# air bubblers in tanks?



## ponyo (Aug 9, 2010)

You guys are going to be headdesking over these questions but here goes. I googled it first but didn't really get the answers I wanted.

Do I really need a bubbler in my un-planted fish tank? I only have two fish in there right now. They're waiting until my planted tank is all ready. One is a red tail shark. The other is a raspora (I am going to try to return him to the LFS because his two buddies died when the temperature got really hot due to the weather and then dropped quickly).

So is there enough oxygen in the water just from the water surface or do I definitely need a bubbler?

I ask because I have one but it's old and super loud and today I noticed some weird mold/bacteria maybe growing on the tube and inside the tube. So I'm going to have to get a new one I think but I'd rather not if I don't have to. 

Second question. Does a *planted* tank need a bubbler? My guess is no because the plants produce oxygen but what I'm wondering is, how do you know it's enough oxygen for your fish? I'll be adding more fish eventually. I don't intend just to have one red tail shark in my planted tank LOL.


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## stewardwildcat (Feb 24, 2010)

The bubbler doesn't ADD air to the water it makes the water flow. If you have a filter on the tank you are good enough for air. The exchange at the water's surface is where most of the oxygen will enter the tank.

Planted tanks do not need bubblers for the same reason. There is enough exchange at the waters surface and that is why it is suggested you keep good surface ripple to mix that oxygenated water with the rest of the tank.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Does your tank have a filter? What kind? Is there surface agitation of any kind? If so, you have oxygen in your water. Airstones add oxygen to the water by providing surface agitation. As long as you have some surface agitation you are good to go.


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## littlefish (Aug 6, 2010)

of course yoo need a bubbler in your tank , to have oxygen.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

> of course yoo need a bubbler in your tank , to have oxygen.


You must have decided to not read the whole thread or truly understand how air stones work. Thanks. 

Sent from my Dinc.


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## ponyo (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks for the quick and helpful replies! I do of course have filters and they do provide surface agitation. 

I have a HOB filter and an in-tank filter. Currently the HOB filter, which is new, is on the unplanted tank which is the cycled tank. And the in-tank filter which is old is on the planted tank which is not yet cycled to help it get started. When it's cycled I will put the HOB filter on my planted tank and I think I'm going to chuck the other filter and buy something more appropriate for my smaller tank. The in-tank filter is 1) really old 2) too big and ugly for the smaller tank.


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

i must admit that this is something i've never been clear on. so, with what has been said here, what would be the optimal positioning of my 2 xp3's on a 55g tank? would one be facing the water surface, and another facing downwards? i will be injecting co2 inline through one of them, i'm assuming i should probably face that one downwards?


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## Sunnyy (Sep 30, 2010)

Similar question, but still not sure of answer. I have a 80gal tank, fully covered. The water pours loudly from my filter into the tank. I have a CO2 system set up and fully planted. Has been happy and growing for 4 months now. I have been told many times I should keep surface agitation down, because it out-gases the CO2 quickly. Is this true? If so how do I move the water nicely into the take without the torrent created from my powerhead?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

If water is pouring loudly from your filter into the aquarium, then that means there is a significant amount of surface agitation occurring. As a result, the CO2 will out gas more quickly than if you were to keep the surface agitation down.

Like many other things in nature, CO2 will diffuse out from the area of the highest concentration (i.e. the aquarium) to one of lower concentration (i.e. the atmosphere). By increasing the surface area of the water exposed to the atmosphere (i.e. by increasing surface agitation), you increase the rate of diffusion.


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## stewardwildcat (Feb 24, 2010)

Sunnyy said:


> Similar question, but still not sure of answer. I have a 80gal tank, fully covered. The water pours loudly from my filter into the tank. I have a CO2 system set up and fully planted. Has been happy and growing for 4 months now. I have been told many times I should keep surface agitation down, because it out-gases the CO2 quickly. Is this true? If so how do I move the water nicely into the take without the torrent created from my powerhead?


With CO2 injection it is a balance between keeping the water oxygenated (beyond what the plants are producing) and keeping CO2 levels up. Surface ripple does two things, it allows oxygen to diffuse into the water and be carried deeper into the tank (as darkblade said diffusion from a place with a higher level, atmosphere, to a lower level, tank water). CO2 will also outgas from the same boundary layer. Since CO2 is cheap the recommendation I have read on here many times is to keep the surface agitation up so everyone remains healthy in the tank. If you have an airstone in a tank with CO2 injection that is pumping in air, you are removing almost all of your CO2 very rapidly and it is not staying in the water.


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

What about having decent surface agitation from the filter/powerheads, running CO2 during the day, and running a bubbler during the the night? The plants need very little CO2 during the night when the lights are off, and the bubbler ensures that CO2 doesn't accumulate and that oxygen levels are also good?

I do this in my tank, actually. During the night, I've noticed that the bubblers make the currents change slightly in the tank, which makes the plants wave around in a slightly different way and the debris on the bottom is kicked up each night. That seems to have a long term effect of making the tank cleaner and the plants sturdier.

Opinions?


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## deleted_user_7 (Jul 7, 2003)

The plants dont need any co2 at night. They use oxygen at night produce co2, reverse of what they do in the day. 

You don't need an airstone at night, but if it makes you feel better to use one then you can. It's not necessary.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

High flow rate and surface agitation will make your fish healthy and happy. I have a lot of flow up top but not enough to break the water, just lots of ripples. Of course, this means you'll have to increase the rate of CO2 injection. I'm running 8-9bps on my tank with 2 koralias near the surface.


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