Hey all! So I work at a local holistic "pet store" that basically sells everything BUT live animals. Our draw is the high quality food, toys and accessories we sell. My LFS is completely uninformed and continually hired incapable staff. The state of their fish, not to mention other animals, is disparaging and quite frankly, they deserve to go out of business, so I refuse to support them. I drive two hours away, or order online from Live Aquaria.

Anyway, I had a customer come in today looking for a ML Bio Wheel for his Oscar tank (he has three Tiger Oscars in a 29 gallon tank -- I had to refrain from slapping him). When he was checking out, he asked if we sold check valves. I have seen these used for pressurized C02 systems and occasionally in marine tanks. We do not carry them, so I asked if he would like us to special order some, then if he had a SW tank or CO2 system. He said he was looking for them for his air pump, as he had been informed that if there was a power outage, his tank could drain entirely through his airstones.

I'd never heard of this and have struggled to find evidence on the net. I get the feeling that he may have been misinformed (similar to it being "okay" to have three large fish with a heavy bioload in a 29 gallon tank) by our local LFS. Does anyone have any experience with this?

I should also add that I have experienced my shake of power outages, and my air pump (on a 75 gallon tank suitable for tanks up to 160 gallons) has never "drained" my tank. I never even noticed any water siphoning during these times whatsoever.

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I have never heard of a pump draining a tank but I have had one back up on me once, I just caught it quickly. Where possible I position my pumps above the tanks and I use the one way valves that come free even with Walmart's cheapest $7 pump. BTW, Wallyworld's pumps are inexpensive and work just as well and as long as any on the market IMO. I am aerating a 60 gal. cube tank with a sub $7 "Aqua Culture" pump and a 100 gallon (former rubber horse trough) with another one. I have been buying aquariums on CraigsList for a couple of years and they seem to always come with at least one Walmart Aqua Culture pump.

With the air pump above the tank no way to drain the tank.

The air pump should always be higher then the tank and electrical outled should be above as well with a drip loom.


my .02

I am assuming this is why. I have a stand for my 75 gallon that supports the tank with cabinets below, but also has shelves above. My outlet and air pump both sit up top. Perhaps this guy has his air pump below? Is it possible to drain a 29 gallon tank with an air pump if the power dies?

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the only safe answer is yes.

But highly unlikely and impossible if the air pump is above the water level of the tank.

I had a diy co2 reactor that ran out of fuel (sugar), and quit making co2 which is basically the same effect as an air pump turning off. I had the reactor on the floor, and the tank water siphoned into the reactor, and it couldn't hold the pressure and started leaking out through the threads of the cap (it was a 20oz bottle). Had my dog not noticed the strange smell from behind the stand it could have been a big mess! That was my lesson for not using a $2 check valve!

I would definetly consider one, I have one on all my pumps, just gives me that extra security knowing iwont come home to empty tanks and quite the mess to clean up and they usually aren't more than 1-3 bucks which is nothing considering what the damage could cost if it did just so happen to go that route

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10g- 3 variatus, 4 guppies, 1 blue mystery snail
40g Breeder- 6 danios, 5 swordtails, 1 Opaline Gourami
"I was born with nothin and I still got most of it left."- Seasick Steve.

If you have the pump below the tank the water will drain out if you turn off the pump (or have the power outage he mentioned). Complete necessity if the pump is lower than the tank.

Just cheap insurance. Basically, any type of tubing you put in your tank should have a check valve. Putting the pump above the tank may work, but it is not a guarantee. If the tubing for some reason or other comes off the air pump (it has happened to me before) it will just fall to the floor and the potential still exist to drain the tank. Plus, I don't like crap outside my tank stand. I prefer nice and neatly underneath and hidden.

One way or the other it is a risk to do without. A check valve is less than $1. It will hurt when you come home to a big mess on your floor, it won't hurt to spend $1.

When I was a kid, my stepdad had a goldfish tank that a pump burnt out on and it drained about 15-20 gallons of water and ruined the first floors ceiling and almost got the electrical. Anything with air should hae a check valve. They are much cheaper than a freak accident costing thousands in repair.

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75g Blackwater Oscar tank, 55g rescued Koi tank, 55g Native tank, 55g Community tank, 29g Community tank, 25g Bolivian Ram tank, 20H GBR tank, 20L Black Convict, 20L in progress, 10g Fry tank, 10g Dragonscale betta tank, 3g Crowntail betta tank.

I agree, cheap insurance, I use them on all my air pumps. I don't even worry so much about water damage as with the potential dangers of mixing water and electricity. I have my air pumps bellow the tank because there is no where to put them above, also I'd worry about the pump getting knocked into the tank.

I tend to take a here's my advice fwiw type attitude.

But electrical equipment with 120v AC is nothing to mess with.

So with no apologies here is my feedback.

We are talking about much more then wet carpets and the like.

120v AC is not your 12V DC toy train voltage. Any contact can or will cause death.

Check valves will fail.

Bout a year ago an aquariuminst was electrocuted is south africa.


So I just can't emphasize enough do not trust check valves.
Get all the electrical outlets and appliances above the tank.!!!!!!

have drip loops above the tanks with long horizontal runs before returning to the floor outlets.

Use GFCI outlets.



FWIW history wise Thoman Edison was pushing direct current for home electricity and westinghouse Alternating current. Alternating current won out because it could be easily converted with transformers.

But during that time Edison invented the electric Chair for executions to demonstrate the danger of AC.

Not that final sentenct is only worth .02

And, if you don't have a gfi, all electrical has to be above the tank's highest water level. I did have a pump drain once in a blackout - once in 45 years of fishkeeping, but a memorable mess. However, it was my fault as I had put the pump on the table beside the tank.
I also wished I had a gfi once when a heater cracked. I put my hand in, and got well and truly zapped. It can be good to turn off heaters before putting your hand in. I check carefully now - once zapped, twice shy.

Well, I guess you can take anything overboard....

Most homes don't have GFCI circuits all over the place unless you are talking bathrooms, kitchen, garage.....nor are they required, IMO. Or, outlets at 6-7ft high either. Optimum? Debatable, probably. You could add them, but it is not as simple as putting in an outlet. Its different wiring.

A check valve has nothing to do with electrical shock...it has to do with draining your tank. And yes, we are talking wet carpets and the like - in this case. Water getting on the carpet doesn't all of a sudden make it an electrical shock hazard just because something is plugged in within the vicinity. If you plan to go and plug/unplug stuff, maybe.

Electrical shock is another subject for another thread. Electrical loops are just that....if water were to travel down the electrical cord, where would it flow?

Actually, electric shocks do go with wet carpets - run a heater dry and see how long it takes to crack and become a hazard. If you are going to run heaters, I would go out of my way to keep the water in the tank. I unplug mine for large water changes.
I have a ground fault outlet at the start of each circuit in my fishroom.

But I see no use for check valves, if you place equipment properly.

My point was that the subject of the thread has little to do with electrical shock. Look on the package of a check valve and it doesn't say, "PREVENTS ELECTRICAL SHOCK". Many other things come into play with that and you guys have covered a few, but have nothing to do with a check valve. If it was related then all the more reason to have one for anything. However, wet carpet can be created by a water change spill or many other mishaps.

As far as your example....have a heater crack and leak and the danger is in the tank...not outside of it and STILL not related to a check valve. Purpose? A check valve allows you the ability to place something like an air pump under the tank and out of sight while still protecting against drainage....same for CO2 air lines that have water leak through the diffuser (can you see a 20lb CO2 tank outside and above a 5ft high tank? Its an absolute ludicrus thought.).

I'm cant believe Summer never heard of this? I think every pump I've ever purchased has this in the instructions about the drip loop and check valve. I use a 18" bubble wand from wally world and I replace it every 6 months or so cause it gets all clogged up with algae, any who they include a check valve in every package.
I have my pump under the stand with a gfci outlet installed in the stand powered by a heavy duty cord that plugs into the wall also a switch next to one of the gfcis I flip a switch to turn off HOB filter and heater for water changes. I havent always used the check valve and just because the pump stops working doesnt mean the tank WILL drain but it is a very good possibility, use the valve just to be safe.


Unless your tanks are in the basement or you did your own electrical work your not gonna have outlets 7 feet up the wall you can purchase gfci outlet power strips .

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90 gallon, 1 Iridescent shark, 2 Pleco, 3 Goldfish, 5 Cory cats, 2 Nerite snails
5 gallon hex, Blue Crowntail Betta, 1 nerite snail,

Where could I find a GFCI outlet? I have my air pump above the tank and my power strip is positioned on a box with a drip loop between the tank and outlet. But now I'm paranoid.

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1. A check valve doesn't always work perfectly. Mine slowly leaked a puddle on the counter during an outage - so.... beware.
2. a loop of air line going 15-20cm above the level of the water will also provide you with some protection in an outage for your air supply - maybe even better than a check valve.
3. Instead of a drip loop you can get away with a drip screen - basically a latex glove that forces the water to drip earlier, before following the cable to the outlet. Worth considering if you have your electrics below the tank.

Yeah, no doubt. Nothing to be paranoid about and you can go way overboard when you think of all the things that could "possibly" go wrong. GFCI circuits can fail and you'll never be able to account for everything.

You can get GFCI outlets at any home furnishing place like Home Depot or Lowe's.