Aeration And Flow Regulation

[blackers92]

Hello

My tank has a little valve that says "aeration" if I turn it clockwise it stop bubbling and water just flows out of my filter, it is much quieter like this.

There is also a "regulator" valve on the filter before the water enters through the various stages of filtration, if i turn it clockwise it seems like less water is flowing through the filter also

what my question is how important is both aeration and flow rate. My tank has a flow rate of 1400 LPH and I understand the more the better, but what about aeration?

theres is none of this in my manual and I have contacted like 5 customer supports and gotten no response

cheers

adam

 

[raptorrex]

Hello

My tank has a little valve that says "aeration" if I turn it clockwise it stop bubbling and water just flows out of my filter, it is much quieter like this.

There is also a "regulator" valve on the filter before the water enters through the various stages of filtration, if i turn it clockwise it seems like less water is flowing through the filter also

what my question is how important is both aeration and flow rate. My tank has a flow rate of 1400 LPH and I understand the more the better, but what about aeration?

theres is none of this in my manual and I have contacted like 5 customer supports and gotten no response

cheers

adam

the vast majority of "aeration" (O2 exchange), takes place by surface disruption. air-stones and pumps are for show. placing the outlet at the surface, or just above, will do far more than any number of pumps.

 

[blackers92]

in that case i will turn it down, the bubbles are driving me insane when i sleep haha

 

[raptorrex]

in that case i will turn it down, the bubbles are driving me insane when i sleep haha

providing you have good surface disruption. it will cause no harm.

 

[OldMan47]

I am sure that Raptorrex is on the money on the advice here. If your filter is disturbing the water surface enough that there are no dead spots near the surface, the oxygenation of the water in the tank will be optimized. Bubbles are for show or to cause that surface disturbance. They are not to accomplish the oxygenation by having bubbles dissolve.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

So airstones create surface disturbance but that disturbance does nothing to oxygenate the water?

 

[OldMan47]

The surface disturbance does indeed cause oxygenation. The point is that merely having bubbles does nothing to give oxygenation. Oxygenation at near theoretical limits can be obtained by anything, including bubbles that prevent any form of stratification of the water. I will not say that tons of bubbles will not result in plenty of oxygen exchange, but rather that it is not needed to optimize the oxygenation in a tank having good mixing of the water near the surface. Tons of bubbles will indeed promote lots of water mixing between the surface and the layers of water lying just below the surface.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Ah, ok.

 

[raptorrex]

Ah, ok.

something else that affect this. if you use an airstone to create surface disruption. this results in water being sprayed out the tank. not much, i agree. but it all still needs cleaned off.