Bubble wand in planted tank

[blizowman1]

So I have a 29g planted tank I dose flourish once a week. Iron daily or every other day. And excel daily. I have a bubble wand in my tank running across the bottom of the tank behind my driftwood. I currently have about 23 plants in my tank is the bubble wand necessary or should it be taken out?

 

[Atxpunx]

I believe not having co2 injection, it actually helps raise your tanks co2 to have the bubble wand. It works by gassing out your tank by surface agitation and bringing in outside air. The tank water is probably low in co2 during the day without. It also doubles in help by providing the plant with oxygen at night.

 

[paytertot]

If you have enough surface agitation without it, I say its not needed. I don't see how it could help co2 levels, it would just add oxygen. In fact, I turn off my bubble stone during the day or else it would just outgas my co2.

 

[Atxpunx]

If you have enough surface agitation without it, I say its not needed. I don't see how it could help co2 levels, it would just add oxygen. In fact, I turn off my bubble stone during the day or else it would just outgas my co2.

I don't think the member has co2 injection. It would help co2 levels during the day because the air pump provides outside of the tank air, not just pure oxygen. The water in the tank is low in co2 because of his plants using it during the day.

 

[blizowman1]

What's it mean when the bubbles rise to the top and don't pop just sit on the water. Almost like a foam. I just did a water change earlier today and the only thing I did different was add some osmocote capsules to the gravel. Could it be from the capsule shell melting away? This is the only time this has happened to my water

 

[paytertot]

I don't think the member has co2 injection. It would help co2 levels during the day because the air pump provides outside of the tank air, not just pure oxygen. The water in the tank is low in co2 because of his plants using it during the day.

I know, I was just giving an example. And uh no the bubble wand will remove any useful level of co2 that's why people don't run them while co2 is on, that's what I was saying lol

 

[paytertot]

What's it mean when the bubbles rise to the top and don't pop just sit on the water. Almost like a foam. I just did a water change earlier today and the only thing I did different was add some osmocote capsules to the gravel. Could it be from the capsule shell melting away? This is the only time this has happened to my water

What kind of capsules did you use? The only time that happened to me was after dosing a certain medication

 

[Atxpunx]

Sorry hit send to soon. The fresh air being pumped into the tank, while bring in oxygen also, also has co2 with it. If it's been a while with the light on in that tank, the plants have probably used a lot of the available co2 in the water. Bringing in fresh air allows for more co2 in the tanks(while not a lot of course, still some).

 

[Atxpunx]

I know, I was just giving an example. And uh no the bubble wand will remove any useful level of co2 that's why people don't run them while co2 is on, that's what I was saying lol

How could a bubble wand remove just co2 from a tank? It gases out the current gases in the tank and brings in the fresh air from outside the tank, which has more co2 then the tank that has plants that have been using the co2 all day.

 

[Atxpunx]

And yes IF people are running co2 injection THEN you shouldn't run a air stone. Without it though it helps.

 

[paytertot]

So your point is that our atmosphere has co2 in it? iirc the air around us is only like .035% co2.

 

[Atxpunx]

So your point is that our atmosphere has co2 in it? iirc the air around us is only like .035% co2.

Yes, that is one of the points I'm trying to make. Say your stats are correct (I assume they are for discussions sake), pumping in that air into the tank full of plants would allow co2 levels to rise. Not having co2 injection, the tank would be depleted of it's co2 by midday due to absorption by the plants because of photosynthesis. The tank wouldn't be at 0 co2 but it would be lower than levels outside of the tank, in turn pumping in this air would increase co2 levels to higher of a level than doing nothing.

 

[jetajockey]

Honestly I think that the difference is negligible either way, but yeah if it's not being injected with pressurized co2 then it doesn't matter if you run an air stone.

Another factor would be fish respiration, but that is also negligible in it's impact to plants.

 

[blizowman1]

Something's not right my tank looks like this today after doing a water change last night and I didn't do anything different than usual

 

[jetajockey]

You should scoop that out and do another water change asap, looks like some kind of soap or something got in there, unless you have a godzilla sized betta in there.

 

[blizowman1]

You don't think it could be from osmocote capsules do you?

 

[jetajockey]

I've never had it happen when I added them. As long as they aren't crushed they should have a very slow release and it still doesn't explain the foam.

 

[blizowman1]

Idk it's odd I've done hundreds of water changes and that's never happened its like the bubbles from the bubble wand just aren't popping

 

[Atxpunx]

You don't think it could be from osmocote capsules do you?

Actually this happened to me last time I added osmocote plus in gel caps to my tanks. Not sure if its from the stuff the caps are made of or excess nutrients. It went away on it's own though. My neons and corys never made a fuss. Hope this helps.

 

[blizowman1]

Well I just went to feed my fish and it seems like there is some kind of film on top of the water. Does that mean anything?