# airstones in planted tank?



## sdy284

so here is a semi-recent shot of my tank:










i've added a few plants since then, but I've been noticing that most people with planted tanks don't have any airstones. Personally, i like the look of them, but if they're non-beneficial in my planted tank, then I can take them out. 

Or should I keep them in, but only run them when my lights are off?

For now, I don't want to mess with any CO2, so I would assume that my airstones would be hurting the natural CO2 in my tank? :eek5:

thx in advance


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## imeridian

When you're not injecting CO2, the airstones are fine. Your tank will be at equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 either way. 

It's when one injects CO2 that the extra surface agitation that the typical airstone causes then becomes a problem. 

I can't stand the noise of the airpumps, personally. With a high light, CO2 injected tank, I get all sorts of pretty little bubbles coming off the plants anyway.


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## dissident

Indiboi pretty much nailed it. If you are running a DIY or pressurized CO2 injection you will want to have as little surface agitation as possible to keep the CO2 levels up.

If you are just using Flourish Excel for carbon the airstone is fine.

*note
In warm-water (80f+) tanks there will be less O2 for fish, so watch for stress (gasping at the top of the water or on the bottom breathing very slowly) that shows lack of O2. Example: My 110gal Discus tank is kept 82-86F, If I do not have an airstone they will suffocate. So there is a balance I had to find in that tank pressurized CO2+Airstone and still keep CO2 ~20ppm.


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## kitfoxdrvr

I agree with everyone so far, but I do find it beneficial to run an airstone at night as it has reduced my discus' respiration rate in the morning. During the day, with pressurized CO2 running, the fish are happy with all the O2 the plants are producing!

Steve


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## waterfaller1

Thanks for this post.I just started running an airpump in my shrimp tank at night, and one in my low light tank at night. In the tank with pressurized CO2, I lift the lily pipe to break the surface at night. I have found doing this eliminates the surface film as well.



imeridian said:


> I can't stand the noise of the airpumps, personally.


 I just found an airpump that is absolutely silent. I am going to order another one.roud:


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## rich815

dissident said:


> ....If you are running a DIY or pressurized CO2 injection you will want to have as little surface agitation as possible to keep the CO2 levels up....


You'd think so, and I've seen this said many times. But I have some serious surface movement going from my eheims and Koralia 2, maybe not frothing and breaking the surface, but good strong, wavy movement. It keeps good O2 in the water. My pressurized CO2 is good based on my 2 drop checkers (once Cal Aqua using their indicator solutions, one my Red Sea but using 4dKH water). Tom Barr's big 180 gal had a huge water circulation pump doing the same across the top of his tank when I last saw it. Just adjust your CO2 bubble count up a bit if needed. (My 5lb CO2 tank lasted 4 month this way on my 72 gal tank). Much better than no surface movement and fish gasping. Helps prevent surface scum too.


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## trav81

Just going to throw this out there, but Walstad says that over time the amount of CO2 produced by organic decay in the aquarium can be quite high. If this is the case, the CO2 in the aquarium would be higher than the atmospheric CO2, even without CO2 injection. My point is that the airstone would be driving off extra beneficial CO2 in the water even if you aren't injecting it.


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## lauraleellbp

Walstad NPT tanks are a bit different situation than most planted tanks. Most other planted tanks (even low tech) are maintained with water changes and the accompanying cleaning and trimming that minimizes the decaying organics in the water column.


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## walkingblind

Sorry, I can't stand it anymore, so I'm being rude and butting in to ask Waterfaller1 what pump he has found that's silent? My husband has ears like a cat and even though the one I have is pretty quiet he still complains. Save me!


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## waterfaller1

No problem, but only if you refer to me as 'she' from now on.
here~there are lots of different sizes, and it's a Tetra..{gasp}
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18279/si1379120/cl0/tetrawhisper20airpump
It's just a new shape. This pump has such minimal vibration, that I have it sitting on top of my eheim and it has not budged.


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## walkingblind

Thank you sooo much and I'm really sorry about the tense mix-up. I'm pretty computer savvy, but I've been a little reticent about doing a lot of posting because I tend to screw things up like that! I'm supposed to be starting a journal on my tank because the hubby wants to show off all his piping handiwork, but I've been putting it off. I can be a little ditzy. 
And thanks to sdy284 for the post. You have a great tank and you asked a question at just the same time that I needed the same info!


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## waterfaller1

walkingblind said:


> I can be a little ditzy.
> !


It's ok..are you blonde?
You are in good company...


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## walkingblind

I'm a blonde trapped in a brunette's body. So you can say I'm a stealth blonde.


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## Guest

I dont run a airstone in my tank but rather into the co2 reactor (rex style) at night via a tee in the tubing. Only reason I have been doing it is so that at night it will remove any co2 in the reactor faster and it seems to be easier on the fish at night.


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## waterfaller1

walkingblind said:


> I'm a blonde trapped in a brunette's body. So you can say I'm a stealth blonde.


 That is cute,hehe.


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