Silence Air Bubbles

[addy_010]

atm i have air stones giving out the bubbles from an air pump, however the bubbles are rather loud at night and i'd like to get something which is silent or atleast a lot quiter. i have googled but not finding anything though this could be due to the fact i don't know what to search for.

anyone suggest anything which doens't make a noise when the bubles come rushing out of it?


thanks

[edit]

also how much water movement should i have in the tank from the pump? i am asking because when going to the local aquarium shops they have much stronger currents in all the tanks then compared to mine and im thinking that perhaps mine is a little lower and i could use and old pump from my last internal juwel filter? is this a stupid idea or would the stronger current be better for the water/fish; i always see the fish swimming into the little current that i have. If so i will need a protector head thing so the fish don't get sucked into the pump however again ater a search i can't find anything though perhaps due to using the wrong search words. Can anyone suggest anything? even if it doesn't fit exactly maybe i could melt it on or something.

thanks

 

[bronzecat]

Hi

I suppose you could use larger air stones which may thin the bubbles out a bit, or you can get different types of air stones which have smaller holes in them which make smaller bubbles.

We have a standard air stone, buried in the substrate, which causes quite big bubbles, but i can hardly hear them.

Try adjusting the flow from the pump.

Cheers

 

[Lateral Line]

Air pumps are generally not needed in tanks, the filter usually provides enough movement for gas exchange to occur.

 

[bronzecat]

Air pumps are generally not needed in tanks, the filter usually provides enough movement for gas exchange to occur.

Agree, but some species do better with airiation, like cory's, so i suppose it depends what your keeping. The other thng is some people just like the to have bubbles

I have bubbles with my cory's but none with my betta's.

Cheers

 

[Colin_T]

you can try wooden airstones, normally used on marine tanks. But they clog up quickly so might need replacing frequently.
Also put a cover glass on the tank. It will reduce the noise significantly.

Most people complain about the pump noise not the bubbles. And after a few years you won't be able to sleep without the bubbles. I know I wake up as soon as there is a power failure. The pumps turn off and the house goes eerily quiet :0

 

[addy_010]

thanks guys, i will try burying the air stone and see if that reduces the noise.

anyone able to answer the second part of the first post?

 

[Colin_T]

Most shops have blowers (big air pumps) that produce huge amounts of air and this is pumped into the tanks providing lots of water movement. Shops also have lots more fish in their tanks compared to the home aquarium.
Generally you want a bit of water movement but not too much so the fish are getting blown all over the tank. A single airstone is probably not going to provide a lot of water movement in an average tank. Adding a small internalf filter can help but it also depends on the fish being kept. Rainbowfish and Galaxias will love being in a tank with strong currents moving them around but hatchetfish and tetras would prefer a more sedate/ stationary tank.
You could always use the spare internal filter and have it running for a couple of hours a day. Put it on a timer and have it come on for an hour and then go off for a bit. The filter won't help with the biological filtration but it will give the fish some water movement throughout the day.
Good water movement also helps keep the water temperature even throughout the tank and prevents stratification.

 

[Lateral Line]

It's generally a bad idea to try to read anything from the way an lfs has their tanks set up. Better is to consider the natural environment of the species you are interested in. Very few species normally kept in regular community tanks come from high energy environments, (certain loaches are an obvious exception). Most come from lakes/ponds/sluggish riverine situations, and probably none with an air curtain.

 

[Colin_T]

I can just imagine a school of little tetras spreading the rumour of the great bubble curtain that has appeared in the Amazon. Thousands of little fishies sitting their watching the bubbles rising up through the water. Then pow a native person scoops them all out with a net and sticks them in a pot for dinner