Bubbles!

[Neon_Momma]

Hi,

I've recently put in a bubble wall pipe thingymebob, it creates a wall of small bubbles up the back of the tank.

I was wondering if it would be harmful to my fish in any way? they seem to just ignore it, I thought not only would it look good but it is also helpful for keeping the water airiated?

 

[Bloo]

It certainly isn't harmful to your fish in any way and many fish actually enjoy "playing" in the bubbles. I had a ram that always sat right over the bubble wand and many other people have fish that enjoy "riding" on the bubble waves.

The only thing it's not great for, is live plants. The extra aeration and surface movement reduces the levels of CO2 in the tank (which plants need to grow and thrive).

 

[Neon_Momma]

Ooh, I haven't got any real plants lol, I'm plastic all the way.

 

[Ivan Sloshed]

It certainly isn't harmful to your fish in any way and many fish actually enjoy "playing" in the bubbles. I had a ram that always sat right over the bubble wand and many other people have fish that enjoy "riding" on the bubble waves.

The only thing it's not great for, is live plants. The extra aeration and surface movement reduces the levels of CO2 in the tank (which plants need to grow and thrive).

Hi Bloo I have air wall also should i remove it, I have had plants in the tank about 2 Weeks now also have furtalizer bag that sits behind the filter ive never thought of CO2 is there a cheap way to put CO2 back?
Ivor

PS Thanks Neon_Momma for starting thread

 

[Bloo]

Hi Ivan. There certainly is a cheap and easy way to put it back (in principal) - but not without some difficulty to maintain.

This is a good little article explaining how the Hagen Nutrafin CO2 system works. In essence it's a mixture of sugar and yeast. This ferments and creates the gas that travels via the tube onto the ladder and then mixes with the water.
If you check out the planted section, there are some recipes to DIY your own mixture with often better results than the packets bought.

But be aware that it doesn't come hassle free. It has to be changed every 5 - 14 days (depending on your water etc.) and one unit is only really effective for up to 20 gallons. It can also cause your pH to drop so you'll have to monitor this carefully in the beginning.

But the simplest thing to do, would be to just remove your bubble wand. It's not a necessity for any tank.

Hope that helps a bit.

Edit: Referring to Snick's comment below - I've not come across any CO2 pills and would question how this works (if at all effectively).

 

[Snick]

I know that there are various ways of adding CO2 to a tank, from compressed air to special dissolving pills... the pills are the cheapest, and they bubble CO2 gas, but need to be replaced more often than pressured gas... i have used pills, but im pretty shure there is an equally cheap product that can help you out.

 

[Neon_Momma]

I thought i'd ask this on this thread instead of startng a new one, as it is related...

I don't need live plants do I?

I mean, my fish will survive withouth live plants? I know some nibble on them, but as my tank gets more established I will be trying different veg etc.

 

[Bloo]

No, you don't need live plants. I kept fish for many years without them.
But..... it's very beneficial in many ways
Just to mention two: It help to reduce nitrates and thus creates a healthier environment for your fish.
Fish enjoy nibbling on plants themselves or the algae growining on the plants.

 

[Marcos]

and it looks so much more realistic than plastic.

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

i have a micro-bubble and all my fish enjoy playing in it (inclueding my plec when its dark!)
and about the plants when they photosynthisis the actualy release oxygen into the water