Air pump good for fish?

[Sluder4]

SO I have been wondering if an air pump would benifit my fish? I of course know its need for plants since at night they let of Co2 and that can make it hard on your fish to breath. But would it help the water quality? If so Where should I postition it? I have a 20Gal. High aquarium. The filter is in one corner and the heater in the other. Where should I postion it from them?

 

[BlueStraggler]

I have my air pump on the opposite side of the tank from where the filter is located.

As far as I know there are no benefits to water quality or even oxygen amounts.

Basically airstones/pumps are optional and for show only.

 

[ryanoh]

I thought airstones had a purpose in that they break the surface of the water and allow aeration and help mix oxygen into the water. Though, I know filters do this as well so airstones aren't always required.

 

[Jwoody]

someone please correct me if im wrong, but plants take in CO2 to "breath" and then they release O2 which is oxygen, which is what your fish breathe, so actually your fish are creating CO2 and the plants are turning it back into O2.

If you put a bubbler in your tank, it will flush out all of the CO2 that your plants need to live, so eventually your plants will die, basicly any type of surface agetation that is great enough to create bubbles will flush out the CO2 for the plants. I have a twenty gallon high as well, and i have a few plants in there and a filter, i have 4 fish that are all about two inches in length and they seem to be doing just fine.

Also bubblers tend to sometimes stirr up everything in the tank resulting in hazey water.

 

[lauraf]

JWoody, keep in mind that plants don't produce oxygen when the lights are off, they emit CO2, as Sluder rightly said. Some people who inject CO2 with a diffuser or dosing excel actually turn on a bubbler at night to increase the oxygen (Blue, they do increase oxygen levels) so the fish don't suffocate from too much CO2!
And a well-positioned airstone (i.e., not too close to the substrate) shouldn't stir up sediment.

 

[Jwoody]

oh cool i didnt know that. I have an external filter on my tank, and it is huge, that could take the place of a bubler couldnt it?

 

[Jwoody]

as far as aerating the water?

 

[lauraf]

JWoody, is it running anyway? Do you need extra aeration?

 

[OrangeCones]

I of course know its need for plants since at night they let of Co2 and that can make it hard on your fish to breath.

Slunder4 - there is no NEED to have an airstone or any 'bubbler' in your tank. It will offgas the dissolved CO2 that the plants need to grow.

While it is true that plants will consume some oxygen during the night and give off CO2 (they actually do this day and night), the amount is very small when compared to the amount of oxygen they produce and CO2 they consume during the light period.

Contrary to some myths out there, CO2 does not displace oxygen. You can have a tank with high levels of both. Infact, a planted tank that is growing well will often have readings of over 100% saturation of oxygen during daylight hours.

 

[anshuman]

to Add to OC's point, when oxygen is saturated in planted tank and there are no big fish, the plants start pearling oxygen on the leaf-surface etc, i.e gassing off the extra O2 not dissolved in water. (riccia is one floating plant which produces lots of O2 and pearls easily).

 

[Sluder4]

Alright thanks y'all! I was just wondering cause I was going to buy one either way if it helped or just looked cool cause I noticed that when I change the water that the bubbles from me pouring the water in the fish love it. So I was just wondering. Probably gunna head to walmart and grab a little air pump and a stone and throw in there. Thanks for answering my question!

 

[Jwoody]

Lauraf, yes it is always running, i think it is originally used in a 50 gallon tank, but that would also aerate the water enought so there is enought oxygen at night right? i have a 20 gallon high tank

 

[Jwoody]

does the amount of CO2 released by plants, at night, depend on how much sunlight they recieve during the day? cause i was thinking of getting higher watt bulb

 

[ryanoh]

So I have a related question about airstones.

I have had a 12 inch one in my 55 gallon since I set it up about six months ago. Recently I took it out of that tank, and put it in my 10 gallon beta tank to help the water not become stagnant and develop that gross film over the top. I've been out of town for more than two weeks with an automatic feeder taking care of my 55 gallon at home, and when I went back to go do a water change, I noticed green algae has now covered by driftwood, as well as my petrified wood. Both my plants are doing as good as always, so it doesn't seem as though the algae has hurt them yet.

Is it possible that my airstone was off gassing just enough CO2 to keep algae from growing while still allowing healthy plant growth? I can't think of anything else it could be, as the tank is on the same lighting schedule it's always been on. So, should I get another airstone for that tank, or should I add another plant to choke out the algae?

 

[ryanoh]

does the amount of CO2 released by plants, at night, depend on how much sunlight they recieve during the day? cause i was thinking of getting higher watt bulb

From a biological standpoint, I'd assume so.

 

[OrangeCones]

Alright thanks y'all! I was just wondering cause I was going to buy one either way if it helped or just looked cool cause I noticed that when I change the water that the bubbles from me pouring the water in the fish love it.

The fish are likely playing the the current created by pouring in the water. I keep a small powerhead in my tanks and a lot of the fish love to play in the stream that comes out the top of it. Some swim against it, and some like to swim over the top of the powerhead itself and then drop down low enough to 'ride the wave' of the water movement. I have one fish that does this all the time, hubby says he's 'surfing' in the water.

 

[OrangeCones]

does the amount of CO2 released by plants, at night, depend on how much sunlight they recieve during the day?

The aquatic plant's respiration (when it releases CO2) rate is not directly related to light it gets during the day. However, with more light (provided it also had enough nutrients including a source of carbon), it will grow in size, and a larger plant will produce more CO2 in darkness than a smaller plant.

 

[Jwoody]

k thanks much!!