illuminum
Aquarium Advice Freak
...or is it just for looks.
I've heard that it helps in gas exchange, whatever that is.
I've heard that it helps in gas exchange, whatever that is.
Does an air stone actually help the tank in any way?
- Thread starter illuminum
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Sati
Aquarium Advice Addict
PK, maybe you shouldn't post here anymore if you're going to be so freaking rude. I know I wouldn't miss comments like that.
reefrunner69
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you can't play nice, your playground privelages will be removed.
William
Aquarium Advice Addict
The gas exchange is when O2 moves from the air, into the water so your fish can breath.
a still, standing surface is the worst for the O2 exchange, since theres no movment its harder for the O2 to penetrate the water.
Surface aggitation, from your HOB Filters overflow or bubbles add a great ammount of surface aggitiation, which intern adds more oxygen to your water which means your fish can breath better.
Unless you tank is above 80-82 degrees F, a HOB filters overflow is USUALLY enough oxygenation, However more is always better.
Also, if your temp is higher than 82F, because your doing the heat treatment for ich or for whatever reason, you need more aggitation.
Why? Hot water looses O2 a heck of a lot faster than regular temps. Meaning, that if you don't have additiona surface aggitation from airstones/bubblewands/additional HOB filters, your fish could suffocate.
HTH
a still, standing surface is the worst for the O2 exchange, since theres no movment its harder for the O2 to penetrate the water.
Surface aggitation, from your HOB Filters overflow or bubbles add a great ammount of surface aggitiation, which intern adds more oxygen to your water which means your fish can breath better.
Unless you tank is above 80-82 degrees F, a HOB filters overflow is USUALLY enough oxygenation, However more is always better.
Also, if your temp is higher than 82F, because your doing the heat treatment for ich or for whatever reason, you need more aggitation.
Why? Hot water looses O2 a heck of a lot faster than regular temps. Meaning, that if you don't have additiona surface aggitation from airstones/bubblewands/additional HOB filters, your fish could suffocate.
HTH
Fruitbat
Aquarium Advice Addict
William came pretty darned close with his explanation...Kudos to William!
Actually, the surface of the water absorbs oxygen (O2) directly from the air regardless of whether it is agitated or not. The amount of oxygen it absorbs depends on the temperature of the water. Warmer water will hold less dissolved gas (including oxygen) than cooler water. What agitation of the water does is circulate the more highly oxygenated surface water down into the tank and replaces it with water from below the surface that has less oxygen. This way the fish and other organisms have a constant supply of highly-oxygenated water throughout all levels of the aquarium.
Airstones do not contribute much directly to the oxygen level in the tank. What they do is create additional agitation to help propel the water from deeper in the tank back to the surface where it can absorb atmospheric oxygen.
People with high-light, plant-oriented tanks often avoid a whole lot of surface agitation because it appears to cause loss of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) from the water. This is NOT good for plants growing quickly under high-light conditions and negates all of the effort they make in adding CO2 to their tanks via CO2 injection systems.
Actually, the surface of the water absorbs oxygen (O2) directly from the air regardless of whether it is agitated or not. The amount of oxygen it absorbs depends on the temperature of the water. Warmer water will hold less dissolved gas (including oxygen) than cooler water. What agitation of the water does is circulate the more highly oxygenated surface water down into the tank and replaces it with water from below the surface that has less oxygen. This way the fish and other organisms have a constant supply of highly-oxygenated water throughout all levels of the aquarium.
Airstones do not contribute much directly to the oxygen level in the tank. What they do is create additional agitation to help propel the water from deeper in the tank back to the surface where it can absorb atmospheric oxygen.
People with high-light, plant-oriented tanks often avoid a whole lot of surface agitation because it appears to cause loss of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) from the water. This is NOT good for plants growing quickly under high-light conditions and negates all of the effort they make in adding CO2 to their tanks via CO2 injection systems.
illuminum
Aquarium Advice Freak
Thanks everybody...
dogartist
Aquarium Advice Regular
I have gotten a few rude remarks about what I have ask that I don't ask anymore..I just read for now I like some of the advice I have got from the ones that didn't have something smart and take this serious ..That's nice to at least you apologized PK...
Sati
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes, thank you for apologizing, PK.
And dogartist, please don't feel that you can't ask questions here. This is the best forum there is, IMO, and people are *almost* always very nice and very helpful. There are so many great people here, but we are human and we're not always perfect. Let a moderator know if you feel somebody's being rude. I don't work for AA but I know they don't want guests to feel like that.
And dogartist, please don't feel that you can't ask questions here. This is the best forum there is, IMO, and people are *almost* always very nice and very helpful. There are so many great people here, but we are human and we're not always perfect. Let a moderator know if you feel somebody's being rude. I don't work for AA but I know they don't want guests to feel like that.
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
I think of air stones as purely a visual component and if you like the look of it, go for it. They are also helpful in tanks for hatching eggs, and for other specialized purposes, but in most tanks you can take them or leave them. I have removed them from my planted tanks for the reasons so eloquently stated by Fruitbat.
I hate to think that someone is reluctant to post because of a possible rude reply. I was drawn to this board from other boards on the web precisely because there was not "flaming" and rudeness that I have encountered elsewhere. I soon muscled my way in (
) and have found a home!
I think that if anyone is rude or makes you feel dumb for asking a question, someone else will call them on it and the discussion will resume, like what happened here, so please feel free to ask. There are many lurkers who could benefit from the discussion of whatever question you have.
BTW, that was cool of you, PK, to speak up and apologize. Many would not have done so!
I hate to think that someone is reluctant to post because of a possible rude reply. I was drawn to this board from other boards on the web precisely because there was not "flaming" and rudeness that I have encountered elsewhere. I soon muscled my way in (
) and have found a home! I think that if anyone is rude or makes you feel dumb for asking a question, someone else will call them on it and the discussion will resume, like what happened here, so please feel free to ask. There are many lurkers who could benefit from the discussion of whatever question you have.
BTW, that was cool of you, PK, to speak up and apologize. Many would not have done so!
Indo
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2008
- Messages
- 7
Air stones make little waves in the water increasing surface area. A 10 gallon tank with a bunch of air stones can maybe have as many fish as 20 gallon with no air stones.
CaptainAhab
Thanx but no.....
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2008
- Messages
- 2,333
Not sure I quite agree with the statement. Even though the airstones will help with oxygen exchange I would be hesitant to extrapolate that to a double bioload situation. There are many other factors that go into the fish/tank thought process.
More importantly, the last post in the thread was over 4 1/2 years ago. Not sure that you noticed.
More importantly, the last post in the thread was over 4 1/2 years ago. Not sure that you noticed.
haykay
Aquarium Advice Freak
the subject of airstones never seems to die really though (always new people joining the hobby and *lurking* around the forums ; ) )
I would agree that air stones really are mostly aesthetically pleasing..
They help to force the water upwards, however they really do not add to current like say a powerhead would - maximizing the florate of the tank
I would also agree that "lots and lots of airstones" can potentially increase the stocking capacity of the tank, as long as the hobbiyst is intending and actually DOES more maintenance - ie more water changes as we have established that they are not so good for planted tanks
all in all the concencous here seems to be use them if you like them, but they are not a necessity
I would agree that air stones really are mostly aesthetically pleasing..
They help to force the water upwards, however they really do not add to current like say a powerhead would - maximizing the florate of the tank
I would also agree that "lots and lots of airstones" can potentially increase the stocking capacity of the tank, as long as the hobbiyst is intending and actually DOES more maintenance - ie more water changes as we have established that they are not so good for planted tanks
all in all the concencous here seems to be use them if you like them, but they are not a necessity
Indo
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2008
- Messages
- 7
I have little knowledge of science. My girlfriend is a teacher at UC Berkeley. She has 3 gold fish in a 10 gallon tank with a bunch of pumps and air stones. I asked to borrow one of her pumps and she was like, "no way", convinced her fish would die if I hooked up two air stones to 1 pump. I think she is wrong, but often this is not the case. Anyway airstones and better yet power heads increase the surface area,
whcih increases the oxegen for fish, right? My fish don't like are stones,
I just use until I get power heads.
whcih increases the oxegen for fish, right? My fish don't like are stones,
I just use until I get power heads.
Sombunya
Aquarium Advice Regular
I did quite a bit of searching and the word is; air stones DO NOT increase dissolved oxygen in a tank.
The bit about surface agitation may be true. And, the warmer the water the less dissolved oxygen it can hold so if your water is relatively warm any extra agitation is good.
I have an air stone in three of my tanks. Not only do the fish and Crays seem to like it, worms and other debris get stirred up so the fish or the filter can catch it.
The bit about surface agitation may be true. And, the warmer the water the less dissolved oxygen it can hold so if your water is relatively warm any extra agitation is good.
I have an air stone in three of my tanks. Not only do the fish and Crays seem to like it, worms and other debris get stirred up so the fish or the filter can catch it.
Tommy Gun
Aquarium Advice Regular
I'm pretty sure I know what you mean but they do increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the tank...just in an indirect way. Point being, they do serve some purpose other than decoration.
For those naysayers out there (if there are any), I think the best evidence that the air bubbles do not add oxygen to the tank can be noticed by watching CO2 bubbles because they shrink as they rise through the water but the air stone bubbles do not.
While I am new to this forum, I definitely agree that this is a very common discussion (sometimes debate) in our hobby. If I may, the only thing I would add is that the benefits from using an air stone can also be achieved by using the return flow of a filter and/or power heads to move the surface water.
Indo
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2008
- Messages
- 7
Idk what you mean by disolved oxegen.
Fish don't do well in stagnant water. Right? I think it has to do with lack of oxegen. I could be wrong. Anyway Air stones are just one way of keeping the water moving. If you have good water movement then obviously you don't need an air stone. Hob filter and power heads will do much better job. I just use one to keep water moving on one side of my tank until I get a 2nd hob.
Fish don't do well in stagnant water. Right? I think it has to do with lack of oxegen. I could be wrong. Anyway Air stones are just one way of keeping the water moving. If you have good water movement then obviously you don't need an air stone. Hob filter and power heads will do much better job. I just use one to keep water moving on one side of my tank until I get a 2nd hob.
Tommy Gun
Aquarium Advice Regular
Dissolved oxygen is pretty much the same as saying there is dissolved salt in water...it just means that the oxygen stays in the water and can be removed and used by your fishes' gills.
Some fish can live in still water...for example, labyrinth fish such as bettas can pull oxygen from the air and hence, are less reliant on oxygen in the water. (Although, that doesn't mean they have to be in still water, only that they can survive in it).
I'm not really sure if it is completely accurate to say that HOB filters and power heads will do a much better job, but they definitely have the advantage of being able to create movement over a larger area of the surface water. Based upon my observations, power heads, spray bars, HOB filters, and even taking advantage of return flows from skimmers or sumps are, in general, how people promote gas exchange without promoting too much salt creep in a saltwater tank...and all of the same principles apply in FW tanks.
Some fish can live in still water...for example, labyrinth fish such as bettas can pull oxygen from the air and hence, are less reliant on oxygen in the water. (Although, that doesn't mean they have to be in still water, only that they can survive in it).
I'm not really sure if it is completely accurate to say that HOB filters and power heads will do a much better job, but they definitely have the advantage of being able to create movement over a larger area of the surface water. Based upon my observations, power heads, spray bars, HOB filters, and even taking advantage of return flows from skimmers or sumps are, in general, how people promote gas exchange without promoting too much salt creep in a saltwater tank...and all of the same principles apply in FW tanks.
Sombunya
Aquarium Advice Regular
I have HOB filters on all of my tanks. I plumbed the pickup tubes away from the water fall to help promote positive water movement.
The 100 has an AC 110 at each end and the pickup's are routed over to the middle. Pipes drop straight down to the bottom, turn a 90 degree angle, travel over to the middle and pop up through the gravel about three inches. The 40 has the filter at one end, the pick up is at the other end. Same with the smaller tank.
Not sure if it works much better but as the waterfall dumps right over the pickup, it seems like a good idea.
