Air Pumps

[njnauticalnut]

I am currently setting up a 75 gallon freshwater community tank. I have never used an air pump before. I am using 2 Emperor biowheels for filtration. Is an air pump necessary and if so what do you recommend?

Thanks so much.

M.E.

 

[smithrc]

it depends...

if your going for a planted tank... you dont want airated water like that... the plants do it for you. and the oxygen locks the iron and magnesium etc away from the plants.

If your keeping fish that like high oxygen levels there are a lot better ways of doing it (the large air bubbles from an air stone dont defuse into the water very well)

If its just for decoration then go for it.

 

[njnauticalnut]

Thanks for your response. I have been reading up on it and it seems like I do not need to use an air pump. The fish I am putting in are tetras, mollies, platys, pleco, etc and none seem to need more oxygenation than what the biowheels will provide. I am not using it for decorative purposes so from what I can tell it will not serve any purpose.

You stated that if the fish needed extra oxygenation there are better ways to do it, care to share?

Thanks,
M.E.

 

[kgrehm]

What i believe and have been told was that it is not necessary to have an air pump, under gravel filter, etc... It will just send everything flying and it will be hard to clean your tank and get everything out.

 

[smithrc]

Thanks for your response. I have been reading up on it and it seems like I do not need to use an air pump. The fish I am putting in are tetras, mollies, platys, pleco, etc and none seem to need more oxygenation than what the biowheels will provide. I am not using it for decorative purposes so from what I can tell it will not serve any purpose.

You stated that if the fish needed extra oxygenation there are better ways to do it, care to share?

Thanks,
M.E.

the smaller the bubbles the more surface area, the better its absorbed into the water... if you feed air (or C02 if your doing plants) into the bottom of an internal filter or power head - the impeller will smash the bubble into lots of little bubbles.

there are lots of other methods of doing it too...