Where the EcoPlus Medium Round Air Stone Fits the Range
The middle size exists because most reservoirs are not extremes. Rated at 5 to 8 litres per minute for vessels between 10 and 22 gallons, it covers the common tote, the standard bucket and the small nutrient tank. Body is compressed silicate, connecting to 3/16 in inside diameter and 1/4 in outside diameter airline. The overlap with the large stone is deliberate. Choosing between them comes down to how much air the pump supplies rather than tank volume alone. Where the medium wins is on a manifold, because a modest pump can feed several of these and still keep each one bubbling evenly. Push too much air through one and the flow stops being fine and starts being loud. Bubble size is the whole point of a silicate stone, and a stone driven past its rating gives that away.
Running Several Reservoir Aeration Stones Off One Pump
A reservoir aeration stone on a splitter is the usual layout once a system has several vessels. This is the size that tolerates it. Divide the pump output by the number of stones before choosing, then check each drop line individually once it is running. Uneven bubbling almost always means a kinked line or one stone sitting higher than the others, not a failing pump. Keep the pump above the water line or fit a check valve, because siphoning water back into a diaphragm pump ends the pump. Replace stones rather than cleaning them once the bubble pattern goes coarse, since the pores never really come back. Nutrient salts and biofilm work their way into the body over a few weeks, and boiling or scrubbing only clears the surface.
Key Features
- 5 to 8 litres per minute: A middle flow rating that lets one modest pump feed several stones at once.
- Covers 10 to 22 gallon vessels: The common tote, bucket and small nutrient tank sizes in one stone.
- Compressed silicate: Fine pores break air into small bubbles, which dissolve rather than surfacing.
- 3/16 in inside diameter airline: Standard tubing size, with a 1/4 in outside diameter fit.
- Manifold friendly: Low enough flow demand to split across a multi-vessel system without starving any of them.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | EcoPlus |
| Product | Medium Round Air Stone |
| Part Number | 728410 |
| Material | Compressed silicate |
| Air Flow | 5 to 8 litres per minute |
| Vessel Size | 10 to 22 gallons |
| Tubing | 3/16 in inside diameter, 1/4 in outside diameter |
| Shape | Round |
| Use | Reservoirs, hydroponic systems, aquariums |