Should I put air stones in my tank?

[djsaltynuts]

Thanks for all the info everyone. Looks like it's 60/40 for bubbles or not lol. I'm tempted to do two small sponge filters in the back corners but they take up extra space. I would use air stones to power the filters. But as Rocksor says the filters I have provide enough oxygen for the tank. So it may not be necessary to use air stones and sponge filters on top of the filters I already have. I don't know if I want to spend $50 + on those accessories that I don't have if they are not needed.

if your tank looks natural maybe dont add them. i actually enjoyed looking at the sponge filters when i first got into them but now i cant stand looking at them in my natural scapes. if you have substrate you probably dont need the biological so if anything id do a long airstone and thats just because i like looking at the bubbles. i agree with Rocksor the battery airpump is a much much better buy.

 

[FINWIN]

My fish all love the flow and play in the bubbles...helps them throw off excess energy.

 

[duanes]

It often depends on the species of fish you keep.
If you keep species like Anabantids or other species that come from still water habitat, you probably wouldn't need extra aeration.
If you keep riverine species, or species from highly oxygenated lakes, or Cenotes where the oxygen saturation is also high, extra aeration in the form of air stones may be needed.
If you keep rheophillic species, like cichlids from faster flowing rivers (Tomocichla, Rheoheros, Chuco, Maskaheros, even Vieja), species from surge zones, or those that come from counter current habitats, the addition of powerheads, and other current providing pumps may be needed.
Below is the kind of low rate i use for my Andinoacara, they are simply normal riverine cichlids.
Flow

 

[Ruturaj]

HOB creates flow on top and breaks surface tension, this causes gas exchange, so you really don't need it for more oxygen.

I don't like the look of the bubbles in tank, so I never added one. If you want them aesthetically, go ahead.

 

[Raka]

+1 for airstones in addition to filtration.

Impellers jam way more often then air pumps fail. I would add for a redundancy sake.

 

[jjohnwm]

I have an airline running into every tank and pond I own, all powered by a central pump. I just like the redundancy of having some aeration in each tank in case other filters fail. Airstones provide effective but very gentle water circulation, with no strong directional currents. I almost always use a sponge filter rather than just a naked airstone, and this way I always have extra sponges completely cycled for use in new tanks, hospital tanks, etc.

I make my own sponge filters using Poret foam and PVC or ABS piping, because I'm not in love with seeing the bubbles either. Extending the vertical pipe almost to the surface makes them less visible, and also increases the flow rate you get for the same amount of air.

 

[celebrist]

I also like airstones as well I find they pull gunk from the bottom and get it to the over flow

 

[The Masked Shadow]

I have an HOB on the side of my 55, which creates enough oxygen. But I added a Sponge Filter in the corner. The smallest tetra plays in it, and my del dug a hole under it. Never hurts to get a sponge filter.

Also, what is the difference between an air stone and a sponge filter?

 

[Cich Mind]

Hey The Masked Shadow ,
All I was saying is that you can add an air stone to the sponge filter. Out of the box it says to just add your air line (no air stone) to the sponge filter, this makes large bubbles. I would add an air stone to the filter so it would make many fine bubbles. The fine bubbles are supposed to disperse more air/oxygen into the water. Plus it's a bit quieter with the air stone on the filter. I hope that makes sense lol.