AirStones

[Markos84uk]

Hi everyone.

As you may guess I'm new to the site, and fishkeeping.

I bought a starter kit, (13 uk gallon tank) all the bits an bobs. It came with a filter. It is one with an impeller, the bottom part has the foam pads, and the top pumps out air, with a little bit sticking above the tnk to get air (i presume) and there is NO external pipes at all from my tank.

But i been reading books and internet etc, and they all mention airstones. I have real plants as well for O2, but how important is an airstone? Will the fish I put in suffocate without one? The tank is all set up now and cycling (started yeaterday) and looks great, so I'm hoping it will be ok.

Any advice or questions asking me if I done it right would be great. I have NEVER kept fish before, and really.. I am the beginner of beginners!!

Mark

 

[Max]

i dont have an airstone... it sounds weird, but if u have brime shrimp u need one so they dont get stuck in the bubbbles.

 

[sinistral]

It came with a filter. It is one with an impeller, the bottom part has the foam pads, and the top pumps out air, with a little bit sticking above the tnk to get air (i presume) and there is NO external pipes at all from my tank.

Hi Markos!

I'm having some difficulty visualizing the filter you have. What brand and model filter is it? Does it create any surface agitation? If it does, particularly if you have plants, it's probably sufficient for gas exchange in the tank. An airstone is nice to have because bubbles can be pretty, and gas exchange is important, but when you're starting out if you want to save some money you can get by without one.

That's what I did and my fish did just fine. I did break down very quickly and purchased a pump and airstone because I can't seem to stop spending money on my fish HTH~~

 

[Markos84uk]

Thanks sinistral...

My pump is.... a 'FLUVAL 2 plus

It does create water agitation, it moves the plants around nicely swaying in the gentle current so cool, an i dont even have any fish yet!!!

So, lets say I do decide to get an airstone, do I need to put more gravel in? Are the pipes quite big. I suupose I should just get one and read instructions

One more general question to anyone who can answer....
Do fish REALLY sleep? (soft or hard mattresses? )

Thanks
Mark

 

[MadCow]

No more gravel needed. It is just a small air pump on the outside of the tank. ($5-$25 depending on size and brand), some small airline tubing which is maybe 1/8"?? (less than $2, I would suggest the silicone type instead of plastic as it is more flexible and easier to make it go where you want it to go, ie. hide it) going into the tank and hooking to some sort of airstone or bubbling ornament (as little as less than $1) in the tank. I just let mine sink to the bottom and they sit on the gravel in either back corner. I would also suggest a check valve($2) to prevent water from syphoning back into your pump and ruining it. And a control valve ($2-$5) comes in handy to change the flow of air to your airstones or ornaments. ie. make more or less bubbles. Don't know if this helps or not. Oh and by the way if a fish sleeps..... it would probably be on a water bed.

 

[Stryker]

At the end of the day you have to get air into the water either through surface agitation (caused by powerhead filter) or by use of an airstone.

I have a fluvel 2+ in MY 60l tank. The fluval 2+ has a little snorkle that attaches to the blue outlet. The snorkle has a little rubber dial on it that you turn to allow air into it. Your fluvel2+ will then blow bubbles as well as water out its outlet.

Problem! To make the fluval2+ reliably blow bubble you need it turned up pretty high. I found this cause too much turbulance in my small tank for my liking. So I run the fluval2+ at 50% strength and ALSO have an airstone just to make sure the water is being airiated at ALL times.

Besides, I like the bubbles

Hope this helps.

 

[sinistral]

Hard to dispute MadCow and Stryker's expertise with your filter type . The question about fish sleeping was explored a few months ago I believe on the forums. Here is a link to an article addressing that question. Unfortunately it's a bit vague. The point of the article seems to be "fish definitely rest, but we're not sure if they sleep in a way that's similar to people". HTH~

 

[Stryker]

Hard one is this. I'm a bit of a night owl and while playing on the computer all night I have the lights mostly off and the tank light timers have long since turned off the tank lights..... yeah I think I've seen sleeping fish...

My tetras are kind of lifeless in the water... fixed stare (ie their eyes do not look at me when I get close).

Recently my goldfish had a little ich and during which, either because of the ich or the meds they had only a fraction of their usual energy and many times I found them just on the bottom sleeping. Scared the b-jesus out of me, but I soon noticed my sleeping goldfish seemed to be perfectly orientated with just their belly touching the bottom of the tank.

Other than that I know-a-nothing just stating what I've seen.

 

[Markos84uk]

Thanks guys for your responses

Well, I will get an airstone as well then when I can afford one, although it doesnt sound expensive (and i'm sure instructions will come with it. I like the sound of the one that blows bubbles up the back wall of the tank.

The fluval 2 is working nicely and my tank has tiny little greens bits starting to develop (really tiny) which i presume means my tank is maturing.
I dont think there is too much turbulence for the fish, its a 2 foot tank, but i will see when i put them in. I dont wanna sound big headed, but my tank is looking great for a first timer 8) , but lets just see if the fish like it

A waterbed haha, i'm still rolling... thats was good MadCow, i told my girlfriend that fish need something to sleep on, and she took me seriously and asked like what, i told her and she just punched me really hard, so now i'm typing with one hand

Mark