Air Stones

[Surf&turf]

I see a lot of tanks running air stones. Are they needed?

[Altum Nut]

Air stones are beneficial in supplying fresh O2 inside our glass boxes. Just like us when we inhale fresh air and exhaust bad air...our fishy friends need oxygenated water for that reason. Although some hobbyist don't use them but use filters that still break water surface which has the similar effect but air stones seems a lot quieter at surface break.
Hope this was helpful.....

...Ralph

[Ryan925]

If you have enough surface agitation with your filter return it's not needed.

[Surf&turf]

Thanks, I think the filter return plus the PH should be enough surface agitation.

[Ryan925]

Yes a power head is definitely adding air into the water but also keep in mind that discus do not like a lot of current

[bluelagoon]

If you have enough surface agitation with your filter return it's not needed.

+ 1.I have never used them in a fish tank in my 45 years of keeping fish.

[Willie]

I find that large fish, not just discus, are livelier and eat better when there's more aeration. Even though aquarium books indicate that bubbling does not add appreciably more aeration, my experience in 40+ years of aquarium keeping suggests otherwise. I use sponge filters, so I slip air stones into all of them. Tanks larger than 75 gallons will get an powerhead with an airline. I don't see much difference in behavior with small fish, but 6" discus - actually all large cichlids - definitely seem happier with aeration.

Like others have said, they may not be needed. In my experience, large fish do better with them.

Willie

[pitdogg2]

Yes a power head is definitely adding air into the water but also keep in mind that discus do not like a lot of current

That is a bold statement. In my 2 75gal tanks i used 2 Rena xp3's and a koralia 850 gph power head. So conservatively speaking 1000gph water movement. My pairs and trio laid eggs 1 to 3 times a month and no fertilize problems what so ever. They didn't hide behind anything or try to get into corners above the circulation.

I have had Discus for many many years and not once had any negative affects from circulation.

So just a ballon statement that Discus "don't like" such and such current is far from reality. I have seen many videos of wild Discus in native habitat where you can plainly see very strong river current.

[DISCUS STU]

Run air stones, ALWAYS run air stones. I learned the hard way after a black out when my HOB didn't come back to life and my fish suffocated and died while I was away for four days. The stench of death could be detected from the other side of my apartment door. Lost all my best stuff in the 90 gal.

What does it cost to run an airstone and a pump, which is so beneficial anyway, compared to the potential consequences?

It's never easy to know if you're just at the tipping point if you're not running an airstone. Another example; my 29 gal. breeder with my first brood, beautiful. Threw in some of that Discus Essentials Mineral Formula snake oil crap in the pm before turning in, this was to help my fish, and found in the morning that half the brood had croaked and the parents were gasping at the surface, this crap had an air/oxygen depletion effect. Luckily I was able to save the parents and the rest of the brood with a quick water change.

Conclusion; ALWAYS run airstones!

[White Worm]

Just make sure that your air pump has battery backup. If you lose power, all of the airstones in the world won't help unless your air pump has a battery. The point here is that surface movement is what oxygenates the water. Stones just make big bubbles into small bubbles so it is quieter when they break on the surface. I run sponge filters but not stones. I don't mind the larger bubbles and I think they create more surface agitation than small bubbles. I run canisters and sponges (air bubbles) on my tanks that have large fish or tanks that are overstocked. I also don't buy stock in the fact that discus don't like current.

[bluelagoon]

+ 1 for surface movement and making a greater surface area created from the ripples/bubbles.

[Willie]

The comment on current needs clarification. Obviously small discus, like any small fish, cannot handle big currents. My experience is that large discus love water movement, particularly strong movement from powerheads.

Willie

[White Worm]

I don't know, I have about 150 or so baby angels in a 55g with a canister cascade 1000 full open return and they just swoop on by during feedings and couldn't care less, lol. It really helps with the waste though. Bare-bottom tank and all of the waste collects in one spot at the far end away from the return.

[bluelagoon]

A power head would be almost useless in a fresh water tank if it is near the bottom of the tank and not near the surface and may create a torrent for those smaller fish.Water movement at the surface is important,especially in an over stocked tank.Oxygen does not come for filters,but instead uses the O2 for the BB.Canister filters are ideal for surface movement and the current in my tanks are not that great,even for small fish.The current is only at the surface.

[fishbubbles]

A power head would be almost useless in a fresh water tank if it is near the bottom of the tank and not near the surface and may create a torrent for those smaller fish.Water movement at the surface is important,especially in an over stocked tank.Oxygen does not come for filters,but instead uses the O2 for the BB.Canister filters are ideal for surface movement and the current in my tanks are not that great,even for small fish.The current is only at the surface.

I have a 1,500 GPH powerhead in my 265 gallon tank near the bottom of my tank and have it pointing slightly upwards. My overflows skim water from the surface and the powerhead ensures that there's no static water hanging near the bottom.

[dprais1]

my story....
I have a 46 gallon tank with 3 large discus (6.5-7"), 3 cories, and 6 sarpae tetras, also a dozen or so crypt plants. I run an eheim cannister and an AC 70. Been running this for a while with weekly 70% waterchanges since they are full grown and only feed flakes and pellets.

On wed I did a waterchange and the AC became so noisy when I turned it back on I took it off. This was about noon. Went to bed about 11pm and all looked good, that eheim is packed with cycled filter media.

Woke up to a dead red marlboro which measured 6.75" and all the other fish gasping at the surface.

Added an airstone right away and within an hour they were all back to normal. Except the dead one, he stayed dead.

The eheim was working but how I have it set up it creates close to zero surface agitation.

Do you need an airstone? maybe not, but I now consider it easy insurance.

[NEangler]

My discus seem to be really liking the extra current i've provided them with the powerheads for a couple months now. I use one on each end of the tank. I had a few discus that hung near the back of the tank and seemed a bit shy to join the feeding frenzy before the extra current. It didn't take long for them to contantly move and swim with the others on a constant basis once the current came. Now they are eating like the others. Not too much current to overpower them, but they can certainly handle a gd amount through powerheads and seem to be thriving on it so far ime

[bluelagoon]

my story....
I have a 46 gallon tank with 3 large discus (6.5-7"), 3 cories, and 6 sarpae tetras, also a dozen or so crypt plants. I run an eheim cannister and an AC 70. Been running this for a while with weekly 70% waterchanges since they are full grown and only feed flakes and pellets.

On wed I did a waterchange and the AC became so noisy when I turned it back on I took it off. This was about noon. Went to bed about 11pm and all looked good, that eheim is packed with cycled filter media.

Woke up to a dead red marlboro which measured 6.75" and all the other fish gasping at the surface.

Added an airstone right away and within an hour they were all back to normal. Except the dead one, he stayed dead.

The eheim was working but how I have it set up it creates close to zero surface agitation.

Do you need an airstone? maybe not, but I now consider it easy insurance.

Hi,Those canister filters should be set up so the out take is near the surface,so they can keep the tank oxygenated,then there is no need for an airstone.Airstones will break the surface and are great for sponge filters.

[dprais1]

Hi,Those canister filters should be set up so the out take is near the surface,so they can keep the tank oxygenated,then there is no need for an airstone.Airstones will break the surface and are great for sponge filters.



Agreed. But the tank is drilled with bulkheads and the canister is plumbed to those, creates a very clean look without pipes. The airstone is, in fact, now a part of a sponge filter.

[Neptune]

I always have my sump returns agitate the surface and never run air pumps.
Having returns near the surface and agitate the water is a win/win.

1. they agitate the surface.
2. they siphon-break sooner so you don't get a flood with a back siphon if you lose power to your sump. Of course with a canister that's a mute point.

[avraamp]

What about the PH levels and how the air stones affect these levels?

I have read many articles, forums etc. and as i understand it is good to use an air stone, but this usage increases the PH.
What about if we want to decrease the PH levels?
Is it better for our discus to decrease the ph and break the water surface with a filter for the aeration or use air stones for more safety?

[Paul Sabucchi]

I don't think that there is much difference in the effect on pH between an airstone or surface agitation by the return from a canister filter. You are anyway increasing gas exchanges at the interface between water and air. I also think it is not an issue unless you are using CO2 (a bit controversial anyway in a discus tank), whereby these icreased exchanges will disperse a fair bit of the CO2 you are attempting to put in the water. Ciao

[avraamp]

I don't think that there is much difference in the effect on pH between an airstone or surface agitation by the return from a canister filter. You are anyway increasing gas exchanges at the interface between water and air. I also think it is not an issue unless you are using CO2 (a bit controversial anyway in a discus tank), whereby these icreased exchanges will disperse a fair bit of the CO2 you are attempting to put in the water. Ciao
I do not use co2
I have some easy plants like echinodorus and egeria.
I think there is difference between filter and air stone.
Since I started using air stone the ph increased from 7 to 7,6.

[LizStreithorst]

All I know is that I would love to find a cheap source for the Asian air stones. They cost nothing over there but by the time they get here they cost more than an airstone is worth.

[Filip]

I do not use co2
I have some easy plants like echinodorus and egeria.
I think there is difference between filter and air stone.
Since I started using air stone the ph increased from 7 to 7,6.

Makis , the principal of Oxygenation of the water column I.e. Enriching the water with O2 from the Atmosphere is the same , no matter what you use to achieve that , be it air stone or canister .
The most important air exchange happens Via gas exchange from the surface movement of the water , and not the bubbles from the airstone we see In the water .

PH straight from tap can change, because of the dissolved gasses in the tap water (mainly Co 2 ) , but that's only temporarly (24 hours at most )until it stabilizes .
Once the PH stabilise it should not shift any further .

[avraamp]

Makis , the principal of Oxygenation of the water column I.e. Enriching the water with O2 from the Atmosphere is the same , no matter what you use to achieve that , be it air stone or canister .
The most important air exchange happens Via gas exchange from the surface movement of the water , and not the bubbles from the airstone we see In the water .

PH straight from tap can change, because of the dissolved gasses in the tap water (mainly Co 2 ) , but that's only temporarly (24 hours at most )until it stabilizes .
Once the PH stabilise it should not shift any further .

I totally agree about the surface movement and not the bubbles from the airstone we see in the water that enriches with O2 but if both canister moves the surface and air stone usage the PH may increase more than if only a canister is used.

I have decided to keep the air stone for safety, even if the PH level should be a little higher. On the other hand i believe the PH will drop down after some months due to usage of RO water.

[sayid]

After reading all the comments i have decided to have an air stone even if it only serves as a cheap insurance against a malfunction of filter etc .
About a year ago i found my both prefilters imploded effectively blocked both canisters when i came down in the morning ,all the fish were gasping on the surface and my alpha blue discus 7 inch was head standing in a plant pot even though it was still alive in the morning it eventually died from swim bladder infection .
Thanks every body for reminding me .