I feel I may have offended and that was not my intention. I apologize if that is the case. I was not attempting to discredit your advice or the advice of others. You've been very helpful and I appreciate that. I'm also not disputing that anyone would argue oxygenation is important or that surface agitation is important. Agreed that is foundational and frankly I was not even close to having enough. I'm the beginner and I own my mistakes. Agreed it's a learning curve in the hobby and painful one at times. Information and understanding is rapidly changing to the point that there's really not even an up to date book available on a shelf somewhere that teaches you the ins and outs.
I spend hours weekly reading, listening to podcasts, and watching YouTube videos in an attempt to learn and improve. It has not been my experience that the study findings are foundational. I have had the same experience as the 2005 author which is to say that I see people often say one thing or another, but they don't back it up with data and it has to be taken at face value. Sadly the consensus advice I find I've found is that at most you need a few powerheads pointed at the surface which perhaps works for some or many tanks. I've never come across a reefer who is running an air stone everyday or night. I'm not saying they are not out there, I just haven't come across it. Similarly when it comes to protein skimmers I find a lot of love for them, but it's all based around their core function of removing dissolved organics. I don't find them being pitched as a live saving necessary device for nano tanks. I find them being called out as great optional upgrades to cutdown on water changes.
The finding that air stones and skimmers both out performed a powerhead in terms of increasing oxygen are also contrary to what I've read. I'm not saying no one says it, but I am saying it's not the consensus that I've run into. Air stones are typically called out as emergency measures for power outages, during a QT, etc. Basically solving a short term problem not a long term one. I've also seen quite a few people argue their relative ineffectiveness in comparison a powerhead for oxygenation.
I'm not saying you or anyone else who has chimed in to help me does or doesn't know these things. What I am saying is that if these things are true they are not being broadcasted widely enough to the point that they're covered in a basic setup guide for a nano tank and I would argue they should be if the study findings are accurate. I would love to see this information shared more broadly so that amateurs like myself can benefit from it.
