# Does my air-pump have to run ALL THE TIME?????



## JoeGREEEN (Jun 28, 2011)

That really depends on how stocked your aquarium is and what type of fauna you keep in there.

Also if you run constant co2 overnight then turning off the airpump is not a good idea.

All cool water and fast flowing river fauna need more saturated oxygen levels.

Now if you have an aquarium with a larger surface area compared to its height you can keep still water fish that go up to surface to breathe air, like gouramis do


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## Husky (May 12, 2013)

I don't run CO2 and don't even know about it. My aquarium is normally stocked with common fish such as Guppies, Platies, Swordtails, Neon Tetras, Plecos and Albino Cories.

I run a tropical freshwater aquarium with a fair amount of plants with a large surface area.

I also have an AquaClear 30 HOB (Hang on the back) filter that provides surface agitation, is that enough for my tank?

I run the air-pump occasionally and would like to turn it off at night and back on in the morning.


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## gSTiTcH (Feb 21, 2013)

I DO run CO2, but I DON'T run an air pump. CO2 shuts off at night.

An air pump is not required for a healthy tank (Unless it's driving your filtration, in which case you need a better filter).


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## EngineChauffer (Apr 3, 2013)

I actually run an airstone only at night inside one of my HOB filters. Plants produce O2 during the day and actually use a small amount of O2 at night to sustain them until the next day (light cycle). I do not use CO2 either.


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## Sharpchick (Feb 17, 2013)

gSTiTcH said:


> I DO run CO2, but I DON'T run an air pump. CO2 shuts off at night.
> 
> An air pump is not required for a healthy tank (Unless it's driving your filtration, in which case you need a better filter).


Kind of a sweeping generality isn't it?

My shrimp tank has only a sponge filter run by an air pump. Completely adequate for the bioload and not a suicide device like a HOB can be.


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## Husky (May 12, 2013)

Thanks guys!


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

I run two airstones in my 75, I also run co2, but I run the airstones because they were already there back from my days of keeping the tank as a fish only tank.

It doesn't hurt, and I only run them at night, but tbh I also don't find it to be that needed. However, I can also say that I have yet to gas any fish or have any gasping, and my drop checker is at a very pretty lime green going towards yellow.


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## gSTiTcH (Feb 21, 2013)

Sharpchick said:


> Kind of a sweeping generality isn't it?
> 
> My shrimp tank has only a sponge filter run by an air pump. Completely adequate for the bioload and not a suicide device like a HOB can be.


Perhaps. I was thinking Undergravel filtration specifically. A filter such as yours is probably quite adequate for the waste and bioload produced by your shrimp.

I apologize.


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