oxygen

[Airli]

im new to this and so im just trying to understand how this works. i have a ten gallon tank with fake plants. do all tanks need a pump? and what is supposed to be attached to the pump? just the tubing making bubbles or is it supposed to have something else on the end? and what exactly is an air stone, and how is it different?

would really appreciate some help with this, i know it sounds stupid...

 

[breezer40]

Hi Airli

First of all no question is stupid for ..thats what this forum is all about

Your tank will need a pump or filter (which has a pump in it) to circlulate the water around the tank. One option you could go for (all though its not my personal favorite) is undergravel filtration which would use your existing pump. This is a link that explains it.

http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...p?article_id=70

Another option you could go for is an internal filter that consists of an electric pump, a sponge filter which is then housed in a canister. The canister has holes at the bottom or sides to draw water in along with the waste and debris, they go into the sponge filter. The filtered water is then blown out of the top circulating the water in the aquarium.


If you are going to keep tropical fish you will also need a heater.

 

[Dubby]

Airli:

Pls see my response in your other post in Tropical chit chat

 

[steelhealr]

Hi Airli..this is my take on it. I have a 46 gallon tank and a 10 gallon one. The flow from the filter in my large tank makes very good current and good agitation. However, in my small ten gallon, the filter is small. I added an airstone to it. A smaller tank doesn't have room for 'error' like a bigger tank does. So..I keep an airstone in my ten gallon. The airstone connects to tubing which is then connected to a small air pump. A 'check valve' is placed on it to keep water from backing up the tubing into the pump. The bubbling doesn't increase oxygen in the tank by the bubbles, but, creates an upward water movement bringing the bottom water to the top of the tank where it gets oxygen at the surface. If you get one, it connects like this:

Airstone--->tubing--->check valve--->tubing--->air pump. If you decide to add one to your tank, you only need a very small airpump for the ten gallon. Hope this helped. SH