hereby cutting off the air flow.

    • 3

      Place the rubber suction cups onto the skimmer holder and position the skimmer into the holder. Push the skimmer onto the back, inside wall of the aquarium. Ensure that the other end of the air tube is outside of the aquarium.

    • 4

      Place the opposite end of the 2-foot-long air line into the boiling water. Remove after a minute and push this piece onto the first arms of an in-line plastic T-piece.

    • 5

      Cut a 2-inch-long piece of air tubing from the roll and place one end into the boiling water. Remove after a minute and push this end onto a plastic in-line tap.

    • 6

      Place the opposite end of the 2-inch piece of air tubing into the boiling water. Remove after a minute and push over the second arm of the T-piece.

    • 7

      Cut a 4-inch long piece of air tubing from the roll. Place one end into the boiling water. Remove after a minute and push over the last arm of the plastic T-piece.

    • 8

      Place the opposite end of the 4-inch long piece of air tubing into the boiling water. Remove after a minute and push onto the exhaust nipple of the vibrator air pump.

    • 9

      Place the air pump onto a shelve above the aquarium. Always place the air pump higher than the water level in the aquarium to prevent water siphoning into the pump during a power outage.

    • 10

      Plug the air pump into a wall power supply and turn it on.