Is air good or bad

[salt-e]

Is air good or bad for a reef tank i was thinking of putting a small air stone under my gravel just for looks is that ok
thanks
Salt-e

 

[simm]

It can harm corals. The air bubbles can get lodged into an oral cavity and rupture. Kinda like an anuresum in a human. But Im not sure of the precintage of it happening.

 

[guppie]

Are you running a skimmer? If so then you don't need to add anymore air, the skimmer will supply all you need.

 

[saltyrich]

Simm is right. Bad.

 

[slick]

I agree that they (air bubbles in the tank) are bad. I believe I read somewhere that fish can be scared from them. When my return pump sucks air all my fish hide.

 

[jlem]

I ran a bubble wall across the back of my 90 for about a year and really liked how it looked on low output. It also was conveinient if power ever went out to just plug the airline into a battery powered airpump to keep water circulation. With the air turned up all the way their was so much current it was rediculous. If you don't put the airstone under the corrals then it won't hurt anything. My fish actually used to swim through the bubbles after they got used to them. My shrimp would try to catch the bubbles to. it really was fun to watch. Just make sure to have a good top to keep salt off of stuff. How a skimmer would supply more air into a tank I don't understand, unless you adjust your skimmer to pour bubbles into your tank and then you defeat the purpose of the skimmer. Air bubbles don't put any oxygen into the tank. The bubbles move water up to the surface where gas exchange takes place. I have stopped using the bubble wall for no other purpose than I wanted the tank without bubbles for a while. Occasionally though I will turn on the air for a day or two if I feel like it. One benefit is that it does pull water through the rocks and helps prevent dead spots, but a powerhead in a back corner will do the same thing.

 

[bigbonedee]

Low output big bubbles are ok for looks.

 

[surfnturf]

Skimmers do disolve oxygen into the water and drive off CO2. Any water surface will absorb oxygen, bubbles are no different than the the water surface in the tank.