Biorb Life 45L, New Air Stone And Internal Filter

[RobbieArtois]

Hi,

For practicality reasons, I removed the standard Biorb air tube, filter and substrate. I now have gravel with an air stone underneath to create a bubble wall at the back of the tank, AND, an internal filter, which also has its own air supply (although the air supply isn't that powerful from the filter).

Question(s)
A) Can a tank have too much oxygen?
B) Which small tropical fish enjoy water disruption? Unless I reduce the flow rate from the air stone, the tank would not currently be suitable for a betta as I understand they prefer calm conditions. Are there any fish that enjoy a lot of movement in the water, or should I reduce the flow with a valve?

The tank looks great and has cycled, I just want to make sure the conditions are right for new fish.

(Ps. Comments from ppl with Biorb experience would be appreciated).

 

[Ch4rlie]

Is this the BioOrb Flow or the Baby BiOrb round tanks?
 
If its the Biorb Flow, i have had this tank, the 15 litre one, albeit very briefly, had shrimps and a few low tech plants in it, looked really good.
 
I made the mistake of keeping the filter it came in with and changing the substrate for sand, as i did not realise it had to have these ugly rock media in order to have the flow going freely into filter, a newbie mistake at the time!
 
Do be warned though, it is acrylic not glass, very easily scratched. 
 
Which size of tank do you have?
 
And no, I do not think its actually possible to over oxygenate tank water.

 

[RobbieArtois]

Sorry, perhaps should have put it in the body of the message and not just the subject. It's Biorb Life 45lt (tall rectangular one). When emptied the old set up, made sure not to damage the acrylic when taking out the old dodgy substrate.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Lol, i actually missed your title having the size and type of tank
 
Oops, apologies.
 
Similar sort of thing to the Flow but a taller tank.
 
I'd suggest just a betta and maybe snails for a tank such as this.

 

[RobbieArtois]

Re Question 2) So you would suggest a betta for my my small tank with 2 sources of oxygen and a bubble wall? I would have thought that would be too much water disruption for a fish that prefers calm surroundings.

Snails = no.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Hmm, whats your water ph and kH if you have that?
 
No snails ? ok. 
 
Some info on Betta Splendens care
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/423364-betta-splendens-caresheet/
 
As for the bubble wall and oxygen sources, as long as the flow in the tank is gentle, then i see that as not a major problem, although that would have to be verified by someone who know more about Bettas than i do,
 
Other choices of fish, depending on your pH and kH, could be Chilli Rasboras or Endlers (all males to prevent breeding thus overstocking your tank)
 
There are more choices but without knowing the pH or Kh its hard to say exactly what would be suitable for your tank. If you do not know the kH, a sign like there is limescale in your kettle, that generally points to hard water.

 

[the_lock_man]

The bubble wall doesn't, in itself, introduce much in the way of oxygen into the water. What it does do is cause the surface to ripple, and that's where the majority of gas exchange occurs. And that's where the problem with these tanks lies.
 
The surface area is much smaller compared to a "normal" 45 litre tank. Therefore there isn't as much oxygen going into the water as you would think, and this means that you kinda have to treat the tank as though it were around a 30 litre tank, for stocking calculations.
 
If you feel there is too much flow for a betta, then I would go with your instinct. You could go with a few endlers, maybe 3-4 guppies, or a largeish shoal of celestial pearl danios.
 
There are fish that like high flow in a tank. Generally speaking, those fish usually inhabit fast flowing streams. Fast flowing streams tend to be high up on hills and mountains. Water that is high up on hills and mountains tends to be a lot cooler than a normal tropical temperature. And because the water is flowing quickly, the fish that inhabit these streams are able to swim very quickly, as they need to be able to make headway against a strong current. Therefore, they need a much wider tank than a Biorb Life. The only exceptions to that are suckerfish that will latch onto rocks and stones and stay there, examples being hillstream loaches and bulldog plecs.

 

[RobbieArtois]

Thanks for the feedback lock man. That's pretty much what I wanted to know, will take a look at the three fish you have suggested. Used to have Endlers, they're quite a nice little fish for the Biorb given their size.

Think I'll look at getting a valve for the pump anyway. I wasn't really concerned with having enough or too much oxygen in the tank, my concern was the disruption caused by the bubble wall. Although I like the way it looks, I'm concerned it will be daunting to the inhabitants. Might even just turn it off and stick to the oxygen generated from the internal filter.