To Aerate Or Not To Aerate?

[Staxx]

i currently do not have a air pump/stone or anything like that set up in my aquarium. i was just wondering if there is any benefits other than aeration to having one set up? been reading about having/not having and there seems to be a lot of mixed reviews
im upgrading to fluval 306 or 406 in the next couple of days and i read they aerate the water for you?

id like my tank to be as silent as possible as well because of its placement in the living room. so i dont want to have to get an airpump unless it benefits my fish.

 

[creeker]

Surface agitation is what matters. Your filter is probably doing plenty of that.

 

[MrGT500]

i have a tetra air 8000 on both of my tanks, its a nice pump with 4 outlets, and it is very quiet and was fairly cheap too, i think it was under 40 bucks. both of my tanks have 3 airstones and other than looking nice the bubbles add oxygen to the water. some fish do benifit from the extra oxygen and water movement. my panda corys also love to ride the bubbles up to the top of the tank over and over again.

 

[JayD976]

It's not the bubbles themselves that aerate the water it's the surface agitation when they reach the top that aerates the water so if you have plenty of surface movement with the filters your fine.

 

[Tolak]

If you want it to be as silent as possible forget the air pump. Keep the output of the filter slightly below the water surface, but aimed at the surface to create surface motion. This will give you more than enough O2 in the water.

If you care to get into the science behind it there is this topic; A Rational Discussion On Oxygen Transfer From An Airstone Bubble.

 

[Gilli]

Agree with all - you do not need an air pump. Its costing you extra money to buy and extra electricity to run it! I have a 250L tank and dont use one - just point the outlet flow from the filter towards the surface and as long as there is a gentle movement on the surface you will be fine!

 

[Staxx]

yeah i already do the outlet thing. i was just wondering the benefits! obviously its more for the aesthetics than benefits!

 

[RossC]

I like using an air pump with a bubble curtain It looks really nice at the back of the tank but like you already know they can be noisy. I tend to put mine on when I know we won't be in the room much but I suppose because yours is in the living room the noise is gonna become annoying. Really the only advantages for the fish is oxygen and water flow but thats it.

 

[KISSfn]

I have a bubbler because I like the look and some of my fish like to play in the bubbles. My Fusion air pump is silent. I don't think it adds a useful amount of oxygen. Surface agitation and plants do that.

 

[creeker]

I would like to have the bubbles, for aesthetics, but my wife is super sensitive to any noise. My filter is completely quiet, and agitates the surface well.

 

[Joseph28]

I like this.