Are air stones beneficial?

[Jen21]

I just bought an air stone for my bigger tank because it says it gives more oxygen to the tank. My fish seem to be happier. Does it matter if the air stone is in the middle or by the side? Are they really beneficial to the tank?

 

[Jen]

doesnt matter where you put it. If you don't have any live plants in your tank, or a filter that disrupts the surface a lot, then the airstone will add the extra oxygen that your fish need.

 

[Blue Lobster]

Airstones will set up an upward current and swirling effect in the tank so position it in a place that will direct water toward and not away from the filter tube.

Try a bubble wall, they look great!

 

[WILDER]

Best to have airstones in the middle of the tank, so the water can't get in the light fittings, some fish like to play in the bubbles.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I've got live plants and a firly strong filter, but I've put an airstone in anyway because my tanks normally at a firly high temperature.

 

[Jen]

How does the temperature affect the O2?

I was always told that airstone in a planted tank would drive away the CO2 that the plants need to survive.

 

[yvez9]

plants need co2 to survive, but there is always co2 in water, just in lower qties than if you would add co2 artificially to your tank.

the air stone adds surface movement, which in turns lets the water absorb more oxygen. However, Most tanks today don't need an air stone for oxygen.

I do like them in wider tanks where the filter is alone on side, the bubbles will create a water current, thus causing better filtration...

or some people just have them for esthetics, cause it can look nice if placed properly

 

[yvez9]

Higher temperatures mean lower O2 levels

 

[Jen]

Higher temperatures mean lower O2 levels

I see. I didn't know that!

 

[bunjiweb]

Air Stones aren't beneficial, there is no real point in them if you have a good filter. All you need is a disturbance of the water and the water circulating so that "stale" water at the bottom of the water gets circulated to the surface and re-oxygenated.

Ben

 

[yvez9]

take a 55 galon tank for example.
One good filter (say an aquaclear 500) will be enough to filter this tank, but not enough to create good circulation acrosse the tank

the far end of the tank may become stagnant! an air stone will create current, which will then make the water circulater throughout the tank better!

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i dont see a point of an airstone if you already got a filter breaking the surface tension. about pushing out co2, its not really pushing out much, just enough to make the air and water have equal amounts. if you want co2, buy or make a co2 system. just be careful if you make your own

 

[Mr Miagi]

Air stones are beneficial. Why would u say they are not bunjiweb?

They dont filter like an internal, but like an iternal, add surface tension and actually increase the oxygen levels. I think this myth needs to be busted big time.....i could go for longer.....

 

[scrappy]

My tank went without an airstone for 3 days once, EVERY fish was then hugging the surface for air almost constantly... added airstone and they almost immediatly started swimming in thier regular spots again and looked much happier and active again.

Therefore airstones are beneficial if you have an internal filter that doesnt break the surface water much (or at all in some cases)

 

[bunjiweb]

I have 60 and 50Gallon tanks running without an airstone. On the 50G tank i have 2 x Fluval4+ Filters. Neither of them are set to pump air into the water. One of them pumps straight into the outlet of the other and the main one just disturbs the surface of the water well.

On the 60G i just have a spraybar under the water surface pointing upwards, creating plenty of disturbance.

I dont have any problems with my fish gasping or showing stress signs due to lack of oxygen..

Ben