Bioscape Tropic Air Pump 500 Single w/Check Valve

• 30 L/h rated output – enough for one airstone or sponge filter in tanks up to about 45 L.
• Single outlet – one airline in, one airline out; no manifold or splitter needed for a single-stone setup.
• Check valve included – fitted in-line to stop tank water siphoning back into the pump body during a power outage.
• Diaphragm motor – runs continuously without oil changes or servicing, built for 24-hour aquarium duty rather than intermittent use.
• Freshwater and marine safe – the pump only moves air, not water, so it's safe to run on either water type.

30 L/h is the rated output measured at the pump's normal operating depth in a standard aquarium. Bioscape does not publish a full output-against-depth or back-pressure curve for this model, so we can't show how output falls as airline depth increases – as a rule of thumb on any diaphragm pump, expect noticeably less flow once the airstone sits deeper than about 40–50 cm, which lines up with the 45 L tank size Bioscape rates it for.

The Tropic range runs from this single-outlet 500 up to the quad-outlet 8000. For a single small tank, stick with a single-outlet model matched to your tank size. Once you're running more than one airline – a sponge filter and an ornament, or more than one tank on the same shelf – a multi-outlet pump like the Tropic 8000 is the better buy, since splitting one single-outlet pump across two airlines with a manifold halves the output to each.

Suitable for a single airstone, sponge filter or bubbling ornament in a freshwater or marine tank up to about 45 L. Not suitable as the sole aeration for multiple tanks or multiple airlines – for that, step up to a multi-outlet model such as the Tropic 8000.

The pump body and one in-line check valve. It does not include airline tubing, an airstone, a control valve or a manifold – add these separately if you don't already have them.

Mains-powered – keep the pump above the waterline at all times and never submerge it. The included check valve is the primary defence against back-siphon during a power cut, but Bioscape and we both recommend also sitting the pump higher than the water surface as a second layer of protection.

• Airline tubing – needed to connect the pump to an airstone or sponge filter; not included.
• Airstone or air diffuser – turns the air output into fine bubbles for better gas exchange.
• Sponge filter – a common pairing for nano and breeding tanks, driven by this pump's single outlet.
• Control valve – lets you throttle output below the pump's rated 30 L/h if it's louder or bubblier than you want.

Covered by Bioscape's manufacturer warranty against defects, in addition to your rights under Australian Consumer Law. Ships as a small parcel item.

Will this run an airstone and a sponge filter at the same time?

Not well from a single outlet – splitting the 30 L/h output across two airlines reduces flow to each. For two airlines, use a twin-outlet Tropic pump instead.

Do I need the check valve if the pump sits above the tank?

Sitting the pump above the waterline already reduces the risk, but the included check valve is a second layer of protection and should stay fitted.

Is it loud?

Bioscape markets the Tropic range as quiet-running; like any diaphragm pump it will develop a faint hum over time as the diaphragm wears, at which point a diaphragm/valve service kit (where available) is the fix rather than the whole unit.

Can I use it in a marine or reef tank?

Yes – it only pumps air, not water, so it's safe for both freshwater and marine setups.