We’ve created this buying guide to steer you toward buying only the best aquarium air pump because they are one of the more expensive and important items you’ll buy for your aquarium, so you want to get it right.
But choosing the right one is often a difficult decision, especially for people new to the world of fish keeping.
Now, before you even start shopping you need to know a few things: how do aquarium air pumps actually work? When do you need a specialized deep water pump? What are you actually going to use it for? What’s the pumps purpose in your specific tank set up?
Not all models are created equal, can have different power ratings, different purposes, some suitable for powering filters, some for air stones and ornaments, can have 1, 2 even 4 outputs – The options are many.
But not only that, they can also be pretty noisy. So believe me, you also want to seek out the quietest aquarium air pump you can find. More on that later…
So keep reading to find out exactly what the right pump can do—and which one is right for you.
The Top Models Chosen for Our Best Aquarium Air Pump Reviews
- Hydrofarm Active Aqua Air Pump, 4 Outlets, 6W, 15 L/min
- Tetra Whisper Air Pump 20 to 40 Gallons, Quiet, Powerful Airflow
- Tetra Whisper aquarium Air Pump For Deep Water Applications
- VicTsing Air Pump Ultra Silent High Out Energy Efficient Aquarium Air Pump
- Fluval Q1 and Q2 Air Pumps
- EcoPlus Eco Air1 Commercial Air Pump 1-18 Watt Single Outlet, 6 Valve Manifold
- EcoPlus 126 GPH (480 LPH, 3W) Air Pump w/ 2 Outlets
Please note: The above links take you to current prices, customer reviews and further information on Amazon.
Contents (click to topic)
Best Aquarium Air Pumps
Below we list and discuss our top recommendations, and we’re sure you’ll find the right one for you.
Active Aqua 6-Watt 15-LPM Air Pump with 4 Outlets
This aquarium air pump is available with 1 to 8 outlets, making it suitable to drive either many devices in a single aquarium, or multiple aquariums at once.
The larger the model you buy, the more outlets it’s has, as well as each outlet being more powerful.
The 4 different air pumps are rated at:
- 1 outlet model: 50-GPH flow rate, or 3.2 liters per minute
- 2 outlet model: 125-GPH flow rate, or 7.8 liters per minute
- 4 outlet model: 240-GPH flow rate, or 15 liters per minute
- 8 outlet model: 400-GPH flow rate, or 25 liters per minute
So there’s a model to suit almost all requirements.
Every model features a multi-level muffler which reduces noise to a modest 45 decibels maximum, which can be reduced further if you follow our advice for placement above. This pump is extremely quiet, it will not be keeping you awake at night.
A dial on top of the housing lets you easily adjust the air pressure, although you should be warned that the highest setting increases the sound produced. We would suggest buying a higher spec model than you perhaps need, and not running at 100% to keep the sound down.
This is one of the best aquarium air pumps you can get if you have multiple aquariums or devices you wish to run. It is quite powerful but it should not be used for outdoor ponds as the housing is not water resistant.
Pros
- Four outputs allow you to power several different accessories in multiple aquariums
- It’s nice and quiet
- Specialized rubber pieces ensure steady output and pressure
- It doesn’t use much power
Cons
- It’s big, making it less than ideal for people with limited space.
- It doesn’t come with T stops or any of the other standard accessories.
Tetra Whisper Air Pump
The Tetra Whisper air pumps are available in 5 different models, covering tank sizes from 10 to 100 gallons.
Due to many unique features in it’s design, it’s one of the very quietest air pumps on the market.
It has an arched shape that is designed to flatten the frequencies generated, and prevent reflections of sound off the surface it’s placed on.
Together with rubber feet that partially isolate the unit and dramatically reduce vibrations, this truly is one of the quietest units you will find on the market.
Pros
- This really is one of the quietest air pumps around
- It is small enough to work in any space
- The dome shape and color are quite attractive
Cons
- There is no hose / other attachments included
Tetra Whisper Air Pump for Deep Water Applications
Tetra is one of the leading brands manufacturing aquarium products today, so it’s little wonder this is their second product on our list.
The Tetra whisper for deep water is their most powerful air pump and includes two models in the range – One suited to 150-gallon tanks, and one for 300-gallon tanks.
Each model is able to handle the back pressure produced at such depths of 8 feet, to still function correctly.
This incredible pressure does also mean they are highly suited to multiple stones, ornaments or filters, and suffer much less than other models with stones or valves becoming clogged over time. It just powers through.
Pros
- Incredible strength, can be used in huge tanks, and deep water.
- Lifetime limited warranty
- Quiet in relation to it’s output
Cons
- No way to adjust air flow (turn it up or down), it needs an external regulator
VicTsing Ultra Silent Dual Output Air Pump
The ‘VicTsing ultra silent’ is a lightweight, portable air pump which has two outputs so you can power multiple air stones or devices at the same time.
It’s also one of the few aquarium air pumps which actually comes with its own air line tubes and even its own air stones.
The tubes are 100CM and 110CM long so they can be used in multiple aquariums that aren’t directly beside each other.
The VicTsing aquarium air pump is ideal for shallow fish tanks with 30 gallons and deep tanks with 10-15 gallons. It’s very quiet and therefore excellent for an aquarium setup in the bedroom.
Pros
- It’s one of the few models that comes with its own hose
- The double-headed pump which allows you to hook it up to multiple tanks
- It is compact and attractive, suitable for pretty much any living space
- The motor is very quiet
- It’s very affordable, cheaper than many of the other models mentioned in this article
Cons
- The hose it comes with tends to kink and isn’t particularly flexible.
- It can only effectively circulate up to 30 gallons of water depending on the height of your tank
Fluval Q1 and Q2 Air Pumps
The Fluval Q range has two models, the Q1 and Q2.
The Q1 is good for all aquariums up to a limit of 80 gallons, while the Q2 is good for a fish tank from 50 to 160 gallons.
They are small yet powerful pumps with a single output and with adjustable flow control, built to last and backed by a 2 year warranty.
Manufactured to run extremely quietly with a double wall design, they have also engineered a ‘noise suppressing baffle chamber’ that Fluval claims makes this their quietest pump to date.
They are not submersible, so must be positioned outside of the tank, and there’s no fixture for hanging, so it must be placed on a flat surface, for which there are 6 pegs / feet that reduce vibrations and hence sound created during operation.
They are not submersible, so must be positioned outside of the tank, and there’s no fixture for hanging, so it must be placed on a flat surface, for which there are 6 pegs / feet that reduce vibrations and hence sound created during operation.
Pros
- Well designed, to be small yet powerful.
- Quiet operation despite it’s power
- Great price compared to some others on our list
Cons
- Single output only, so need to purchase split valves to drive multiple air stones or devices
- Could have a provision for hanging for those that prefer this to laying it flat
EcoPlus Single Outlet 1 to 18W Commercial Air Pump
Do you have a large tank or a fish pond which needs some air circulation?
The EcoPlus 728450 are powerful but affordable aquarium air pumps, boasting 793 to 3566 gallons per hour rating!
It features a single powerful outlet to which you can attach different chrome accessories to provide up to 16 outlets (a 6 way is seen in the image above) so you can operate multiple devices or use it to circulate oxygen in multiple tanks.
The EcoPlus 728450 is however quite loud, so most people don’t like it for indoor use, but it is an excellent air pump for someone with several aquariums kept out of the bedroom or a pond in their backyard.
Pros
- It is incredibly compact and lightweight
- There are multiple outputs for connecting to different devices or tanks
- It is powerful enough for large tanks or ponds
Cons
- It can overheat if you have it constantly running in a hot environment, so it must be kept out of the sun / extremely hot environments
- It is fairly loud for indoor use, making it better for ponds than it is for large tanks
EcoPlus 3W 2 Outlet Air Pump
The EcoPlus 728360 is another compact but powerful aquarium air pump, designed for medium-sized tanks.
Its two outputs come with built-in valves so you can easily control the air pressure.
The housing is highly water resistant and doesn’t heat up as quickly as the housing of the other Eco model in our list, making this an excellent choice for small ponds.
The 126GPH flow rate model is ideal for medium-to-large tanks and small ponds while the largest version, 380GPH, will keep most of even the largest ponds oxygenated.
If you’re looking for something that’s powerful, portable, and attractive, the EcoPlus 728360 is an excellent choice.
Pros
- It has an attractive exterior which will look great in almost any home
- Both outputs have their own valves
- It’s great value for the price, being powerful enough for all medium and most large tanks
Cons
- It is kinda loud unless kept on the ‘low’ setting.
What is an Aquarium Air Pump?
As the name would suggest, an air pump is…wait for it…a piece of equipment that pumps air. I know, my knowledge is legendary.
Anyway…
Aquarium air pumps are a sometimes vital piece of equipment used in an aquarium to pump air where it’s needed, sometimes to drive filters, to power ornaments, to create streams or curtains of bubbles that help oxygenate the water, and to create currents within a tank.