oxygenation

[joe2003]

Is there another method of adding oxygen into a tank using a filter that does not involve water falling onto the surface??

 

[snowyangel]

I believe they're called "air stones" ? Its basically a hard sponge attached to a small plastic tubing attached to a oxygen pump that pushes air through the sponge to create lots of bubbles in the water. These work good for fish bowls i find.
Here's a picture of the air stone by it self:
http/www.petco.com/product_info.asp?fami...+Diffusers&ct3=

It's a pretty cheap system, but wont filter out any debris

Good luck!

 

[smb]

Powerheads help also.

 

[bogusmove]

Can anyone comment as to the actual affectiveness of the air stone for oxygenation? I frequently read that air stones do not contribute (of any significance) to water oxygenation, that they are decorative, and that more important factors are surface area and surface current to carry oxygen rich water away from the surface.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Can anyone comment as to the actual affectiveness of the air stone for oxygenation? I frequently read that air stones do not contribute (of any significance) to water oxygenation, that they are decorative, and that more important factors are surface area and surface current to carry oxygen rich water away from the surface.

If you think that the air pump is actually pumping oxygen into the water, then you are right, they do not add any.

But, they are actually very effective at oxygenation because the cause a lot of surface disruption, and that is how oxygen is introduced into the water. A healthy tank requires two things. First, it needs some form of surface disruption to get oxygen into the water, and second, there needs to be a current running thorugh the tank to distribute this oxygen. Many filters on many tanks can accomplish both those things, other filters on other tanks require addition helpers including airstones and/or powerheads.

 

[Cian McLiam]

I would agree. To say that airstones are purely decorative is not strictly true.
They do oxygenate, just not in the most obvious way. A power head just below or on the water surface will work just as well as will a spray bar, which is what I use as I dislike the airstone bubbles and so do the fish! (not to mention the damn noise!) The Angels prefer slow moving water also so a powerhead is ruled out.

I keep an airstone handy though for when its absolutely necessary to medicate and I also used it to aerate water overnight before using it for a water change. I dont need to now since I use de-ionized water but I would seriously recommend using an airstone in tap water overnight to drive out chlorine and other dissolved gases.

Ken

 

[thecichlidaddict]

I also use an airstone when cycling the tank

Sorry for getting off topic Joe2003, Are you looking for a silent alternative, or any alternative?

 

[joe2003]

I wanted a silent alternitive during the night, I wasnt sure if I would be better off with two pumps, on for the day and one for the night. I was just enquiring cause I didnt want to harm any of the fish

 

[bogusmove]

If you want a silent night (hoho) then an air stone (as Ken noted) is not really a quiet alternative... potentially more noisey in fact!

If your filter returns water just under the surface though (thus causing a current through your tank, which will distribute oxygen rich water), it seems to me that this will be fine, and that you are unlikely to need further oxygenation.

When you say 2 pumps, do you mean filters? You could have two but if you turned them alternately on and off every 12 hours (or whatever the schedule) i'm not sure the bacteria wouldn't starve and have to regenerate every day, which may make your environment a bit unstable. Not too sure about that though.

 

[joe2003]

so you are saying that if I fitted a filter that returned water under the suraface then it would oxygenate my tank well enough to sustain any bacteria??? If so then how does the filter put oxygen in if it never reaches the outside of the tank?? (sorry is this is a dumb question, I am a beginner! )

 

[bogusmove]

if I fitted a filter that returned water under the suraface then it would oxygenate my tank well enough to sustain any bacteria???

Yes.

If so then how does the filter put oxygen in if it never reaches the outside of the tank??

The filter itself doesn't oxygenate the water, oxygen is disolved into the water at the waters surface. In a still tank though, the water near the surface can be more oxygen rich than at the bottom, and water can reach a point of oxygen saturation, where no more can be disolved... so, this is where the current comes in, it takes the oxygen rich water down and around your tank, and other water less rich in oxygen can find its way back up to the surface for the same treatment.

I am a beginner!

Me too ;-)

 

[joe2003]

So can anyone recommend a filter that reterns water under the surface? its for a 20gal?

 

[thecichlidaddict]

OK Joe, I'll tell you how I achieve oxygenatin and a quiet tank.

I use a canister filter. The output is on the end of a hose and can be placed anywhere in the tank. It can be placed on top of the water or under the water.

I generally keep the spray bar over the water to maximize oxygen introduction into the water, and when I want it quiet (for me it's when I'm watching a movie or have company over) then I submerse the output just under the surface of the water, which makes it completely silent. By keeping the output just below the surface you can have it disturb the surface quietly - this isn't as effective as actually pouring the water into the tank from above, but it works well enough.

 

[joe2003]

Thanks for all your help, this forum is much better than any other forum i have come across