Fish Tank Hydroponics Systems
Hydroponics engineering problem! how can i power my air pump?
I need to run an air pump where there is no electricity from an outlet available… what can i use to power a simple fish tank air pump for about 2 months? a car battery? solar power? ect… and how do i set these systems up?
I looks like you are impaled on the horns of a dilemma.
All fish tank / aquarium pumps of which I am aware use standard household electrical current which is usually 120 Volts AC [alternating current] [in the US], and car batteries and commonly available solar panels for charging those batteries provide DC [direct] current at 12 Volts.
Therefore, a car battry by itself cannot operate an ordinary aquarium pump. The car battery’s power will have to be converted to household current. Also, I’m not aware of any 12 Volt DC aquarium air pumps.
To use an aquarium pump with a car battery would require an electrical device called an “INVERTER” [expensive] which converts automotive battery 12 Volt DC current to 120 Volts AC. This combination would power the aquarium pump, but I doubt a single charge on the battery would last for 2 months which means you would have to periodically have to recharge the car battery.
Another possibility would be the combination of a SOLAR 12 Volt DC battery charger, an automotive battery, and a 12 Volt DC automotive air pump normally used for adding air to a vehicle’s tires and that plugs into the cigarette lighter power outlet or to a car battery via clamps on the compressor power cable.
The only difference/possible problem with substituting a 12 Volt tire air pump for the aquarium pump is a large difference in size, and thus much more air being pumped. IF you can live with this, or “spill” some of the tire pump’s excess volume of air it should work.
Small, simple, hydroponic system hooked to a fish tank.
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