Are air bubbles good, bad or don't matter?

[jaylach]

Small 20 gallon cube tank with major filtration.

1) The thank has a separation plate to divide the 'working' part of the tank and the built in filtration. The built in filtration is a three stage sponge system pulling 93 gallons per hour equating to a bit over 4 water cycles per hour..
2) Additional filtration is under gravel with two filter plates each having its own air riser driven by a Whisper 40 on each riser. I can only guess but, since during water changes the risers will still push water even if 3-4 inches above the water level, my guess would be that the under gravel is possibly pushing as much as 200 gallons per hour if not more.

I have zero doubt that I have enough filtration but wonder if I just might have too much. Right now I'm re-doing the tank and there are no fish but there are some plants.

The following image will give an idea as to the air flow through the risers and will also show the air bubbles in the water. All the little dots in the water are minute air bubbles. Is having these bubbles good, bad or doesn't matter?

 

[AmyKieran]

I wouldn’t say your filtering too much. I’m filtering 1700l per hour for my 190l tank and I don’t have anything like this. I am however using canister filters rather Than sponge filtration

 

[jaylach]

I wouldn’t say your filtering too much. I’m filtering 1700l per hour for my 190l tank and I don’t have anything like this. I am however using canister filters rather Than sponge filtration

My sponge filtration is the lesser factor as my main filtration is under gravel which is air driven. My question is if I have too much air flow causing the minute air bubbles in the water or if the minute bubbles are OK.

So you have a 50 gallon tank pushing 450 gallons per hour through your filtration. That equates to 9 water cycles per hour, if I figured things right in my head, which is fine. My question is really that I'm probably pushing 14+ water cycles per hour through the sponge and under gravel combined.

The probable 200+ GPH through the under gravel is causing the tiny bubbles in the water. I just want to know if the tiny bubbles in the water is OK or if I need to cut down the air flow through my under gravel filtration. Appearance wise the tiny bubbles don't bother me... In fact I sort of like the things. I just want to know if this has a negative bearing on tank health.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Air bubbles in the water column neither contribute to or are detrimental for tank water "health", as long as the air within the bubbles is not heavily polluted.

 

[Back in the fold]

Air bubbles displace and keep the water turning over. A sort of water current. If I'm correct bubbles do not add dissolved air as that is something that stays at an equilibrium. I use air drive filters partly just because I like the bubbles .

 

[Deleted member 149562]

My main aquarium has an air curtain running off a 140 lph air pump across the back at substrate level, a venturi attachment on a 500 lph filter at one end and a venturi attachment on a 2000 lph filter at the other end both about 5" from the surface, so its loads of bubbles and surface shifting all in one at both ends of a 1m long aquarium

The fish play in the filter venturi bubbles...the curtain across the back tends to be ignored by them

 

[jaylach]

Air bubbles in the water column neither contribute to or are detrimental for tank water "health", as long as the air within the bubbles is not heavily polluted.

Thanks.

If by water column you mean the tank itself than all is good. If you meant the air risers for the under gravel filtration that is not what I meant. I was referring to a lot of free floating minute bubbles in the tank.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Thanks.

If by water column you mean the tank itself than all is good. If you meant the air risers for the under gravel filtration that is not what I meant. I was referring to a lot of free floating minute bubbles in the tank.

For me, water column = the water within a tank & filters, and nothing else

Tank water, exclusively

 

[jaylach]

For me, water column = the water within a tank & filters, and nothing else

Tank water, exclusively

I figured as much but just wanted to make sure.