Are Airstones Obsolete?

[Mauricia]

I just use them because they look cool and my fish really enjoy playing in the bubbles

 

[dnn3]

i love watching mine do that too.

 

[Gazoo]

How else are you going to run your bubble chests, diver and air curtain?!?!

Don't forget about the clam and the skeleton at the wheel.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Air stones have been replaced with filters. Filters are better for these reasons:

Not on do they aerate the water, but they (supposing you have the regular filter mediums):

Discoloration (tannins, ect.)
Collect waste
Collect fine particles
Gather good bacteria
Can help remove ammonia (again depending on filter mediums)


Those are all of the things I can think of off the top of my head, but there are probably more.

 

[petertr]

Air stones have been replaced with filters. Filters are better for these reasons:

Not on do they aerate the water, but they (supposing you have the regular filter mediums):

Discoloration (tannins, ect.)
Collect waste
Collect fine particles
Gather good bacteria
Can help remove ammonia (again depending on filter mediums)


Those are all of the things I can think of off the top of my head, but there are probably more.

I wouldn't have thought anyone was suggesting using an air stone OR a filter - surely?

 

[8inary]

I use an airpump for a few reasons 'even though i could bring up the titanic with mine 4000ltrs/hour'

1. it creates movement in the water from the bottom to the surface, therefore helping circulate water around the tank.
2. it creates more movement at surface level, thus causing more oxygen.
3. if you have caves, you can put an airstone in and it helps lift out the crap that may potentially remain there
4. my fish play in the bubbles - how could you take their toy away from them lol
5. if you remove your airpump stating your filter now deals with the oxygen requirements, what happens if you filter dies or gets blocked by something when your asleep or away? therefore, keeping an airpump is a back up for your fish's oxygen - tis always nice having a backup.

'my bubbles, my bubbles!'

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGa8d9L1SY

 

[Spishkey]

i find the fish get lethargic without them-- or am i imagining that?? lol

i find the fish get lethargic without them-- or am i imagining that?? lol

My fish tend to go to the top and start gasping if I stop my filters from breaking the water and pushing air into the tank.

if i forget to turn on the bubbles after a tank clean or whatever, i find my fish gasping at the top.
i think its true they can get 'addicted' to the higher concentration of Oé in the water, then when its turned off they feel woozy and want more


its like when your in hospital and put on oxygen, or you go to one of them posh oxygen bars in the states. you breathe in high concentration of O2, you feel fabby, its taken away from you, you feel crap!

 

[Athena]

...but air stones don't actually oxygenate the water, do they? The air passes directly upwards in bubbles and out onto the surface - what they do is help carry harmful gases upwards in the bubbles and expelling them out at the water surface. Also, the extra turbulance created at the surface aids in the same thing - of expelling gases from your tank water and preventing things from going stagnant (although, a good filter does the same thing and airstones just give an extra helping hand).

If fish start gasping for air when the airstone has been turned off, it probably means that there is a high level of toxic gases in the water which your filter alone isn't coping with and doing a 25% water change will sort it out.

I normally only put my airstones on of an evening when I am home, especially at feed times when there is likely to be a higher level of chemicals circulating the tank - doing that plus weekly 25% water change keeps things running tickity-boo.

Athena

 

[moll]

I run my airstones a few hours a day when I am home I'd never leave them running 27/7 but I love watching the fish playing in the flow.

 

[8inary]

i would not totally agree with your comments Athena, however each to their own.

I think when bubbles hit the surface it does a similar job as the filter, in that it agitates the surface. I think you will find that harmful gasses are usually contained in sand 'as an example', are normally areas that or not moved or disturbed, hence why gas is allowed to build up in the first place, therefore using air stones you create movement in the water, which surely has to be a good thing. I have many areas in my tank, whereby without the airstones, water could become stagnant and/or debris would rot or remain in situe, for example, in or behind caves or even just rocks. Having airstones in those areas, it creates uplift, movement and water cycling through certain areas, all of which IMO has to be a good thing.

i also agree with spish in that having airpumps do give an extra boost or oxygen, and that the fish do get used to it, ive heard and seen this myself.

im not saying people should use airstones, i am just giving my view as what i do and my feelings on the matter, im sure many people dont use airstones and fine all is well, but my view is that i shall continue to use them as i do believe they offer benefits.

Plus, just out of curiousity, what would people do if they are running one filter and it packs up over night? you would potentially lose your fish - whereas with an air pump, you wouldnt have to worry

 

[Athena]

i would not totally agree with your comments Athena, however each to their own.

I think when bubbles hit the surface it does a similar job as the filter, in that it agitates the surface. I think you will find that harmful gasses are usually contained in sand 'as an example', are normally areas that or not moved or disturbed, hence why gas is allowed to build up in the first place, therefore using air stones you create movement in the water, which surely has to be a good thing. I have many areas in my tank, whereby without the airstones, water could become stagnant and/or debris would rot or remain in situe, for example, in or behind caves or even just rocks. Having airstones in those areas, it creates uplift, movement and water cycling through certain areas, all of which IMO has to be a good thing.

i also agree with spish in that having airpumps do give an extra boost or oxygen, and that the fish do get used to it, ive heard and seen this myself.

im not saying people should use airstones, i am just giving my view as what i do and my feelings on the matter, im sure many people dont use airstones and fine all is well, but my view is that i shall continue to use them as i do believe they offer benefits.

Plus, just out of curiousity, what would people do if they are running one filter and it packs up over night? you would potentially lose your fish - whereas with an air pump, you wouldnt have to worry

Well, apart from one aspect, it seems we agree on the use of airstones. If I could afford to keep mine running 24/7 I would - but in these times of somewhat recession it's a case of compromising. And as my tanks are not massive things, the filters do a good enough job on their own. I just put the airstones on for a few hours each evening, like I said, to boost the gaseous exchange (and I put my airstones on the opposite side of tank to where the filter is, for reasons you listed).

The only thing I can see we slightly disagree on is whether airstones actually aerate the water. I've just based my comments on stuff I've read on the matter - I'm definitely no scientist LOL and haven't measured air levels in the tank with/without airstones on (am not that much of a fanatic) - and I remember reading that LFS staff will urge you to use an airstone to "put oxygen in the tank" when that is not the real purpose of the air stone and they actually do not add oxygen to the tank water but expel gases (plus look nice!). This is why some people notice fish begin gasping for air when they turn their airstone off - because if their tanks have a slightly high level of chemicals, with the airstone running the gases are helped to stabilise and the fish don't gasp, without the airstone the fish begin to notice a strain as less gases are being expelled.

Sometimes it's good to turn off your airstone just to check how well your water stats are (for those who are not in the habit of testing regularly) - if the fish gasp for air then obviously it's time to check water stats. A tank should be able to run without an airstone providing there is a good filter suitable for that size tank. An airstone is just an added benefit for the tank/fish.

 

[raptorrex]

if you use them then stop using them, fish get addicted and could suffer health wise if removed,

Never experienced or heard of that .
That from experiance or did you read it somewhere, because I don't see how it could happen .

never heard this one before . though i too am interested where you found the information.

Air stones are an aesthetic thing, doing little to aid O2 absorption, but looking very nice.

 

[8inary]

" An airstone is just an added benefit for the tank/fish."

that is what ive been saying lol, imo having one, two or however many 'i think in my case around 18!' it will ultimately benefit the tank/fish.

although i do note with my tank, whilst i am running 3 large external cans, filtering over 7000ltrs/hour, and whilst the flow rate is such that it does a good job generating surface agitation, which to be fair, is similar to the airpump, as mine is quite powerful pushing 4000ltrs/hour, it isnt something you would want in a smaller tank though lol

i guess another way to view this is to see the filter's flow hitting the surface of the water, and noting the movement. this is also the same of airpumps, well certainly with mine, as you do get a similar surface movement, therefore if one is creating oxygen in the water or contributing towards the effect, then surely the same principal applies to something else beyond that of the filter which has the same net result on water moment?

 

[fishyfreak]

I agree with all your points here. lol...18 airstones may be a little overkill but hey, what harm are they doing? I run 2 airstones 24/7, I'd hate to see my filter pump shut down on me when I'm away and all my fishies gasping for air!

 

[fishyfreak]

Sorry, double post and I don't know how to delete it.