do you need a bubbler

[Jag0eats0xxxTroll]

I have a double bubbler its extremely loud. its a 125 gal. most of my fish have been acting weird lately so i shut the bubbler off. ive been shutting it off at night lately and only turning it on during water changes. anyway i just shut the bubbler off now and i notice my half grown jag isn't in hiding anymore he is active and chasing fish. everyone looks more chill and happy only thing is some of my fish are itching their bodys on things. water parameters are good and the temp is at 80 im running two fluvals. what could this itchin be and are they okay without the bubbler?

 

[ragin_cajun]

What 2 Fluvals are you running? Do you have ammonia/nitrite/nitrate readings? I don't run a bubbler right now, but I did about a month ago when MY fish started itching against things.... It turned out my fish caught the ich so I bumped the water temp up to 87 degrees for about a month til the ich was gone. I thought I needed a bubbler with high water temp like that, but I probably didn't. Look very carefully at your fish while they're swimming, see if you see any little white dots on their pectoral fins. Are any of them trying to shake the little white things off their fins that's what mine were doing. Like you, I have turned off my air pump, but I have an oversize canister in my tank, and a lot of water movement.

 

[ehh]

i have one in all my tanks.... i personally like the way it looks. they make little to no noise.

 

[jiant2520]

I have two in my big tank and most all of my tanks have had them, but no you do not need one. As mentioned check your fish for little white dots... it will look like salt grains on your fish (the ick). Good luck!!

 

[Davis102613]

It's all just personal preference if you have proper filtration/water movement really, I've had tanks with and without them ranging from 20 to 140 and noticed no difference.

+1 to possibly the start of ick

 

[duanes]

I don't use air pump aerators in any of my tanks, but I do use strong water pumps that provide plenty of surface agitation, and venturi tubes to promote gas exchange.

 

[Jag0eats0xxxTroll]

yeah i think they do have a little ick so im bumpin the temps probly not gonna use a bubbler no more either the fluval 306's should be enough movement. thanks guys