Do I Need Air ?

[Royster]

So I was chatting to a fella in work about our tanks today and he asked " how do I put air into my tank" , I said I have a external filter that feeds water onto the top of the tank that disturbs the tank water and it puts air in the tank ( or so I'm told! It's a Marina s15)

He said he was thinking of an air pump like the tetratec aps50 ( as we have 60l tanks) to get air in the tank but is it needed?

 

[L_Plates]

I dont believe it is no. As long as the surface is disturbed as you say it is oxygen will be added to the water.

If i am wrong i apologise.

LP

 

[StandbySetting]

Gaseous exchange occurs irrespective of whether there is surface agitation, surface agitation just increases the surface area, air pumps do little towards oxygenating water from the bubbles they produce, most of the aeration would come from the further agitated surface.

 

[Royster]

So air pumps like the aps are more for cosmetics that anything else

 

[StandbySetting]

Yes, purely aesthetic.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Great for running air curtains and such but as long as the surface water is rippling is should be more then enough for most tanks

 

[micko]

You really do not need one. I have 4 sitting underneath a tank doing nothing.

 

[Mr Melt]

So thats how it works? All I need to do is agitate the water surface to bring about oxygenation?

#32### almighty ¬_¬

 

[Royster]

You really do not need one. I have 4 sitting underneath a tank doing nothing.

Any of them for a tank about 60l and going cheap ?