Totally Confused About Airstones

petertr

Fish Addict
Joined
Aug 20, 2008
Messages
756
Reaction score
0
Location
Peterlee, Co. Durham, England
There have been a few topics regarding the use of airstones lately:

* Some people say they directly put air (including O2) into the water
* Some say the only gas interchange is due to the extra surface agitation



I've always had airstones, as I like the appearance of the air bubbles, and I always thought it was beneficial.



However, I'm now looking at adding a C02 system to my tank as I want to put some real plants in - and I've had no luck at all with real plants in the past - Im hoping some C02 will make the difference.

If the airstone Im running is putting air directly into the water, then there is a school of thought that this will push out C02. However, if the airstone only works as a surface agitator, then it won't be detrimental to C02.

So, do I need to remove my airstone?



Oh, and what do I use to get the C02 that I've created in to the tank - just an bare tube, or another airstone? (or even drive the original one with the C02 device!?)



Thanks in advance
 
air pumps just dont put much O2 into the water as the bubbles float up to the top quickly and they dont have enough time to dissolve, it is only the extra surface agitation that allows more O2 into the water.

if the airstone only works as a surface agitator, then it won't be detrimental to C02.

Yes it will because it will just gas off, you need to remove the airstone, what typr of CO2 system are you going to be setting up?
 
I was interested in this as well for similar reasons.

So at the end of the day it basically comes down to a choice between an airpump and bubble curtain / feature, OR Co2 Injection for the plants, but no point in having both?
I also presume you don't put anywhere near as much Co2 into the tank as you do 'air' so it's not like you could just replace an 'air' feature with Co2 bubbles instead?
 
Airstones are not very efficient at dissolving CO2 into the water as they prodce large bubbles, if you wanted to go this way, then use a limewood diffuser which produces smaller bubbles
I dodnt make this comment on the first post though as this wont be a very good option if it is pressurized, once we know the system he will be using, we can then list the available diffusing options.
 
sorry to but in
im confused as well
how do they actually help??????
apart from looking good
 
This is the system
[URL="http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...GCID=C12188x007"]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...GCID=C12188x007[/URL]

p_12881_FS21173P.jpg




I don't understand why, if the airstone doesn't do anything, why you can't leave it on wth a CO2 system!
 
This is the system
<a href="http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...GCID=C12188x007" target="_blank">http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...GCID=C12188x007</a>

p_12881_FS21173P.jpg




I don't understand why, if the airstone doesn't do anything, why you can't leave it on wth a CO2 system!

To diffuse the CO2 You can use the ladder supplied, run it through your filter (put the tube under the filter intake then it dissolves when passing through the filter), or limewood diffuser,

Airstones creat more surface agitation, so the CO2 just gasses off, that is why you cannot run both at the same time. Also having one of those systems on the 300l tank will not be enough, you will need about 4 or 5 bottles - add extra bottles using the DIY kit and changing this many mixtures every week willl be a right PITA. IMO i would either go pressurized (cheapest way is to use a fire extinghuisher - see 2 guides in my sig) or no CO2 at all.
You cannot just assume it is CO2 related, you also have to consider the lighting levels, species of plants, fertilisers etc.
 
This is the system
<a href="http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...GCID=C12188x007" target="_blank">http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...GCID=C12188x007</a>

p_12881_FS21173P.jpg




I don't understand why, if the airstone doesn't do anything, why you can't leave it on wth a CO2 system!
im no expret on this but i have looked at a lot of topics on this and as far as i under stand is if you have a air stone in with co2 the air you are pumping in forces the co2 out,so you are wasteing your co2 :hyper:
 
A bit of basic science to help understand, if it helps: The amount of O2 and CO2 the water will hold is related to how much of each is in the air. The CO2 system increases the amount of CO2 in the water, but because atmospheric CO2 content is quite low (average around .04%), you continuously lose some to the air.

Surface agitation, from the bubbles, or just from the filter output, increases gas exchange. This helps bring O2 into the water because there's a lot of it in the atmosphere (around 20%), but it also drives off CO2, because there's vastly less.
 
But don't I need surface agitation for the health of the fish - too low O2 will not do them any good!

I'm not talking about a planted tank here - Im talking about 4 small plants, and a little bit of C02 to help.


No interest in going down the fire extinguisher route!
 
But don't I need surface agitation for the health of the fish - too low O2 will not do them any good!

not only that, but plants use o2 at night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no light no photosynthesis, so plants breath/absorbe o2 in the dark.
 
But don't I need surface agitation for the health of the fish - too low O2 will not do them any good!

I'm not talking about a planted tank here - Im talking about 4 small plants, and a little bit of C02 to help.


No interest in going down the fire extinguisher route!
for the sake of four plants i dont see the point in putting in co2 (hope im no been rude) just go for slow growing and low light plants :unsure:
there is a few people on here that grow a few plants on here that can put you in the right direction :good:
 
But don't I need surface agitation for the health of the fish - too low O2 will not do them any good!

I'm not talking about a planted tank here - Im talking about 4 small plants, and a little bit of C02 to help.


No interest in going down the fire extinguisher route!

If it's 4 small plants, leave the CO2 off entirely, maybe use flourish excell occasionally.

Using it is about balance - when the CO2 is on, the plants biochemistry accellerates (provided there's enough of everything else they need), and they release oxygen for the fish. When the lights are off, that stops, and instead they start taking O2 out as well. During this time, you don't need much CO2 in the water, but oxygen might become in short supply, so a bubble stone set to come on after the lights might be what the doctor ordered to ensure oxygen levels are sufficient at night.
 
In my weird and wacky head then... :p

If a tank was TOTALLY sealed, lid as well, and you created a false atmosphere in the hood, perhaps by feeding CO2 into the hood void, effectively increasing the CO2 level in the atmosphere above the water, would the water then naturally absorb the CO2 out of the atmosphere, or at least not gas off as much of it?

Thats just the meanderings of my mind though. I think that from reading this thread, in my mind for now I perhaps won't use Co2. If my plants actually show problems then I'll consider it,but I won't just add it as a matter of course. Seems like with a 300L tank it would need quite an extensive setup too.
Been a great help for me certainly, thanks all :)
 
But don't I need surface agitation for the health of the fish - too low O2 will not do them any good!

I'm not talking about a planted tank here - Im talking about 4 small plants, and a little bit of C02 to help.


No interest in going down the fire extinguisher route!

If it's 4 small plants, leave the CO2 off entirely, maybe use flourish excell occasionally.

Using it is about balance - when the CO2 is on, the plants biochemistry accellerates (provided there's enough of everything else they need), and they release oxygen for the fish. When the lights are off, that stops, and instead they start taking O2 out as well. During this time, you don't need much CO2 in the water, but oxygen might become in short supply, so a bubble stone set to come on after the lights might be what the doctor ordered to ensure oxygen levels are sufficient at night.

That makes some sense.

But don't I need surface agitation for the health of the fish - too low O2 will not do them any good!

I'm not talking about a planted tank here - Im talking about 4 small plants, and a little bit of C02 to help.


No interest in going down the fire extinguisher route!
for the sake of four plants i dont see the point in putting in co2 (hope im no been rude) just go for slow growing and low light plants :unsure:
there is a few people on here that grow a few plants on here that can put you in the right direction :good:

Every plant I've ever bought has died - thought a little bit of help would er, help :lol:
 

Most reactions

Back
Top