Air Pumps?

[molotov256]

Is there any good reason to put an air pump in a fish tank aside from the pretty bubbles? Do the fish enjoy the bubbles? And whats the difference between the pumps I see at my LFS that cost $9.99 and the ones that cost $100? Do the more expensive ones run more quietly or pump more air?

 

[lmw80]

The air puts oxygen in the tank, so if you don't have a heavily planted tank, it's always a good idea to have an air flow in the tank.

The difference in price, is not only quality (noisy vs. quiet) but the amount of pressure they produce. The $9.99 air pumps may only have enough pressure to handle one air stone, as where the more expensive you get, the more they can handle, ie., 3 air stones, and a bubble wand, etc.

 

[azn dreamer]

Air pumps are a must if you don't have a heavily planted tanks. You need oxygen in the water

 

[Allivymar]

To clarify, you do not need an air pump if your filter provides lots of surface agitation. Those pretty lil bubbles don't add oxygen to the water; the surface agitation they provide increases oxygen exchange, since at the surface is where oxygen enters the water column.