How to make an aquarium compressor yourself – several options for making it yourself

Building your own aquarium compressor can be a fun, cost-effective project that lets you customize it. Compressors are necessary to keep the environment in your fish tank healthy and to supply your fish with oxygen. Although compressors from the store are convenient, building your own allows you to know how they operate and make sure they suit your needs.

Depending on your comfort level with complexity and the materials you have on hand, there are a few different ways to construct a DIY aquarium compressor. While some techniques only call for repurposing commonplace objects, others might call for a little more technical know-how. To maintain the happiness and health of your fish, it is crucial to prioritize efficiency and safety regardless of the method you select.

We’ll go over several ways to build an aquarium compressor yourself in this post, walking you through each one so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Method	Description
Using a Bicycle Pump	Connect a bicycle pump to a one-way valve and a plastic hose. Pump air manually into the aquarium to oxygenate the water.
Using a Small Fan	Attach a small computer fan to a plastic bottle. Direct the airflow into a hose that leads to the aquarium, creating bubbles.
Using an Air Pump	Repurpose an old air pump from a mattress or inflatable toy. Connect it to a hose, and adjust the airflow to aerate the water.

What is a compressor for?

The compressor in an aquarium is a device that dissolves oxygen in water, which is how pets breathe and is therefore essential to their vital activity.

Other names for the compressor are an aerator or an aeration system. Refusal is limited to labyrinth fish breeders and keepers.

Types of compressors

A variety of compressor types exist. They can all be made on their own. What do they consist of?

• Membrane. This device is used during the daytime. It does not always make a pleasant noise. To smooth out this drawback, you can put a foam pad underneath.
• Piston. It makes little noise, so you can turn it on at night, when the room is as quiet as possible.
• Silent compressor for an aquarium. Such a device operates on batteries.
• Pump. A quiet compressor with a filter inserted into it.

How to make a membrane compressor yourself?

For a home aquarium, a membrane aerator is the best option. He makes noise, but he’s sufficient for a single large reservoir or multiple smaller ones. The low power consumption of 12 volts is an additional benefit.

Operating principle

The membrane is driven by a motor that is mounted in the aeration system. Via the valve, air masses start to enter the drum. The device transfers air to the aquarium through its tube in half a turn.

Required dimensions

A membrane compressor is regarded as a portable and multipurpose instrument. This implies that you should be mindful of minor details when purchasing supplies for self-creation.

An alternative method would be to use a sprayer that fits the tank capacity and a hose of any length.

Materials and tools

Make a list of the supplies and equipment needed to assemble a membrane compressor at home. Maybe some of the components are already there, saving you money.

• a piece of rubber;
• a cap from a plastic bottle;
• a plastic tube;
• a leg from a lollipop;
• a balloon;
• Old banking plastic card;
• wooden board;
• motor;
• battery;
• small piece of wire;
• glue, with thermal properties.

DIY manufacturing instructions

Only well-thought-out steps will contribute to the creation of a superior home aerator. Algorithm of action:

1. Remove the seal from the plastic lid. It is located on the inside. You can throw it away, you will not need it. The cap will be used as a base for the drum kit.
2. Using a felt-tip pen or other means, mark 2 holes on the lid. Their diameter is suitable for the plastic tube. Make holes.
3. Cut out a horseshoe pattern from rubber, it should fit the size of the lid. This is how you will make a valve for the aerator with your own hands. Using glue, fix the element to the inside of the lid, closing one of the holes.
4. Cut the balloon lengthwise and pull it over the lid. Using adhesive tape, fix the details with each other. It should turn out like this – on one side the lid is tightened with a ball, and on the other there are holes.
5. Mark a circle on a plastic container (diameter smaller than lid). Cut out and glue a lollipop stick into it.
6. Fix the other side of the plastic circle with the drum. The attachment point is where the ball is. The latter should not be crushed, because. k. the main criterion for the design is reliability, i. e. the adhesion is as tight as possible.
7. Cut a piece from a hot glue stick, make a hole in the center and on either side. In the central hole, install a motor, and in the side hole – a wire.
8. Attach the motor to a wooden board. Cut the tube that is installed on the drum.
9. Connect everything together. Attach the tube and the motor.

How to install?

It is important that you install the compressor correctly after assembling the structure. This takes place in the following manner:

1. Connect the sprayer to the hose at one end, and the other – to the aerated system.
2. Immerse the hose and sprayer to the bottom of the tank. An alternative option is to fix it on the side glass of the aquarium, but you will need to take suction cups.
3. Fix the device itself outside the home pond above the water level. If this is not possible, then add a check valve.

Install an aeration device close to the heater to guarantee the best possible spraying.

On batteries with a cooler

It happens that you need to move a fish aquarium. They may not get enough oxygen during the move, so you’ll need a compressor. One that is used at home and operates off the network cannot be carried on the road.

It is advised to build an aeration system on batteries with a cooler in such circumstances. It can also work indoors since it essentially produces no noise.

Materials and tools

Assemble the parts. What you require:

• a plastic bottle (500 ml is enough);
• a compact electric motor (it is best to take a cooler from a desktop computer fan);
• a tube from a dropper;
• moment glue;
• a cable;
• batteries and a mod for them (a small box on which there is one button with 2 modes – on and off).

It is advised to use a motor with 12 voltage. Connecting it to the aeration system is the simplest option.

Manufacturing instructions

An aquarium compressor that is small, lightweight, and virtually silent is put together using the following algorithm:

1. Cut the bottle into 2 components.
2. Solder (or screw) 2 wires to the motor. Use glue to fix the motor inside the bottle.
3. Insert a tube into the neck of the container. Solder the free end in advance, make holes in several places with a needle. This is how the sprayer is created.
4. Connect the cable to the battery mod.
5. Assemble the bottle. Wrap the joints with adhesive tape.

In this situation, a powerful engine should not be used as it could harm the pets. Fast speed will throw life processes out of balance.

DIY aquarium sprayer

A sprayer is necessary for the full operation of an aerator. Although it is inexpensive and has a short lifespan, you can buy it at any pet store. Making the part yourself is the better course of action.

Materials and tools

There are a few essential parts that must be included in any decent sprayer. What to bring:

• a rubber hose of small circumference;
• a tee;
• a stationery knife;
• something as a stand, it can be a cutting board.

Manufacturing instructions

Making a sprayer is going to take some time. The sequential steps are as follows:

1. Cut off a piece of the required length from the hose. Insert a tee into one end and attach the other end to it so that a ring is formed at the exit.
2. In the hose, using a stationery knife, make holes in 2 places: distant from the tee (there should be many holes) and in the immediate vicinity of the tee (the holes are small and there are significantly fewer of them). Such actions will ensure a uniform flow of air through the sprayer.
3. Connect the aerator hose to the free end of the tee and place the device in the aquarium.
4. Activate the air supply. Evaluate the operation of the homemade device. If necessary, make a few more holes.

The video provides the most thorough instructions:

Model with polyurethane foam

If you have access to polyurethane foam, you can create a pump aerator. It will purify the aquarium’s water in addition to qualitatively saturating it with oxygen.

Materials and tools

In order to purchase a pump compressor for an aquarium, you should gather several of its parts:

• wooden board – 20 mm;
• self-tapping screws;
• polyurethane foam;
• aluminum alloy;
• aluminum washers;
• rubber layer;
• machine for processing metal products.

Manufacturing instructions

The actual compressor is made up of a motor, a transmission mechanism, and a pump. The housing has valves attached inside of it. The latter should be changed because it can wear out quickly. How to handle the assembled parts:

1. Assemble the engine. For this purpose, attach the plate to the side surfaces. Carry out installation using 2 screws that have an axis. It will serve as a center for transmitting movement to the motor shaft. The attached plate moves the axis.
2. Resort to the operation of the machine. Make bushings, a flywheel and other components of the pump from an aluminum alloy. Make Belleville disc washers, in simple terms – this is a disc concave spring. Make a diaphragm from rubber, the size is no more than 1 mm.
3. Now you need a box on acoustic junctions. This way the air duct will work quieter and produce less vibration. Make a box from boards using screws. Don"t forget about the lid. Take polyurethane to make legs. Line the bottom with foam rubber, and cover the lid with any fabric.
4. Provide ventilation – cover the hose and the air duct supply inlet as tightly as possible.

You can see another instruction on how to make a compressor in the video:

In addition to being a cost-effective project, building your own aquarium compressor can provide a unique solution for your tank. You can design a compressor to suit your needs precisely with common materials and basic tools.

Each option—a battery-operated model, a hand pump that you operate by hand, or a more sophisticated homemade electric version—offers a unique set of advantages. Making sure the compressor produces enough oxygen to maintain the health of your fish and the growth of your plants is crucial.

Gaining knowledge about aquarium compressors and experimenting with various designs will help you create a well-performing equipment that improves the atmosphere in your aquarium. You can accomplish amazing things if you have perseverance and creativity.

Constructing an aquarium compressor on your own can be an affordable and satisfying project that provides a number of simple DIY options. You can build a dependable compressor that meets the requirements of your aquarium and guarantees a consistent supply of oxygen for your fish and plants by using inexpensive materials and simple tools.

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