Automated Air Pump Scheduling for Optimal Oxygenation

Plants produce oxygen during the day but consume it at night. Heavily stocked or planted tanks can see oxygen levels drop dangerously while you sleep. Automating your air pump to run at night — or during specific conditions — keeps oxygen levels safe without the constant noise during the day.

What You'll Need

Aquarium air pump — any standard model (Tetra Whisper, Hygger, etc.)
Air stone or sponge filter — to diffuse the air into fine bubbles
Tuya smart plug or Shelly plug — for schedule control
Home Assistant — already set up (see getting started guide)

Why Automate Air Pumps?

Running an air pump 24/7 works but has downsides:

Constant noise — air pumps are the loudest piece of aquarium equipment
CO2 offgassing — surface agitation drives off CO2, which planted tanks need during the day
Energy waste — your tank may not need aeration during daylight hours when plants are producing oxygen

Smart scheduling solves all three.

Step 1: Set Up the Smart Plug

Plug a Tuya smart plug into the wall
Plug your air pump into the smart plug
Connect the air stone or sponge filter to the air pump with airline tubing
Add the plug to Home Assistant via Tuya integration

configuration.yaml

# Tuya plug entities
switch.tuya_air_pump          # On/off control
sensor.tuya_air_pump_power    # Power draw (if plug supports it)

Step 2: Nighttime Oxygenation Schedule

The most common automation: run the air pump from lights-off to lights-on.

configuration.yaml

automation:
  - alias: "Air Pump — Night Oxygenation On"
    description: "Start air pump when tank lights turn off"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: switch.tuya_aquarium_light
        to: "off"
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump

  - alias: "Air Pump — Night Oxygenation Off"
    description: "Stop air pump when tank lights come on"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: switch.tuya_aquarium_light
        to: "on"
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_off
        target:
          entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump

Fixed-Time Alternative

If you don't automate your lights, use a simple time-based schedule:

configuration.yaml

automation:
  - alias: "Air Pump — Night Schedule"
    description: "Run air pump from 10 PM to 8 AM"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "22:00:00"
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump

  - alias: "Air Pump — Morning Off"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "08:00:00"
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_off
        target:
          entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump

Step 3: High Temperature Oxygenation

Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen. This automation activates the air pump when water temperature rises — critical during summer or after a heater malfunction.

configuration.yaml

automation:
  - alias: "Air Pump — High Temp Oxygenation"
    description: "Activate air pump if water exceeds 82°F"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.inkbird_aquarium_temperature
        above: 82
        for:
          minutes: 5
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump
      - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
        data:
          title: "Air Pump Activated — High Temp"
          message: "Water at {{ states('sensor.inkbird_aquarium_temperature') }}°F. Air pump ON for extra oxygenation."

  - alias: "Air Pump — Temp Recovered"
    description: "Turn off air pump when temp drops back to normal"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.inkbird_aquarium_temperature
        below: 80
        for:
          minutes: 10
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: switch.tuya_aquarium_light
        state: "on"
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_off
        target:
          entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump

Step 4: Feeding Mode Integration

Some fish feed better without heavy surface agitation. Turn off the air pump during feeding and back on after:

configuration.yaml

script:
  feeding_mode:
    alias: "Feeding Mode"
    sequence:
      - service: switch.turn_off
        target:
          entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump
      - delay:
          minutes: 15
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump

Link this to a Lutron Pico button or dashboard toggle — see the Scene Control guide.

Step 5: Sponge Filter Timing

If your sponge filter runs off the same air pump, automating the pump means automating your filtration. For tanks that rely on sponge filters as primary filtration, run the pump 24/7 or at minimum 18 hours per day to maintain the bacteria colony.

configuration.yaml

automation:
  - alias: "Sponge Filter — Minimum 18hr Run"
    description: "Ensure air pump runs at least 18 hours per day"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "02:00:00"
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump
        state: "off"
        for:
          hours: 6
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.tuya_air_pump
      - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
        data:
          title: "Air Pump Override"
          message: "Air pump was off for 6+ hours. Turned ON to protect sponge filter bacteria."

Air Stone Sizing Guide

Tank Size	Air Stone Size	Air Pump
5–10 gallon	2-inch disc	Tetra Whisper 10 or Hygger mini
20–30 gallon	2-inch disc	Tetra Whisper 20
40–55 gallon	4-inch disc	Tetra Whisper 40 or dual 2-inch
75–125 gallon	4-inch disc × 2	Hygger dual-outlet or linear bar

Tips

Use a check valve on the airline tubing to prevent siphoning if the pump stops
Planted tanks: Run air pumps only at night — daytime aeration drives off CO2 your plants need
Quiet setup: Hang the air pump above the water line and use a foam pad underneath to reduce vibration noise
Adjust flow: Use a gang valve to control how much air reaches each air stone

What's Next?

Temperature Monitoring — combine oxygenation with temperature alerts
Scene Control with Lutron Pico — one-button feeding mode that pauses air
Build Your Dashboard — see all pump statuses at a glance