Airipumps

[FishyWishie]

Hi all

I'm pretty sure my impatience has yet again cost me money I bought all my kit at the start before i commenced my cycle and before i found this site

I'm going for a planted tank and i read that airstones/airpumps are counter productive as they reduce the C02 by surface agitation I also read that there bad idea if you have a reef tank too.

Is there any point me keeping this airpump (It cost £22+ cost of tubing non return valves yadda yadda yadda) or should i just ebay or advertise it on here ?

 

[cybergibbons]

Is there any point me keeping this airpump (It cost £22+ cost of tubing non return valves yadda yadda yadda) or should i just ebay or advertise it on here ?

They are useful for a few things:
* Oxygenating a tank in an emergency e.g. filter failure, increasing temp + medication for ich.
* Oxygenating a hospital tank.

They don't really add much oxygen compared to surface agitation from a filter however.

Many planted tanks have an air stone - I think it's only an issue when you are heavily planted and there is a high demand for CO2. Are you using liquid carbon of CO2 injection?

 

[FishyWishie]

Im using tropica + and Easy Carbo

 

[Twinklecaz]

I should keep it, I don't think it does any harm to have spare equipment. I have a Hydor Airio I decided I didn't want to use in the end and also a spare heater (among other bits and bobs). You never know when you might think "ooo I can use my airpump for that" even if you decided not to use it now.

Thick question: Reef tank = marine tank?

 

[FishyWishie]

Yep Reef tank has corals and anemonies and things. Tho if i read correctly not all marine tanks are reef tanks but all reef tanks are marine tanks ?

 

[Twinklecaz]

LOl that's clear then.

Good luck , I love marine tanks/fish!

 

[FishyWishie]

Thats the next tank fiancee says i have to get this trop one working first before i can get it lol

 

[OldMan47]

An air pump can be a nice thing to have on any tank. Many fish like to play in the bubbles. Unless you are adding CO2 gas to a tank, the air stone will help, not hurt, when it comes to available CO2 for plants. Air bubbles do not introduce oxygen, they help the water stay in equilibrium with the environmental gasses. That includes CO2 as well as nitrogen and oxygen. The actual mechanism involved is the water circulation caused by the bubbles rising and moving the water with them. By circulating the water, all gasses are exchanged more freely with the environment.

 

[Nick16]

if you do it right you CAN have both on a planted tank. i run mine on short bursts thoughout the day, with the bubbles rising into my koralia 2, so they are chopped up and spread around my tank, so its full of micro bubbles.

very handly to have one though. even if its only a small 50lph one sitting in a cupboard.