Air Pumps

[brads]

What are the bennifits of air pumps? and what are the disavantages. I didn't get one with my tank set up but in the booklet (RENA) with the tank it advises to have one. Does it help plants and fish? What is air stone?

Cheers

 

[crazie.eddie]

Disadvantage:
1. Noise
2. Some people don't like seeing bubbles in the their tanks, if used with an airstone. It doesn't look natural.

Advantage:
1. If used with an airstone, it will help create bubbles in the tank, which will agitate the water, helping oxygenate the water.


An airstone looks like this...



If connected to the end of an airline hose and an airpump, it will create bubbles in the tank. There are different types of airstones, from different sizes and colors and some forming a stiff or flexible wand.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

it's really down to personal preference if you like the look of them

they're actual purpose is to break up the surface and oxygenate the water, however just positioning your filter output so it breaks the surface of the water will do just as good a job

 

[Underwurlde]

Ads: They look pretty.
Dis: They don't do much.

DONT use them if you also use CO2 for planted tanks.

Andy

 

[djceri_g]

I have a Juwel 96l. I have recently took out my Air pump because it was so powerfull the water was comming out of the tank and on the cabintet causing the wood to swell up! Do I really need an Air pump? Does oxygen come out of the filter pump in these Juwel tanks? I also have a couple of live plants! Thanks for your help

 

[raptorrex]

personal choice really. some fish do seem to enjoy having an airstone about. Pims pictus will spend all night swimming through the bubbles. my tiger barbs sleep head down over very fine bubbles from the air line. filter shrimp will thrive, if they can hang above an airstone. and a Crayfish will spend hours just sat on one. i think they look good too.

 

[Dutchie]

Apart for the Air Stone, what else can the Air Pump be used for??

 

[raptorrex]

Apart for the Air Stone, what else can the Air Pump be used for??

you can get air discs, decorations operated by air, air curtains and many different sizes and shapes of air stone. they can also run undergravel filters. oh and used to diffuse co2 into the water. and if you decide not to use it they make good paper weights.

 

[brads]

it's really down to personal preference if you like the look of them

they're actual purpose is to break up the surface and oxygenate the water, however just positioning your filter output so it breaks the surface of the water will do just as good a job

Cheers everyone. Like what miss wiggle said my outfeed isalaready adjusted so that there is more movement on the surface the tank, which i'm happy with. I wasn't sure if I needed it. going on what you lot say I don't. As for the look of it I can take it or leave it. Cheers everyone

Brads

 

[Tolak]

Apart for the Air Stone, what else can the Air Pump be used for??

You can run box & sponge filters with them. Most of my tanks are now air powered, I have 16 running in one room off of one large pump. Each tank has anywhere from one to four air lines running to it, with pvc run above the tanks that goes to one large pump. The air lines tap off of the pvc, I tapped in brass valves.

The advantages to this are a big savings on the electric bill, as the one pump draws 60 watts. If the power goes out I plug one thing into the generator & the fishroom is still running. With 16 tanks,and about 3/4 having heaters I only have around a dozen other things plugged in, add in 6 flouro lights, and that is plenty of electrical wiring. Imagine when it had a couple of power filters going to each tank, with multiple power strips & extension cords. Fire waiting to happen, just add water, bzzzzt.

Only real problem is that it takes some time to run pvc & build manifolds. Give sponge & box filters enough air & they filter as well as a power filter, and you can easily move them around the tank to eliminate dead spots.

 

[Underwurlde]

Can you post up some pictures of all that Tolak..

Interesting...

TIA,

Andy

 

[Fate2006]

Ads: They look pretty.
Dis: They don't do much.

DONT use them if you also use CO2 for planted tanks.

Andy

sorry man but are you smoking crack??? "they don't do much?" What are you talking about???! Air pumps are an excellent way to break surface tension inturn adding more oxygen to your water this not only is better for your fish, but it also is intertaining (in my experiences) to see some types of fish (such as my bichir) shoot itself up in the stream of bubbles

 

[Underwurlde]

OK then.

They do sweet F-A that isn't already happening in the tank anyway with a little careful adjustment as has already been pointed out by our lovely MissWiggle:

however just positioning your filter output so it breaks the surface of the water will do just as good a job

Very well put.

AND if you have a nice planted tank and have taken the trouble to add CO2 such as I have then they should not be used IMO. I have a planted tank and have proven this myself by increasing CO2 injection into the water column using a (Barr modded) Venturi Reactor that has the added benefit of stablizing the CO2 levels. Further increases to CO2 saturation was acheived by readjusting the filter output such that it 'gently agitated the surface'. An indication of the levels of CO2 in the tank being indicated by permenant in tank glass dropper checker using a prepared reference KH solution.

Andy

PS I don't smoke pot. Instead I read, research, test and apply.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Air bubbles in a low tech set up are ornamental at best. You either like them or you don`t. They are not a necessity, so the decision to buy one is yours.

In a high tech set up they have a detrimental effect.

 

[Dutchie]

OK then.

They do sweet F-A that isn't already happening in the tank anyway with a little careful adjustment as has already been pointed out by our lovely MissWiggle:

however just positioning your filter output so it breaks the surface of the water will do just as good a job

Very well put.

AND if you have a nice planted tank and have taken the trouble to add CO2 such as I have then they should not be used IMO. I have a planted tank and have proven this myself by increasing CO2 injection into the water column using a (Barr modded) Venturi Reactor that has the added benefit of stablizing the CO2 levels. Further increases to CO2 saturation was acheived by readjusting the filter output such that it 'gently agitated the surface'. An indication of the levels of CO2 in the tank being indicated by permenant in tank glass dropper checker using a prepared reference KH solution.

Andy

PS I don't smoke pot. Instead I read, research, test and apply.

WOW, I work in I.T and I did'nt understand a single word you wrote....................LOL............Only joking........
Yes, I totally agree about research, research and more research..........