Silent Air® B11 Series Battery Operated Aquarium Air Pumps, Single Outlet, UL Listed

It's not all that silent but it sure lasts a long time. An 8 hour blackout, no problem..all specimens survived in the salt water tank! Sweet....

I bought this since I live in Florida and the storms that come through here can leave people with no power. At first I had my doubts about this. So this is what I think of it.

Pros: small, uses D batteries, last a long time, works when power is out and delivers what it is supposed to do.

Cons: Loud. this thing is loud but I have an aquarium cabinet and I put it under there on the shelf and I never heard it when the power went off. So if you have it out in the open, it will be loud. Suggest placing a cloth or something underneath it so it will cut down on the noise.

Overall, I love it and will not be without one. I only gave it 4 stars because it is so loud. The rest is definitely a 5 star.

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This product does exactly what it says it does. It is a good system for an emergency aquarium pump that cuts on automatically when the power cuts off. Very convenient when it happens while you are at work or away from the house. Some have said this model makes a lot of noise, but I do not think the fish will complain that they are getting airflow in an emergency. The noise is not that loud, IMO, and it can be muffled if placed inside a cabinet, such as those that most aquarium stands have. It takes two D batteries, not included. The tubing that comes with the product is only about 12 inches in length, so for my system, that was inadequate. But it accepts standard tubing that you can purchase at your local pet store. For a few bucks you can get about 6' of tubing.

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In the 18 months I've had my current aquarium I've had two blackouts and this product has saved my fish each time. I've had no loss of life while it's been the sole source of aeration. I can't confirm the manufacturer claimed 48 hour run time because I've never had to run it that long. But it definitely runs at least 8 hours in my experience with no signs of slowing down, and with fresh batteries I don't doubt it would run an additional 40.

It will automatically detect a power outage and turn itself on, so you don't need to be there to activate it (just make sure the power switch is always set to "on"). You plug its power cord into an outlet and that is how it detects a loss of power. But the power cord neither powers the unit, nor can it charge the batteries. This is strictly a battery-operated back-up system and is not intended to be an everyday air pump. The supplied air line is absurdly short for most applications, so be sure to pick up your own. Also be sure to purchase and insert a back flow preventer (not included) into the air line to prevent water from flowing back into the pump, which will destroy it. I gave this product 4 stars instead of 5 because it is absurdly loud, which is unacceptable in an era where most manufacturers have found a way to make these things whisper quiet. How loud is it? Even if you put this thing in a cabinet, if your aquarium is in your bedroom you would never be able to sleep. Despite that one complaint, every aquarium owner should have one of these. I consider it as essential as having a heater and filter.

EDIT: I was without power for a week after Hurricane Sandy. I can now confrim that it lasted 6 straight days on the same set of batteries I mentioned earlier in this review that ran 8 hours a year ago. A fresh set should give you at least 7 days. Outstanding.

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I live in a area where power can go out for long period of times. I have had this for a while now and have seen it work. It turns on instantly when the power goes out, even if the power only flickers. It works well, but it is extremely loud. I'm giving it a 4 due to the noise.

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