filters

[darby]

For my 29g I have a power filter rated for 40g. Will that be sufficient?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Should be, 2X is better, 3X is best. I filter 100 gal. For my 37 tall

 

[Fishguy2727]

If the water is visibly clear and the ammonia and nitrite stay at 0 then by definition you have enough filtration. You may need more flow in the tank.

Redundancy is much better though. Equipment fails. Motors and impellers wear out and die or stop working for no reason. The last thing you want is to come home to a tank that has enough filtration except the filter died and all your fish are dead. I would add another filter. I personally like to use air stones, they greatly increase the flow and aeration and can save an entire tank of stock if the filter dies.

 

[darby]

I have two 10in firestone at both ends of the tank, and they seem to circulate the water really well.

 

[darby]

I mean airstones.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I have two 10in firestone at both ends of the tank, and they seem to circulate the water really well.

I mean airstones.

Air stones help circulate in that they break the seal on the surface of the water to help with off-gassing, but they don't really add 02 to the water.

Multiple filters do circulate the water thru filtration so you're scrubbing the water too. Double filters have one distinct benefit, you can clean/repair/etc one and the other is doing its job.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Actually they will actively add oxygen to the water. Gases will diffuse across ANY air-water surface, whether it is at the surface of the water or at a bubble. This diffusion occurs very rapidly. The gases do not know if they are in a bubble or in the atmosphere and then choose to diffuse accordingly, it happens automatically.

 

[mfdrookie516]

It won't add more oxygen to the tank than what is in the room that the air pump is in, and won't add more oxygen if the surface agitation is good enough that the tank and room are equal in o2 and co2 levels, but it can help if there isn't enough surface agitation.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

That's what I thought too, till Jsoong posted that comment and said they do not add 02 (significantly?) to the water column.

 

[Fishguy2727]

There are many thousands times more oxygen in the air than in the water. I think very few tanks have so much surface agitation that air stones won't increase the oxygen level in the water. EFFECTIVELY change it may be different, but it will raise it.

And my main point is that if for some reason the filter stops running for a reason other than power outage (which does happen) air stones can save all your fish.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

There are many thousands times more oxygen in the air than in the water. I think very few tanks have so much surface agitation that air stones won't increase the oxygen level in the water. EFFECTIVELY change it may be different, but it will raise it.

And my main point is that if for some reason the filter stops running for a reason other than power outage (which does happen) air stones can save all your fish.

I would think it should add something. As for saving fish in the event of a filter going down, I agree. I have an air stone and will use it on occasion. If you have plants, the additional agitation will lower the C02 in thhe water column though.

 

[Fishguy2727]

My tanks are fish tanks with plants in them not plant tanks with fish in them. To me that means that the needs of the fish always come before any benefits to the plants. This means that I will not do anything to keep CO2 in since that would be worse for the fish. I would rather my plants didn't do as well as they could than risk my fish.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

My tanks are fish tanks with plants in them not plant tanks with fish in them. To me that means that the needs of the fish always come before any benefits to the plants. This means that I will not do anything to keep CO2 in since that would be worse for the fish. I would rather my plants didn't do as well as they could than risk my fish.

Mines the same way and I have Moors which love to use my plants as toys. But low c02 can cause plants to suffer and that can cause a spike in your tank. It's a delicate balance for sure.

 

[Fishguy2727]

CO2 will lower the pH. Low CO2 will cause the plants to not do as well, but I don't think that will cause a problem that would risk the fish.