Air Stone?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

stepho725

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
273
My 29 gal tank has an air pump and large bubble curtain in the back. I only turn it on now and then but I've noticed when I do it is quite strong and all of my fish start swimming around like crazy. A couple will go through the actual bubbles and then most just swim around like maniacs. The top looks like boiling water.
Is it too much or do you think they like it and that's why they go crazy?
This may be common sense and what I suspect is that it is too strong but I wanted to double check with people who actually know what they are talking about!
Thank youuuu!
 
I turned it on today because I noticed the three bloodfin tetras I added last night have been hanging out at the top of the tank.
Maybe they are just looking for food or just enjoy it up there but I wanted to take the step to add more oxygen just incase.
 
I recently got one for my tank when I added my snail and otos, but my Betta hated it. It also just seemed like an awful lot was going on in there and all the fish were freaking out. I decided it best to just leave the filter going until I got a bigger tank. What size do you have?
 
You could add a 3 way or gang valve assembly to divert some of the airflow and reduce the bubble output as needed.
Having decent flow in the tank is not a bad thing as long as you provide some "quiet" areas where the current is minimal.
 
Airstones & Bubble Wands

My 29 gal tank has an air pump and large bubble curtain in the back. I only turn it on now and then but I've noticed when I do it is quite strong and all of my fish start swimming around like crazy. A couple will go through the actual bubbles and then most just swim around like maniacs. The top looks like boiling water.
Is it too much or do you think they like it and that's why they go crazy?
This may be common sense and what I suspect is that it is too strong but I wanted to double check with people who actually know what they are talking about!
Thank youuuu!

Hello steph...

If you like the bubbles, then you can get a small piece from the pet store to adust the flow on the wand. The airstones and wands aren't needed, but some like the look it gives the tank. It's not wrong to use them.

Your filter will provide enough water movement at the surface to mix oxygen and water and to allow carbon dioxide to escape (gas exchange). Your filter needs a gallon per hour (gph) rating roughly 6 times the total volume of the tank in gallons. An example would be if you had a 30 gallon tank, your filter would need a gph of 180. Just do the math and check to make sure you have enough filtration.

B
 
I use these. Just connect each end to the tubing (cut the tubing where you want the valve to go) and use the knob to adjust the flow. It works well. You'll only need one if you have one air pump but they're cheap enough and I use the extras when I drip acclimate new fish.
 
What I did when my airstone put out too much bubbles what get a rubber band and kink the airline tubing and tie the rubber band around it a little just enough so only a bit of air can get through so only a little bit of bubbles come out of the stone and it looks lot more natural that way plus no surface movement
 
What I did when my airstone put out too much bubbles what get a rubber band and kink the airline tubing and tie the rubber band around it a little just enough so only a bit of air can get through so only a little bit of bubbles come out of the stone and it looks lot more natural that way plus no surface movement

Bubbles for decorative purposes as you described can make an interesting background. Constricting the airline in that manner will work, however, the increased back pressure might prematurely wear out the valves and/or diaphragms in the pump.
 
Bubbles for decorative purposes as you described can make an interesting background. Constricting the airline in that manner will work, however, the increased back pressure might prematurely wear out the valves and/or diaphragms in the pump.

Oh my I didn't know that- I have a truckload of extra pumps tho. None have worn out yet! Thanks for the heads up tho
 
Back
Top Bottom