Question about aeration

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
M

Maac

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 18, 2009
12
0
0
NE Ohio
I remember watching a video a while back and unfortunately I cannot remember where I had seen it however basically it said that the only efficient manner of increasing the amount of saturated oxygen in your aquarium was to use air pumps/air stones. Not by having the return of your filter break the surface of the water to increase agitation.

The reasoning behind this was that all of the aerobic bacteria in your media is using oxygen for the nitrogen cycle, so when the water reenters your aquarium it's not necessarily increasing the total amount of saturated oxygen in the tank just re-oxygenating back to what it was before the bacteria used it.

Now there are numerous other beneficial reasons for having an agitated surface, I'm just curious if there is any merit to this or not? I guess in theory it makes sense but I don't know if there is a way to measure the amount of oxygen in water and if the aerobic bacteria is using exactly the amount of oxygen that would be redistributed to the aquarium via the filter agitating the surface.

Any info would be great!
 
I think that would all depend on the type of filter and how much surface agitation was happening. If you have a HOB filter, they carry a relatively small bacteria count, while disturbing the water nicely, eveny dropping regular air bubbles down into the water column. While Canister filter (like eheims) can be setup to do very little surface agitation. I have many tanks and only a few have bubblers. So if the filters were only giving back enough o2 to replace what was used by the bacteria, it seems all my fish would have suffocated long ago. It stands to reason that filters are not the best or most reliant source of o2 but they add o2 via surface agitation.
 
Play it safe

I would rather have too much agitation and oxygen than the bacteria need
than too little agitation and risk suffocation my fishes.
 
On both of my 20s, I have Penguin bio wheels (HOB Filters), and they have worked fine. No air stones needed, as they provide more then enough surface agitation. But when I upgrade to a larger tank, I will be getting an air stone, as the longer the tank, the more dead spots in the water.
 
I over-filter my water, and also have at least a stone, if not a bar, aeration on all my tanks. Just want to be safe.:D *Wish there was an easy way we could test our own water for oxygen level, hey?
 
Thanks for all the input guys :)

I have wet/drys on all my tanks as well as at least one air stone, but I was just curious what others thought on the subject.

I'm sure there is a way to test to see how much oxygen is in your aquarium however it's probably something that is not that simple.
 
Hey, just 'googled' "test for oxygen in aquarium?", they do have them. I guess I never saw these at the lfs before though. Good to know that they are available. :D
 
Gruntking;5164574; said:
I just took the air stone out of my tank and replaced it with a marineland powerhead that has an air valve to release air into the water as well!

The PH was $30 and works as circulation fan, powerhead, or fully submersible pump!

I just leave the oxygen on a couple times a day and thats that! No more loud airator.
http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_Wa...xi-Jet-Pro-Multi-Use-Water-Pumps.html?tc=fish
Click to expand...

I have one of those as well but I do still keep a small airstone in the tank that runs 100% of the time - even during WCs.
 
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