Spray Bar For Oxygenating

[darrel69]

will my fish get enough oxygen from just using a spray bar that comes with external filters? as ive only ever had internal filters and they are what ive relied on to oxygenate my water but ive just installed an external with a spray bar and im now wanting to get rid of the internal but only if the spray bar is enough to oxygenate my water well. its a 50gal tank btw and the external is a tetratec ex1200....

also, the internal i have is a fluval3+, that is what is holding all my mature media with the good bacteria ect... i know not to get rid of it untill my external matures, but if the spray bar is enough to oxygenate my water well, ill want to put the internal right at the back, at the bottom, out of the way, without it blowing out air bubbles because my water is crystal clear but looks abit cloudy with all the air bubbles and i want rid !! if i do put it at the bottom, back wall, so it out of the way and not blowing out air bubbles, it wont hurt any of my bacteria will it ?

do you know what i mean ? i hope ive made sence...

thanks

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Darrel,

The spray bar should be sufficient so long as it is used in the correct way. The best way to oxygenate the water is by agitating the surface. Place the spray bar at the point where it will cause most surface movement and it should be just fine.

With regard to your mature media from your old filter, just stick the media into your external and you can take the internal filter out straight away.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

BTT

 

[darrel69]

ok thanks. yes, it is being used to right way. however, i dont want to get rid of the internal just yet as them both together filter my water great. i just want to stop the internal from blowing bubbles out.

i think im being abit silly really, i reckon it will be ok...

 

[Chrispixx]

As BTT said if your spray bar is causing adequate surface movement you will be fine. I know what you mean about the bubbles, i used to have this with my power heads and got tired of my tank not looking as clear as it should. I just plugged the air port inlets to the power heads and all is well.

However my power heads have a water diffuser thats adjustable to make the outflow agitate the surface of the water. Does your internal have this option? or does the water just come straight out. If you can make the internal agitate the surface combined with your spray bar that would be best.

 

[Luketendo]

If you have an mature internal working with a new external, new bacteria will grow faster on the external, I did this when I got an external.