Air stone

[tuwhada]

It was suggested to me to add a small airstone into my tank. I have the 2H and with that extra height I was told that sometimes the water does not get areated at the bottom enough. So I got the rena air stone and pump. It produces kind of like a microbubble and then some larger bubbles occasionally. I was told just to have it on a couple of hours a day. Is this good advice.
I set it up today it looks pretty good I have it in the corner opposite my filter intake so no risk of air bubbles messing up the mechanisms.

Any opinions.

Christina

 

[BillyZ]

IMO, I would add or adjust your powerheads so that there is adequate water flow at the bottom, middle and surface of your tank. This will take care of all the oxygination your tank will need. Airstones don't really do much for actualy oxyginating your water other than causing surface agitation. And that can be acieved much more efficiently with a powerhead. Not to mention the HIGH amount of salt creep the air-bubbles will cause.

 

[reefrunner69]

Agreed, you want increased circulation, you'll want a couple of powerheads, one at the top blowing across the surface of the water, and one at the bottom pointed in a general upward direction.

 

[Atari]

The air stone is pretty much just an aesthetic addition.. surface agitation and good circulation will provide all the oxygenation needed.

Keep the stone if you like how it looks.. but make sure your powerheads are providing the two criteria above.

 

[tuwhada]

Well the way my tank is setup I have the clipse hood with the built in filter. So there is one return flow.

This is going to be for my seahorses and they do not like a lot of water flow so I think adding anohter powerhead would be too much for them.

I wanted to make sure that the air stone was going to be ok?

Thanks
Christina

 

[reefrunner69]

I think you'll have other issues with airstones and seahorses. You could use pvc to suck the water from the bottom and have the pwerhead at the top of the tank exiting via a spraybar, this would difuse the flow so there is less velocity.

 

[seafan]

Also airstones increase salt creep considerably.

 

[JG]

I have read that phosphates can be taken out of the system as the bubbles pop at the surface. Any thoughts on this?

 

[specialk]

I would not add an air stone with seahorses this could cause problems for the seahorses. You could use 1-2 small powerheads in the tank this way the flow wont be to powerful yet you will have the flow.

Kaye