Bubble bars

[ferkix]

Does anyone use them? If so, what good do they do besides look pretty? I can't really see them adding too much oxygen to the water. It also seems to me it would have an adverse effect on CO2 if you have a planted tank.

 

[madhippoz]

I can't really see them adding too much oxygen to the water. It also seems to me it would have an adverse effect on CO2 if you have a planted tank.

They have an effect on CO2 exactly because they add oxygen to the water. What happens is the bubbles themselves don't add oxygen into the water, what they do is disturb the surface of the water, agitating it and encouraging gaseous exchange of CO2 out of the water and Oxygen into the water. Most people try to keep the amount of surface agitation too a minimum on a planted tank as like you say, you don't want to loose your CO2 while the lights are on and the plants are trying to consume it. Depending on the size of your tank though, and the size of pump and airstone, it varies just how much surface agitation and oxygen exchange happens as a result of an airstone. I use a large one with a large pump in my Brackish tank which has no real plants in it anyway to stir up crud off the gravel, helping filtration somewhat, and also to add a little extra oxygen exchange in that tank since there are no plants. In my planted tanks I rarely use them. On a new tank I use them in order to give some extra oxygen into the water to help those initial bacteria cultures get started. Used right they can look neat though I agree, but depending on your tank setup, whether you actually require one or not is up for debate.

 

[420Loach]

i had two in my 55 gal. they looked nice but the noise they made was aggrivating at night, so i took em out. im not sure if it was the bubbles breaking the surface or the air going into the filter, but i almost went insane trying to get to sleep the first night until i took em out.

 

[Leopardess]

i use them when i have sick fish and have to raise the temperature a lot along with a lot of medicine

 

[SomethingFishy]

Yes . . . I use both air stones as well as those "bubble bars". I like the look of the bubbles in the tank and as mentioned above, the agitation of the surface helps with gas exchange. I do not have a planted tank so Co2 is not an issue.

For my daughter's 7gal. tank it was almost a necessity. The filter did nothing to agitate the water surface. She would regularly get a "film" on the almost motionless surface of the water. Did not look too good and some fish had died. I boought a small air pump and a regular air stone and now everything is fine.

Good Luck

 

[dana307]

I didn't know that I need less surface agitation and I have plants. Dagnabit! Still have crap to learn. I have bubble wands in both tanks and some plants in each. They aren't massive bubble producers. Should I remove one or two or turn down the air flow???? Sad, still just a "little fish." :-(

 

[FroggyFox]

Dana, if your plants are doing well with the amount of aeration you have, then no need to change what works...if your plants weren't doing well everyone might suggest less agitation.

(sorry...its 300 to get to medium fish I think)

 

[dana307]

they are doing fine so far. thanks froggy. Whew. ;-)

ON my WAY to medium fish. eventually. hee, hee

 

[SomethingFishy]

Ok Ok . . . you started something now. When do I graduate from Teeny Weenie Fish?

 

[FroggyFox]

In about 6 posts somethingfishy when you get 100 you turn into a "little fish"

 

[SomethingFishy]

Cool only 5 more now!!!

 

[Vinh]

I have a some plants in my tank and I got 2 airstone going 24/7 blowing large bubbles at a fast rate. Dont effect my plants at all. Actually, I would say even my plants grow at a alarming rate. I brought a bunch of plant (forgot the name but it loooks similar to duckweed) and it grew twice the amount I brought 2 weeks and I had to always get rid of a few them a week. Also my lighting is just 30watts. 41gallon tank.

pic: http://www.sirvinh.com/photoarchive/myfishtank/lastestfishtanknow.jpg