Question about oxygen

[FishDad]

I have two airstones powered by the same unit in my 125g. I'm thinking og getting rid of them. They're distracting and I want the focus to be on the fish. As far as oxygen content in the water, how greatly will that be effected? As far as water circulation I've got the FX5 and an Aqueon 950 pump that I feel do a pretty good job. However not much surface disruption. I suppose I could change that a bit but adjusting one of the outputs on the FX5.
The bio load is heavy and will only get heavier as the fish grow. I guess my question is, how effective airstones really are?

 

[FreshyFresh]

Good question.

Can you set your canister discharge up so it agitates the surface a bit? From what I've read over the last few months, blowing bubbles in the water doesn't do as much as we think. I know I always ran an air stone or the likes in the past thinking it was needed. Now I don't run air unless it's powering a filter, etc.

 

[Thyra]

I use a bubble wand across the back of my tanks for looks, but I agree with Freshy - supposedly it doesn't do much to oxygenate the water unless it is agitating the surface.

 

[FishDad]

I can def. agitate the surface with the FX5. I'm leaning towards loosing the airstones...

 

[Lotus]

As long as you've got some movement on the top of the water, the tank likely has enough oxygen exchange. You really don't need airstones for most tanks.

If you spot the fish gasping at the surface, then it's likely there's a problem. But, as long as you've got some movement (i.e. it's not stagnant), and the fish load isn't insane, you shouldn't have any issues.

 

[FishDad]

Awsome thanks Lotus. Always a pleasant suprise when a moderator chimes in.

 

[Rotaripsnoc]

Unless you have the air stone beneath the return of your canister they don't do much, the air goes to the surface and only creates minor currents in the water column. If you have the air stone positioned beneath the return, it will get caught in the current, and may become micro bubbles which will aerate the water much better.

As far as general tank keeping, I do not believe they add much to the tank. For treating sick fish, or if your water temperatures are elevated for treating Ick or other parasites, one can never be too cautious.

 

[FreshyFresh]

On second thought, you could look at this a few ways.

I get that the air bubbles alone don't do much, but they do cause pretty major surface agitation. Surface agitation helps oxygenate the water.

The bubbler filters in my 29gal create some decent water movement, but I guess they should since they're designed to move/pump water through themselves.

I did have an air stone @ one corner of my 29 and it did whip up some water movement given the depth of the tank and the airflow through the stone at the time. This was prior to me getting the two sponge filters and I had both air stubs on the pump joined into one line for the stone.

 

[FishDad]

Well, right now I am getting some pretty good agitation from my kids, I mean the canister return. I'd say at least equivalant to both airstones. But its only on one side. So I have the water pump positioned on the same side thrusting water to the other side of the tank where the intake is. Make sense?