Air stone?

[shemesh]

I'm looking for advice on whether I should have an airstone or not. I have lots of live plants, mopani wood.

Have had some sick neons recently and someone suggested putting an airstone in. What's the benefits? Should I have got one when I started?

 

[zig]

Unless you think your main filter isnt sufficient for the size of tank you have, if your tank is underfiltered ie. the filter you are useing is to small, then an airstone may be helpful, but if your filter is the correct one for your tank you shouldnt need one.

How big is your tank, and what make and model of filter are you useing?

And is your tank stocked correctly for its size, are you overstocked?

And is your tank cycled?

Anyway neons are not renowned as a hardy fish.

But if you give the above information it would be helpful.

Its not really the bubbles coming from an airstone that will aerate the water, it is really the surface turbulance and circulation that they create, surface turbulance increases the aeration/oxygenation of the water, but if your main filter has proper circulation of the water in the first place the water will rise to the surface and interact with the air and oxygenate.

And in planted aquariums airstones are auctually undesireable as they cause more co2 that plants rely on to be lost from the water.

 

[boxman]

Only benefit of an airstone would be to cut the darn noise from the bubbles.

Agree with zig, if you have tank size and filter spec that would help.

Just to clarify, when you said put an airstone in I'm assuming it's attached to a filter....... reason I ask is I know somoene who put an airstone in their tank thinking it would help to oxyginate water by itself!?

 

[shemesh]

Thanks for the replies. My tank is 58L. The filter is an internal Rena Filstar I1-I2, which came with the tank. Tank's been running with fish for 2 months.

Stock is two bronze corys, one albino cory, five pearl danios, four neons. (probably a bit overstocked, we were overenthusiastic!)

Water stats are PH7, Amonia0, Nitrite back down to 0 from 0.25, Nitrate 10.

Whereabouts shoud the filter actually be in the tank? I tend to put it up quite high and facing longways so that the danios have a current to play in.

 

[zig]

Ok im not really familar with the filter you are useing, but i just checked it out by doing a google.

Basically that model is only suitable for tank sizes up to 50 litres, so its to small for your tank.

Also your tank is way overstocked if the fish reach adult size you will have about 22 inches of fish, and your tank is only suitable for 12 to 15 inches (1 inch of fish per gallon is a guideline)

So what to do..........you need a new filter more suitabe for the fishload you have to provide adquate filtration, i would say a fluval 2 would be suitable as this will provide enough filtration, and its better than the rena in that it will agitate the water surface as well and help with oxygenation, the outlet on the rena seems to low in the water to allow proper surface agitation.

The fluval will provide over filtration but thats what you need because you are overstocked, but make sure it agitates the surface of the water.

And dont buy anymore fish for that tank.

Or you could run both filters which is probably a better idea, i usually place my filters to run lengthways.

 

[shemesh]

Thanks zig! I'll get another filter.

We are intending to have another tank soon - so some of the fish will go in there (once it's cycled!). They are all less than an inch at present, apart from the corys who are about 1 inch each.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[zig]

Glad to help, getting better kit is always a good idea anyway in case you want to upgrade later.

Best of luck