Bubble wands make beautiful walls of bubbles in the home aquarium. These devices sit beneath the gravel or on the side of a tank and, when activated, create an upside-down waterfall effect that is not only pretty to look at but also puts a considerable amount of oxygen into the water. Bubble wands produce a lot of air bubbles and spread the oxygen out to cover a larger water surface.
Air Pump Installation
An electrically powered air pump, separate from the bubble wand, delivers air to the wand via a plastic air tube. You'll cut the tube in half and insert one end into an anti-siphon valve. The other end you'll attach to the air pump. The second tube attaches to the other spigot of the anti-siphon valve, and that tube's other end attaches to the bubbler. Follow directions throughout the installation to ensure all components work properly.
Bubble Wand Installation
Most wands have suction cups that allow them to stick to the bottom of an aquarium. Some types of wands are heavy enough to remain on the bottom without suction anchoring, though. Regardless, attach the input end of the plastic tubing to the air jack on one end of the wand. The other end will attach to the anti-siphon valve. If you desire, you can attach the wand to the side of the aquarium instead of to the bottom.
Lighted Bubble Wands
Some bubble wands have colorful LED lights that create curtains of colors within the bubbles. Such wands have waterproofed power cords, part of which are submerged along with the wands. You'll plug these into a wall outlet to produce their lighting effects. These bubblers are set up like the unlit kind, excepting the power cord. Some lighted wands are flexible; you can arrange them around decorations to enhance the aquascape.
Troubleshooting a Bubble Wand
If air is not coming out of the wand, a kink probably exists somewhere in the air system. Either the plastic tubing is kinked, or the wand itself is, if it's the flexible type. If the flexible wand is bent too tightly, it can kink and prevent air from moving. If no kinks are evident in the air line or in the bubble wand, check the air pump itself to see if it is moving air.
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