So I've grown up in the hobby using "bubble bars/bubble curtains" for providing extra oxygen to my fish. I understand circulation fans can also be use instead to cause surface agitation to mix O2 in at the surface while also distributing nutrients through out the water and pushing debris into the filter intake. In saltwater I only see the use of power head filters and fans. Is there a reason why no one uses air stones in their saltwater aquariums? I just fear my filter and a fan won't oxygenate the water enough and the live stock will suffer. Also, I should note if I use an air stone instead of a circulation fan it would be coupled with a sponge filter for extra removal of fine particles from the aquarium floor and be placed opposite the filter. So 2 benefits in one. My tank will have few to little corals so it's mainly inverts and fish if that makes a difference.
Air Stone or Circulation Fan?
- Thread starter Megumi05
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donnievaz
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Air stones leave salt creep all over the place. It's a huge hassle to deal with.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aquariummaintenancecare/a/aasaltcreep.htm
Rob Lion
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Most people run a protein skimmer in their marine setups, that pump a lot more air though the water than an air pump/stone would achieve. You can add an air pump/stone too, but its impact will be small.
The second issue is again most people don't want to see air bubbles in their display tanks.
The second issue is again most people don't want to see air bubbles in their display tanks.
Megumi05
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Thank you Donnievaz. That makes a lot of sense! I know my air bar in my freshwater tank spits lime deposits and floating food into the air, where it makes my canopy so grungy. I know how to remove years of caked on thick calcium, lime, etc deposits from Freshwater aquariums, but you're right a hassle and it's gonna happen more with saltwater. So if I'm going to use an air stone of any sorts I should set it beneath some rocks to act as a breaking ledge so it doesn't spit water up in the air so much. I'm probably going to just use a circulation fan since that's the norm and it does circulate better and saltwater fish don't seem to mind the current. Does just it churning the water oxygenate it as in all the tanks I seen it just creates gentle ripples across the surface and I can't imagine that's causing a lot of O2 to mix in at the surface? Some tanks I notice even have the highest placed fan a foot below the surface.
donnievaz
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Any movement at the waters surface is all you need. Point your circulation pump towards the surface and you'll be good. Even if you put air stones under ledges the bubbles pop and spray at the surface leaving creep.
ksfulk
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Generall, the air stone itself provides very little extra O2 into the water, it is the bubbles breaking at the surface of the water that provides the gas exchange. As several people have mentioned, you get this effect over a much large surface area with a circulation pump pushing water at the surface of your tank, with much less mess. Air stone are nice for adding some additional air, but the benefit is not nearly as pronouced as quality water flow at the surface of the aquarium.
Megumi05
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Circulation pump/fan it is then. Pretty inexpensive piece of equipment so I can't complain. I'll sell off an extra aerator then just to make back a little of what I put into the fan. Can someone give me link to a good photo or preferably video example of good placement/angling of a circulation pump? I have a good idea of how people place them that it just skims the surface creating a gentle ripple without splashing. Still I'd like to see/hear it from you guys.
SaltEverywhere
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Here is my experience with a bubble curtain. I also started the hobby back when those were universal equipment. So naturally I put one in my tank again when I resurrected it after a 20 year break from aquaria, and before I read about the increased salt creep, unsightly microbubble production, and relative little contribution to oxygenation that they produce. Meanwhile, about six years ago I introduced a clown fish that uses the bubbles as a surrogate anemone and looks lost and "Finding Nemo" sad if the bubbles go off, so I have felt compelled to continue running the airstone and can therefore speak from experience. Placement of the airstone has made all the difference. My original 50 gal acrylic tank had spaces at the top through which the popping bubbles released their spray and the salt buildup was pretty messy. I upgraded to a 150 gallon tank with the return overflow box on one end. I put the airstone between the front glass and the black box and then aimed one of the return nozzles along the top of the water toward the bubble sheet. The bubbles rise to the glass lip surrounding the top of the tank so bursting does not release spray outside the tank. The water flow toward the bubbles cause most of them to go into the overflow which I have also covered. There's a little extra cleanup, but in exchange I have vertical flow of water toward the filter, a clownfish that isn't ticked off at me, and maybe a little more oxygen in the tank. Aesthetically, even though the bubble wall is a little '80's, I think it looks better than the plain black overflow box it is masking. Will I keep it after the clownfish passes? Maybe not, but It isn't such a horrible thing to have so don't feel bad about considering one.
