Which air pump should I get?

[jacorinece]

My aquarium is about 40 gallons and my old air pump seems not to be very strong. It's an old Supra and I need to upgrade. Which pump seems to be the best for me? Btw, I'm new to maintaning a saltwater aquarium. I've had it for less than a year. Someone just gave me the old pump, but now I'm wanting a new more powerful one. Any ideas?

 

[spanko]

What is this air pump pumping air to?

 

[jacorinece]

Oh just to some aqua mist bubble walls. And possibly some other Aeration Accessories in the future.

 

[spanko]

You know that type of bubbling is not normally a part of saltwater tanks.

 

[jacorinece]

No, I didn't know that. Like I said, I'm new to this. How could I best put some airflow into the aquaium then?

 

[spanko]

This is normally accomplished through surface agitation along with gas exchange, a skimmer, a sumpfuge where there is water agitation. One of the things that you need to know is that when water evaporates it leaves the salt behind. This is a basic reason that we top off our tanks with fresh RODI or distilled water. This helps to maintain a constant Sg. Now in the case of bubblers when the bubbles break, like in your fresh water tanks, it leaves water all over the place. On the edges of the tank rim where the water evaporates and leaves the salt. The term here is salt creep.

 

[pezenfuego]

Salt creep is a big problem with these pumps. Like Spanko said, surface agitation is where oxygen exchange occurs. A simple powerhead pointed upward to agitate the water a little should aerate the water just as well. IMO and IME. Another thing is that if this salt gets on your power outlets, it is very conductive...but that really shouldn't be a concern.

 

[deejeff442]

air bubbles in a salt tank will inhibit the gills of salt fish and stop the oxygen exchange .ultimatly killing the fish.
saltwater and freshwater fish are quite the opposite when it comes to oxygen absorbsion.

 

[jacorinece]

Okay, well I was looking into the skimmers and such and it can be really confusing on which one is best. If I have a 40 gallon tank, which type of skimmer is best for me? Also, I am on a low budget right now, which makes things a little harder. Any suggestions on which type/brand i should get?
Thanks a lot for your help!