Tall Tank Aeration?

Question
Hi!

I just acquired a used custom built display tank at a great price and I am in the midst of setting it up.  I looking for some assistance to determine the proper amount of aeration i need for my tank as it's quite tall with not a lot of surface area, some basic info about my set up below;

Custom Freshwater tank, (42" long, 12" wide, 28" tall) ~75 G (?)
HOB Aquaclear 300 filter
2x heaters

Will eventually be stocked primarily with livebearers - mollies and platys, a large pleco, apple snails and a small school of female bettas (my male betta will continue to live in his bowl).  At the time I'm not planning on having any live plants in the tank - though i'll likely convert over at some point in time in the future.

I found a Whisper 100G duel output pump at a garage sale for $5 and am hoping to use it with this tank with two airwands located at the back of the tank.

Is this too much/too little aeration? - My primary concern is top/bottom water circulation.  I don't want my pleco to suffocate, but i also don't want to create too much of a current that it sweeps away the other fish in the tank.

Answer
Hi Rachel;

I don't think that's going to be too much air. It is wise to add bubbles, especially in taller tanks for sure. Just keep experimenting with it and see how it goes. Your filter is a good size for your tank so the extra air will just be a bonus and help keep gunk from settling on the bottom so much.

Try the pump and see how much air it will give you. You may have to add a second one if it doesn't have enough power to push air down into that deep tank. Used ones can be weak and not pump as much as they did when new.

Unless your air pump is placed above the tank water line, be sure to add an "anti-siphon" valve to the air tubing. This helps if your pump fails or electricity goes out. Then the water won't siphon out of the tank down through the tube into the pump. Anti-siphon valves are available in most fish stores. Read the instructions so it isn't installed backwards. A common mistake. ;-)

Here is a web page you can enter your tank dimensions and discover the gallon capacity;

http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/convert.aspx

Here also is a link to my web page about new tanks that might help you;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Have fun!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins