Penn-Plax Air Pod Aquarium Air Pump - for Power Outage Automatic Turn On - Ensures Fish Safety for Up to 55 Gallons, Model:APB1

I have owned one of these air pumps for about five years as of this writing. I have it on 24 hours a day, hasn't caused me any major problems, has good airflow even to this day, and I love it. I bought it off of another site but since I like it so much I decided to write about it on Amazon.The good:- It has two air outlets and it's very powerful. Good enough to power multiple airstones or sponge filters in several tanks if you use a gang valve or simply use multiple air line hoses and splitters. I use a 3 way,T-shaped airline hose splitter and connect both air outlets into a single outlet and then connect that to a 4 way gang valve for even more customization.- You can adjust the air flow with the knob. If you turn it to the max it's more than good enough for my 60 gallon tank with two sponge filters, 5 gallon betta tank with a single sponge filter, and my 5 gallon shrimp tank with two sponge filters. I use a gang valve to give the majority of the air pressure to the 60 gallon and all my aquatic pets seem to appreciate its powerful air flow.- It seems well built and makes a moderate about of noise. And just like it says, if the power goes out this thing keeps working assuming the batteries you put in it are good. Battery power is sufficient but you'll notice a small drop in air output. When the power does go out there's no delay, it just keeps going. When the power comes back on it seemlessly switches back to electric power. Different colored lights on the unit let you know if it's running on electric power or battery power.The bad:- It's rather large but most of the space is taken by the four D batteries this thing requires.- The sliding lid that houses the battery compartment doesn't feel so sturdy. It hasn't broken and isn't too flimsy but I wouldn't put anything heavy on top of it. I find if this thing starts making excess noise, it's coming from the lid sliding a little loose or perhaps the batteries inside vibrated loose into a "noisier" position. Doesn't happen often, maybe once every two months? A simple adjustment by sliding the lid back on or moving the batteries around fixes it.- Over time it makes more noise overall from its motor. I find putting something like a small bottle of aquarium decholrinator on it somehow absorbs some of the vibration and creates a quieter operation.The verdict:- Buy this if you want a powerful, battery backed air pump for your tanks. I wouldn't recommend this if you have a small (less than 10 gallon) tank as that would be overkill but if you have a large tank (20+) or multiple tanks this one has served me well.- I realize other people may have different experiences with it but I consider myself to be a veteran fishkeeper and this is one of the best air pumps I've ever used for the reasons stated.

Bought two of these air pumps, and both quit working just in time when it was too late to return them to Amazon!!! Both of these pumps were plugged into electrical outlets, with no power failures. Each air pump has two air outlets, and one air outlet just stopped pumping out any air, so the aquarium air supply was cut in half. The backup battery air supply was not activated because the system still had air, but it wasn’t helping the fish!Also, these air pumps are extremely LOUD, LOUD, LOUD!!! Do not try to use them in your living room, or you will not be able to carry on a conversation. In your bedroom, it will keep you awake all night!

It's loud, yes, but it will save your fish in a power outage, except...one time I was doing maintenance and unplugged it, and it turned off. It was set to stay on battery power. I discovered that the batteries had vibrated enough to erode the battery compartment a little and had lost contact. You can make it less "vibratey" and much quieter by insulating the entire battery compartment with something like cardboard. Put some between the batteries, too. On top of the batteries, place a brand new completely dried typical small square kitchen sponge. It will make the battery cover really hard to put on, but it _will_ keep the batteries in place so that they keep their connection. Also quieter to a point, since the two diaphragm pumps themselves are loud (those that work on A/C power.) The small D/C cylinder pump that works during battery usage is a little quieter, but it puts out less air. And speaking of batteries, a pair of Duracells seem to last forever; I never had to change them during a 3-day power outage, and the air flow did not decrease.Tip: I buried my air stones at the bottom of the gravel layer (in unplanted tanks,) and the air draws water through the gravel when it rises through. The makes a small undergravel filter. I thought it would do nothing in comparison to my huge Eheim 2217 canister filter, but during the 3 day power outage, that little pseudo-undergravel filter filtered the whole 55 gallon aquarium with one airstone! I never got a tiny hint of ammonia or nitrite buildup the whole time, while the bacteria in my disconnected canister filter all died off. I'm not saying to use this as a filter unless you're using a whole-tank undergravel filter plate, but I was shocked at this little tank hack! Of course the still-powerful air column aerated the water extremely well.Best point of all: it's inexpensive and runs on alkaline batteries, unlike some other backup air pumps that have a rechargeable battery inside. Once that goes dead, you're stuck. With the AirPod, if your batteries poop out, just put in new ones! You're limited only by your budget and ability to buy more batteries.

I needed to transport my aquariums and fish cross country (over 2500 miles). This air pump was used to aerate three coolers; 10 gal, 15 gal, and 40 gal. There are two nipples to connect your tubing to. I had to use a T connection on the one tube so I could get airstones in all three coolers. The airflow was not very strong in one of those split pathways, but I am thrilled to report that there were zero casualties :)Battery usage is good also. My trip lasted over 3 days with the pump running at the highest setting the entire time. I brought extra batteries just in case, but they were not needed. When I arrived at my destination, I needed to setup all the aquariums again and let things cycle. I kept using the air pump, and the batteries still lasted. I actually did some mini water changes in the coolers while I waited to help with any ammonia buildup and with acclimating the fish to the new water conditions. I ran the pump for literally non-stop for almost 4 days, and the D batteries lasted the entire time.

Not very powerful when plugged in and once I put batteries in it would only run off the batteries and wouldn’t work when plugged in.

Not as powerful as expectedLouder than expectedWas going to use as main pump but not enough power.. instead. I've stored away for a rainy day... will be a decent emerg3ncy pump if i have a poeer outage. Especially if battery lasts 5 days as advertised.

This thing is garbage. It's cheaply made and barely puts out any air when the power is cut to it.