too much air pump

[tarpon]

Well it looks more disrupted to me because the bubbles have more force to them and the water moves more at the surface.
A larger bubbles gonna have more buyoancy and break the surface with more force is my understanding.
But relating back to you guys argument a faster more forceful bubble will remain in the water for much less time, not sure if that makes a difference or not

 

[Fishguy2727]

It would make a huge difference. Smaller bubbles rise slower and create a lot more surface area.

Huge air bubbles is actually one method of making waves in a reef tank. One of the books I read said that is one of the cheapest and most effective methods. It described a small container (like a small bucket or large cup) that filled with air and when it got to its 'tipping point' would dump a huge mass of air out all at once, creating a very effective and natural wave/surge in the tank.

 

[Sole_Invictus]

I registered specifically to note that Fishguy2727 is dead wrong regarding aeration whereas aqua_chem has it spot on. The little bubbles, while providing some aeration, mostly act to move the water around. That's why power filters do better than air stones: they move tons of water. If the water is still, there is a gradient from top to bottom of high oxygen to low oxygen, with an opposite gradient of CO2 from bottom to top. Moving the water about and breaking the surface tension increases surface gas exchange. I noted the thread while looking for something else and, since it pops up at the top of google results, wanted to chime in as some beginners might get confused.

 

[Mebbid]

How do you know? That exact same idea, too little time, applies to anywhere aeration takes place, the surface of the tank too. That idea, if true, would mean that too much flow at the surface of the tank would prevent aeration because the water would pass by the surface too quickly for any significant aeration to take place.

Fishguy: there is a co2 injection method that uses a ladder of sorts to greatly increase the time that co2 bubbles are in contact with water. There are videos showing it in progress and it does take a long time to diffuse the tiny amount of co2 into the water. I'll post a link when I get home and onto a real computer.

The short contact time that bubbles have will diffuse some oxygen into the tank, however it isn't going to be a huge amount. It's a 1-2 punch with the small amount of o2 from the bubbles working along with the increased surface agitation. On that note, there will be a lot more diffusion from small bubbles due to the increased surface area; even though its still a relatively small amount when compared to the moving surface waters.

 

[mrvincent]

I don't like those CO2 ladder systems, big bubbles always get to the top. I just inject my CO2 via diffuser into my Eheim filter intake. 100% dissolved.

Diffuser: Not so much dissolved
Ladder: Less much dissolved I think

CO2 reactor/canister: 100% dissolution.

Airpump removes CO2 from water while increasing O2 available.

You can't have too much airpump, except If there nothing else than bubbles in all your tank... If your dosing CO2, never add airpump.

Air pump agitate water surface. That's it.

I will say adding airpump will probably change nothing to the plant growth... Fish release CO2, by adding airpump you remove that CO2... But, plants consume CO2, so CO2 levels are near 0ppm, and airpump mix normal air with water, so it should a bit raise CO2 and O2...

You can make home made CO2 reactor with plastic bottle and a powerhead.