How to use an air valve for aquariums

An air valve sounds similar to a check valve, but instead it is used to control the amount of air flow coming from your air pump into the aquarium. Some air pumps come with an adjustable knob that allows you to increase or decrease the air pressure, but if your air pump doesn’t have one and the bubbles are too strong, then this is the perfect tool for you.

To install an air valve, cut the airline tubing between the air pump and the air-driven device. Then connect the recently cut ends of the airline tubing to each end of the air valve (direction doesn’t matter). Screw tight the knob to decrease flow and loosen the knob to increase flow. Even when the knob is tightened down all the way, a small amount of air usually still escapes through the air valve. This prevents too much back pressure from building up and potentially damaging your air pump.

As with the check valve, we recommend that you add the air valve near the rim of your fish tank for easy access. Also, make sure you make clean cuts in the airline tubing and check the connections periodically to make sure the air valve is still snuggly connected.

For more information, read our full article on air accessories.