Airstone and plants?

[candygirl415]

I'm in the process of upgrading from a 20 gallon to a 29 gallon to accommodate all of my new plants. I'm trying to figure out my new layout. Can I plant anything on top of an airstone, or right in front/behind it? I'm using a 6 inch airstone against the glass on the side next to my filter. A couple of my frogs will play in the bubbles. One of my cherry shrimp will repeatedly ride the bubbles up and then catch the down flow from the filter, lol! As I am setting up my plants, can I place any right up against the stone? Are there any plants that can thrive with so much oxygenation?

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[Hulka9]

I wouldn't, to be honest I wouldn't even use an airstone in a planted tank. It lets whatever small amount of co2 you have in your tank escape.

No plant uses oxygen to grow, only co2. They use oxygen at night, but it isn't really important.

 

[candygirl415]

I'm keeping an airstone for my frogs and the one shrimp. They enjoy playing in it. I won't have it on during the day. They are all evening/night critters.

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[Hulka9]

That's fine. Just remember, if you aren't putting co2 in the water your main source is what your plants are producing at night. So you are getting rid of any co2 they would be producing. If you look at a chart of co2 levels, when the lights go out the co2 levels get about 4x what they were at the end of the day. Then when you turn the lights back on, the co2 is almost completely depleted in 3 hours. That's why you see a lot of planted tanks using a 4 hrs on, 3 off, 4 on light cycle.


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[candygirl415]

The stone will only be on for a short time in the evening.

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[candygirl415]

Frogs playing in the bubbles! I only turn in on for about a 1/2 hour or so in the evening for them to play.

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[BillD]

Since CO2 in the tank attempts to reach equilibrium with the CO2 in the air, anything that moves water is likely to increase the amount of CO2 in the water in non injected tanks, not decrease it.

 

[candygirl415]

Really? That's awesome to know! I'll be getting some excel soon, so with that i'll really be able to leave the stone on more for my frogs! Anything i've read about adfs says they don't like much water movement. Tell that to mine, lol! As you can see, one will sit on a stone and put his face in the bubbles. They're funny.

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[BBradbury]

Using Air Stones

I'm in the process of upgrading from a 20 gallon to a 29 gallon to accommodate all of my new plants. I'm trying to figure out my new layout. Can I plant anything on top of an airstone, or right in front/behind it? I'm using a 6 inch airstone against the glass on the side next to my filter. A couple of my frogs will play in the bubbles. One of my cherry shrimp will repeatedly ride the bubbles up and then catch the down flow from the filter, lol! As I am setting up my plants, can I place any right up against the stone? Are there any plants that can thrive with so much oxygenation?

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Hello candy...

An air stone provides no benefit to the tank, unless you really like the bubble effect. It's a "nonessential". The small amount of oxygen that's mixed into the tank water due to the surface movement made by the little bubbles, will remove an equal amount of carbon dioxide. A fertilizer that your plants really like. A high oxygen environment is great for the fish, but not very good for the plants.

B

 

[Sk3lly]

Hello candy...



An air stone provides no benefit to the tank, unless you really like the bubble effect. It's a "nonessential". The small amount of oxygen that's mixed into the tank water due to the surface movement made by the little bubbles, will remove an equal amount of carbon dioxide. A fertilizer that you plant really like. A high oxygen environment is great for the fish, but not very good for the plants.



B

+1 im with BBradbury on this one.

Having said that its your tank. If you like the bubbles then have the bubbles


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[candygirl415]

Oh I know its uneccessay since the filter outflow puts oxygen in plus the plants do. I only have it and use it briefly for my frogs to play. They let me know when they want it on as they swarm the area going up and down.

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[Sk3lly]

Haha thats pretty cool


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[BillD]

Hello candy...

An air stone provides no benefit to the tank, unless you really like the bubble effect. It's a "nonessential". The small amount of oxygen that's mixed into the tank water due to the surface movement made by the little bubbles, will remove an equal amount of carbon dioxide. A fertilizer that you plant really like. A high oxygen environment is great for the fish, but not very good for the plants.

B

Sorry, this isn't true. You can not have less CO2 in the water than is in the air, unless the plants deplete it. If CO2 is injected, you can drive off the amount that is in excess of the concentration in the air, but you can not have it less. For non injected tanks,the surface agitation will allow the CO2 (far more soluble than oxygen) to enter the water, maintaining a higher level than if the tank were still and the plants were consuming CO2. The air bubbles or whatever is used to move water will help this.

 

[Autumnsky]

Note I am not using a scientific argument here. I have used air bubblers in my tanks for a variety of reasons, mostly for raising oxygen for the fish, but the plants have also done fine. Low tech planted, medium to light ferts. The plants are alright.

Set your bubbler on a timer if it is convenient. If the cute little frogs like it then that is what makes up my mind on using it.

I also appreciate the additional info provided to you from the other members it is very interesting and good to know about.

 

[candygirl415]

I greatly appreciate it all as well. I was wondering if I could plant things on top or right next to the stone, but after all the advice I chose not to. Its got its own corner. A timer wouldn't really be beneficial for me. Like I said earlier, I just turn it on when they go looking for it. After a little bit of playtime in it, their done so I shut it off. I prefer not having it, but for them.

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[BBradbury]

Using Air Stones

Sorry, this isn't true. You can not have less CO2 in the water than is in the air, unless the plants deplete it. If CO2 is injected, you can drive off the amount that is in excess of the concentration in the air, but you can not have it less. For non injected tanks,the surface agitation will allow the CO2 (far more soluble than oxygen) to enter the water, maintaining a higher level than if the tank were still and the plants were consuming CO2. The air bubbles or whatever is used to move water will help this.

Hello Bill...

Don't understand nor am interested in the specifics and particulars. I can say from observing my tanks over the last decade or so, that plants don't do well in a tank that's heavily aerated. In other words, a tank with a lot of surface agitation. It certainly appears to me that a lot of surface movement will create a high oxygen environment and drive off carbon dioxide. When I removed the air stones, the plants sure did a lot better.

Good chatting with you.

B

 

[jetajockey]

Hello Bill...

Don't understand nor am interested in the specifics and particulars. I can say from observing my tanks over the last decade or so, that plants don't do well in a tank that's heavily aerated. In other words, a tank with a lot of surface agitation. It certainly appears to me that a lot of surface movement will create a high oxygen environment and drive off carbon dioxide. When I removed the air stones, the plants sure did a lot better.

Good chatting with you.

B

I might be in trouble then, I have 14 tanks (soon to be 30) that are heavily planted and using a high flow air sponge filtration.

I'm with Bill on this one, I think people are vastly overestimating how much co2 is being produced in the tank, and then again vastly overestimating how much of it stays in solution in a tank that has moving water.

 

[Brookster123]

I might be in trouble then, I have 14 tanks (soon to be 30) that are heavily planted and using a high flow air sponge filtration.

I'm with Bill on this one, I think people are vastly overestimating how much co2 is being produced in the tank, and then again vastly overestimating how much of it stays in solution in a tank that has moving water.

There's like 65.3 reasons plants will not do well all before the air even kicks on.. i gas off a 5.5 at night and it hasn't shown any lack of growth, actually quite the contrary...

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[candygirl415]

For me, my frogs don't need it. They go up for air. Its just for occasional play.

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[BBradbury]

Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

I might be in trouble then, I have 14 tanks (soon to be 30) that are heavily planted and using a high flow air sponge filtration.

I'm with Bill on this one, I think people are vastly overestimating how much co2 is being produced in the tank, and then again vastly overestimating how much of it stays in solution in a tank that has moving water.

Hello jet...

Well, you may be. Since oxygen is a plant biproduct. By this I mean plants during daylight hours give off this gas. It seems to me to be counterproductive to mix even more oxygen into the water while the plants are working to remove it. I was taught if I wanted a heavily planted tank that I needed to avoid strong water movement at the water's surface.

Heck you guys know the drill. You don't need me telling you.

B