USB Aquarium Air Pump Barb Replacement

prusaprinters

Backstory This great little USB air pump ran consistently for over a year in my 20 gallon long tank with no issues. After I took that tank down I used it for a backup when moving fish or during power outages. Unfortunately the barbs had become very brittle and broke off. I tried super gluing it in place which held though the power outage but as soon as I moved the pump it came apart again. I felt like I should be able to repair this little guy since it still runs like new, but I didn't see anywhere to get a replacement part. I first took it apart thinking I could print the whole top piece, but it's actually a fairly complex design with a built in bellow, and air channels, so I opted for the easy fix, just slide on a new piece. I kept the design minimal and thin so I could still stretch the silicon cover over it. Print Settings I printed with .2mm layers and it worked great in both PLA and PETG. The slicer shows that it's 2 rings of extrusion almost the entire process and only takes about 20 minutes.I didn't see or hear any leaks, and the bubbles are normal in the tank, but always use an air check valve in the tubing just in case something happens. This design should work with both 6mm and ¼" tubing, although I recommend wrapping the connection with a layer of tape just to make sure it says put and keeps an air tight connection.