Hydrofarm AAPA45L Active Aqua Commercial, 6 Outlets, 20W, 45 L/min Air Pump, Silver

Have this pump on set up on my DIY Hydroponic setup - I travel a lot for work so I have this air pump and my grow lighting on an automatic timer and the air pump has operated extremely efficiently. I have no complaints. It can get a little loud if you turn it all the way up to high, but I really have no need to run it that high and the setting I have it on is quiet and effective. It would have been nice if it came with tubing, but I purchased the tubing and valve accessories separately for a great price here on Amazon!

Maybe I am jumping the gun but I really like this pump. I have over 10 tanks and wanted a single unit to run them instead of buying more extension cords and relying on single nano pumps for each tank. This unit is heavy and large. Do not think you can get away with placing it anyway because it's footprint is the size of a large dinner plate and the weight has to be at least 10 pounds.The strength dial on top turns easy to either side to control the flow and it responds quickly. The outlets are far enough to accommodate a variety of sizes of nozzles or tube connections. It easily fit the "standard" airline tubing size but also the tiny adapter that comes with those tiny nano air tubing that comes with some nano pumps. The rubber feet help to elevate the pump for air circulation around the unit to keep it cool. Keep your pumps cool and out of direct sun.The downside is that it is loud if you really turn the flow up. I have it connected to six 20 gallon tanks and two 10 gallons and thankfully did not need to worry about the noise - runs perfect without noise. If you need to turn the flow up, there are workarounds to help muffle the noise but that is the tradeoff.Had I known I would suffer from MTS (Multi Tank Syndrome) I would have gladly started with this multi outlet unit. Less spent on extra extension cords, usb power blocks and nano pumps. Save yourself some frustration and money.

The fish in my in my outdoor pond were looking sluggish. I tested the ph,acid and chlorine levels and everything checked out ok. I figured maybe my water feature was not moving the water fast enough to keep it aerated so I decided to add this pump. My pond is 10x8 and about 2 to 3 feet deep. I was surprised that this little pump was able to move so much air.Minutes after adding it to my pond the fish came alive and started swimming around. The pump puts out a lot of air, even in 3 feet of water the bubbles make it all the way to the top. The pump does not come with any tubing or instructions (at least in my box) and it does not have an on and off switch. There is just a knob to control how much air you want it to pump. It uses 1/4" diameter air tubing. I used Jardin Aquarium Fish Tank Ponds Ceramic Air Stone Diffusers, 40mm Diameter with this pump.Compared to your typical aquarium pump, this pump is quiet. It has been running constantly since I bought it and I have not experienced any issues. The pump is not waterproof so if you plan to use it outdoors is has to be protected from the elements. Also make sure there is adequate air flow around the unit or else the motor may burn out.Update 4/21/2013: The pump has been running non stop for a year now without any issues.Update 02/25/2014: 2 years of non stop use and the pump is still going.

This is a nice pump at a fair price. I'm using it for an under gravel filter on a 25 year old 55 gallon aquarium. I DO NOT like powerheads. Too much time required to service & keep running. My personal preference is to use an air pump.I chose the 2 nozzle option & it provides plenty of air power to do the job well. I like the ability to adjust the amount of air used. I like that it's efficient in using only 3W of power (that's what's quoted in the specs. I DID NOT confirm that).It is bigger than I expected. It's not ridiculously huge but quite a bit bigger than the pump I've replaced.....and bigger than any pump I've ever had.It's a little noisy. Not crazy loud but it is louder than the pump I had, which was completely silent. My aquarium is mounted in a wall & the pump is located inside a cabinet in a utility room. I can still hear it on the outside but it's a manageable noise level. My wife can deal with it so all is good. iIf it were in a living space, I think it would drive me crazy. This noise is the only reason I didn't provide a 5 star rating.Bottom line: A good pump at a fair price that performs well....just the least little bit noisy for my liking.

This is a average pump in terms of noise. I would not want to have this in my bedroom with output set at maximum, but it’s much quieter at lower output settings. The Whisper AP300 (my benchmark) is significantly quieter.I tested output by inverting a water filled gallon jug in a bucket and see how fast the air pump’s maximum output pushed all the water out. This is probably different than what the manufacturer uses to test output. Anyway, I calculated output to 9.5L per minute. In comparison the Whisper AP300 was 4 L per minute. These values were measured with all the output ports combined.Power consumption was 5 watts with complete free flow at max output and 3 watts when outputs were completely blocked; this is same as the AP300.Overall, good performing pump for the money. It also seems well built. I would buy again.Update 10/11/2023, this pump has been running continuously for the past 3 years and it’s still going strong with no sign of lower output or increase in noise. I’m impressed.Second update 4/21/2025, the same pump is still going strong with no drop in output. If anything, this pump has gotten quieter. Updating from 4 to 5 well deserved stars.