Air Stones in the SW tank

tgolbus

tgolbus

Member
Is it a good idea to have air stones in a saltwater tank? If you don't have one what do you need to do to keep the oxygen level up?
I have a 26G bowfront with NO Fuge or sump. I have a hang on filter with about 40 lbs of live rock, 1 clown, 2 crabs, snalis.
I currently have an airstone and was told that may not be the best idea.
 
acez28

acez28

Member
i posted a question similar to this a while ago. I just figured to use my return pump to do it. I bought this centipede type thingamabob to add to the end of my return hose and aimed it right at the water surface and it makes the whole tank ripple.
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
Usually a hang on filter will just move water on the top part of the tank, I would get at least one small powerhead to circulate water in the bottom half of the tank, it will cut down on dead spots on the sand.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Feel free to correct me if I am wrong but.
An airstone in the tank is not the worst idea. Sponges would not like it as they can't take the open air or air bubbles very well. However before the lights come on your oxegen level is at its lowest in the morning. As the photoperiod goes on longer the oxygen content of the water will increase and the carbon dioxide will lower and the photosynthetic organisms will consume the CO2. Your PH will follow this, in the morning it will be low and during the day it will rise, this is also why most people will add their buffers in the moring forcing the ph to rise upward even further. When the lights go off the PH goes down due to the rise in CO2 levels. This is where a skimmer running at night will help to oxygenate the water and slows the PH swing, also keeping your Cal and Alk in line and constant will help.
If I read correctly in your case without sump or protien skimmer a bubbler would not be a bad Idea at night and might help.
Thomas
What about it Bang Guy am I off base here? Yes I've been studying.
 
S

simm

Guest

Originally posted by TGolbus
I currently have an airstone and was told that may not be the best idea.
If your going reef its a bad idea. The bubbles can get lodged into corals oral cavity and rupture like a human aneurisium.
 
kinetic180

kinetic180

Member
When I first started my tank I used a bubble wall and I found out something very interesting: amphipods and copedpods love this! Where my bubble wall was hanging a thick mat of hair algae grew (and stayed only in this one spot-as I didn't clean it) and you could visibly see a whole city of pods. When I went to clean it off and get rid of the bubble wall a whole lot of pods went scrambling everyone in my tank trying to find a new home.
I believe the pods loved to live in the algae.
Just an observation.
Jen
 
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