Benefits of bubbles

[Fernando M.]

Hi,
which ones are the benefits of having an air pumper in the aquarium?
could it make it more pleasant for the fishes or oxigenate water? do
you recomend it?

Thanks.

[Gill Passman]

"Fernando M." > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi,
> which ones are the benefits of having an air pumper in the aquarium?
> could it make it more pleasant for the fishes or oxigenate water? do
> you recomend it?
>
> Thanks.
>

I have aerators in all of my tanks. The main reason I have them is to
oxygenate the water - as the temperatures in the tanks rise in the summer
the oxygen level drops therefore an air brick will supplement this. I found
without them that the fish were starting to suffer from the lack of oxygen
in the water at night - the tanks are all heavily planted.

So yes, I would recommend them.

Gill

[NetMax]

"Gill Passman" <gillspamattaylorpassmanspam.co.uk> wrote in message
.. .
>
> "Fernando M." > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Hi,
>> which ones are the benefits of having an air pumper in the aquarium?
>> could it make it more pleasant for the fishes or oxigenate water? do
>> you recomend it?
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>
> I have aerators in all of my tanks. The main reason I have them is to
> oxygenate the water - as the temperatures in the tanks rise in the
> summer
> the oxygen level drops therefore an air brick will supplement this. I
> found
> without them that the fish were starting to suffer from the lack of
> oxygen
> in the water at night - the tanks are all heavily planted.
>
> So yes, I would recommend them.
>
> Gill


I don't use them in my home tanks as I find the airpump noise annoying.
Similar oxygenation can be obtained with filters, such as orienting your
canister return underwater pointed up, or using a spraybar, also pointed
up at about 45 degrees. The warmer your tanks get, the more useful extra
circulation (oxygenation) is. A bubble wand (airstone, air brick etc)
will (imo) get you a little extra oxygenation, above what you get with
water turbulence from filters, so it's up to you to decide if it's worth
it, but it does work.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[lgb]

In article >,
says...
> I don't use them in my home tanks as I find the airpump noise annoying.
>
I added a bar to a 10 gallon using a Rena airpump. Even though it sits
on a hard surface (kitchen counter) about 15 feet from our bedroom, I
can't hear it when we go to bed and the house is quiet. Even in the
kitchen, the water noise from the turbulence is louder than the hum of
the airpump.

Of course I'm 68 and my hearing may be a little less acute than yours is
:-).

--
BNSF = Build Now, Seep Forever

[Gill Passman]

"NetMax" > wrote in message
...
> "Gill Passman" <gillspamattaylorpassmanspam.co.uk> wrote in message
> .. .
> >
> > "Fernando M." > wrote in message
> > oups.com...
> >> Hi,
> >> which ones are the benefits of having an air pumper in the aquarium?
> >> could it make it more pleasant for the fishes or oxigenate water? do
> >> you recomend it?
> >>
> >> Thanks.
> >>
> >
> > I have aerators in all of my tanks. The main reason I have them is to
> > oxygenate the water - as the temperatures in the tanks rise in the
> > summer
> > the oxygen level drops therefore an air brick will supplement this. I
> > found
> > without them that the fish were starting to suffer from the lack of
> > oxygen
> > in the water at night - the tanks are all heavily planted.
> >
> > So yes, I would recommend them.
> >
> > Gill
>
>
> I don't use them in my home tanks as I find the airpump noise annoying.
> Similar oxygenation can be obtained with filters, such as orienting your
> canister return underwater pointed up, or using a spraybar, also pointed
> up at about 45 degrees. The warmer your tanks get, the more useful extra
> circulation (oxygenation) is. A bubble wand (airstone, air brick etc)
> will (imo) get you a little extra oxygenation, above what you get with
> water turbulence from filters, so it's up to you to decide if it's worth
> it, but it does work.
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>
>

I actually do both. I keep the air pump at the opposite end of the tank to
the inlet valve on the filter. Mine are actually not too bad noise wise - I
notice the computer fans more than the noise from the air pump

Gill

[John >]

"Fernando M." > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi,
> which ones are the benefits of having an air pumper in the aquarium?
> could it make it more pleasant for the fishes or oxigenate water? do
> you recomend it?
>
> Thanks.
>
I don't have air bubbles in any of the aquariums. Besides the filter
action, I have power heads at the top of each tank to keep the surface area
agitated. I was told somewhere that 98% of the oxygen transfer is at the
surface, and by creating a ripple effect, the surface area increases
exponentially (big word) and no one makes bubbles in a lake except scuba
divers and bean eaters!

On the other hand, the bait tanks have so much air bubbling the turbulence
keeps the fish stirred and rotating in the tank. The biggest difference is
60,000 minnows in 40 gallons of water, versus 1" of fish per gallon in an
aquarium.

IMO, For the most part, bubbles in an aquarium are just aesthetically
pleasing, unless they are keeping the surface agitated.

JOhn ><>

[coolchinchilla]

John ><> wrote:
> IMO, For the most part, bubbles in an aquarium are just aesthetically
> pleasing, unless they are keeping the surface agitated.

Yep. I have an air pump mostly because I think it's aesthetically
pleasing. It is relaxing.

coolchinchilla

[coolchinchilla]

NetMax wrote:
>
> I don't use them in my home tanks as I find the airpump noise annoying.

For air pump noise I've heard some interesting solutions. In one
article the guy drilled holes through his wall/floor into his
garage. He threaded an air tube through the hole and kept his air
pump running in the garage. LOL! A less dramatic solution was to
place the air pump on a sponge -- kitchen sponge or car wash sponge.

coolchinchilla

[steven bruce]

Hi

Apart from making pretty bubbles I think there are several benefits.
Tap water has dissolved oxygen (DO) levels of around 6 - 7 ppm in the UK
which is enough to support aquatic species but levels need to remain
consistent.
Oxygen in the water is not only consumed by the fish but also by beneficial
aerobic bacteria.
Oxygen deficit has been known to effect the rate of fish metabolism and
lessen their resistance to organic and inorganic chemicals.
If like myself you tend to overfeed high Phosphate and nitrate levels can
increase along with the chance of algal blooms, these can deplete Oxygen
levels in their own right needing more aeration and frequent water changes.
If your water smells similar to rotten eggs then its most likely Hydrogen
Sulphide which can be eliminated by aeration.

As long as you have enough water movement on the surface of your tank where
the oxygen takes place then there is no need for an air. The above are just
a few benefits of (DO) dissolved oxygen in your tank.

Steve

"Fernando M." > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi,
> which ones are the benefits of having an air pumper in the aquarium?
> could it make it more pleasant for the fishes or oxigenate water? do
> you recomend it?
>
> Thanks.
>

[NetMax]

"coolchinchilla" > wrote in message
...
> NetMax wrote:
>>
>> I don't use them in my home tanks as I find the airpump noise
>> annoying.
>
> For air pump noise I've heard some interesting solutions. In one
> article the guy drilled holes through his wall/floor into his garage.
> He threaded an air tube through the hole and kept his air pump running
> in the garage. LOL! A less dramatic solution was to place the air
> pump on a sponge -- kitchen sponge or car wash sponge.
>
> coolchinchilla

You would laugh if you saw some of the contraptions which I've built for
airpumps. When I started with aquariums, almost every filter ran off of
air. My external powerfilters either had an airstone in the return pipe,
or somewhere in a long hose which reached the floor.

In one case, I built a small cabinet, double walled (like a safe), with
sound absorbing material hanging inside, a diaper-like contraption
hanging down with a Super Crown airpump in it. What did I learn?
Airlines hum, airstones hum, airpumps without adequate circulation get
too hot and hot diaphragms wear out faster when pumping down 2 feet of
water.

I know the technology is much better now, but when the magnetic impeller
assembly was invented, I felt like the gas engine just replaced the
horse, and I was hanging up my buggy-whip ;~).

When I do buy another airpump, it will probably be some sort of rotary
piston job which I'll keep in the workshop, and it will be for many more
aquariums than I have now.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Gill Passman]

"NetMax" > wrote in message
...
> "coolchinchilla" > wrote in message
> ...
> > NetMax wrote:
> >>
> >> I don't use them in my home tanks as I find the airpump noise
> >> annoying.
> >
> > For air pump noise I've heard some interesting solutions. In one
> > article the guy drilled holes through his wall/floor into his garage.
> > He threaded an air tube through the hole and kept his air pump running
> > in the garage. LOL! A less dramatic solution was to place the air
> > pump on a sponge -- kitchen sponge or car wash sponge.
> >
> > coolchinchilla
>
> You would laugh if you saw some of the contraptions which I've built for
> airpumps. When I started with aquariums, almost every filter ran off of
> air. My external powerfilters either had an airstone in the return pipe,
> or somewhere in a long hose which reached the floor.
>
> In one case, I built a small cabinet, double walled (like a safe), with
> sound absorbing material hanging inside, a diaper-like contraption
> hanging down with a Super Crown airpump in it. What did I learn?
> Airlines hum, airstones hum, airpumps without adequate circulation get
> too hot and hot diaphragms wear out faster when pumping down 2 feet of
> water.
>
> I know the technology is much better now, but when the magnetic impeller
> assembly was invented, I felt like the gas engine just replaced the
> horse, and I was hanging up my buggy-whip ;~).
>
> When I do buy another airpump, it will probably be some sort of rotary
> piston job which I'll keep in the workshop, and it will be for many more
> aquariums than I have now.
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>
>
The ones that I have are Hydor Ario air pumps. The pumps are actually in the
tank - at very most they sound like coffee perculators - but that is just
the bubbles and I rarely hear them over the ambient noise in the house. I
tried an external one once and the noise drove me nuts.

Gill

[Dick]

On 16 Jul 2005 03:56:47 -0700, "Fernando M."
> wrote:

>Hi,
>which ones are the benefits of having an air pumper in the aquarium?
>could it make it more pleasant for the fishes or oxigenate water? do
>you recomend it?
>
>Thanks.

I recently stopped my bubblers in my 5 tanks. The glass/plastic hood
cover over the bubbles get green slime which had to be cleaned every
month. I don't like the problem. I first turned off the bubbler in
my 75 gallon tank to see if the tank is over loaded. Not much of an
experiment! <g>

Since the fish behaviour didn't change, I assumed I didn't need the
air in the tank and could avoid the slime build up and I certainly
don't miss the pump noise.

I noticed that the flake food still spreads widely from the 2 Penguin
330s out flow. I removed the bio wheels well over 6 months ago.

I can easily see advantages to no air bubbler, but still wonder if I
am over looking advantages.

dick

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

Fernando M. wrote:

> Hi,
> which ones are the benefits of having an air pumper in the aquarium?
> could it make it more pleasant for the fishes or oxigenate water? do
> you recomend it?

The bubbles from the air pump caus additional agitation of the water
surface, this allows oxygen to be dissolved into the water (so it's
_not_ the air bubble from which most of the oxygen gets dissolved). The
same effect can be reached by directing the filter output to the water
surface and - during day time - by life plants.

The noise from the air pump can be limited by hanging it from threads so
that it has no mechanical contact to anything that could resonate.

What I was worried about was the effect of the noise of the air bubbles
on the lateral organ of fishes, this must be like a constantly running
jack hammer for them. Not sure how big the problem really is, but I have
stopped running mine, though it's still connected for emergencies.

[NetMax]

"Gill Passman" <gillspamattaylorpassmanspam.co.uk> wrote in message
.. .
>
> "NetMax" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "coolchinchilla" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > NetMax wrote:
>> >>
>> >> I don't use them in my home tanks as I find the airpump noise
>> >> annoying.
>> >
>> > For air pump noise I've heard some interesting solutions. In one
>> > article the guy drilled holes through his wall/floor into his garage.
>> > He threaded an air tube through the hole and kept his air pump running
>> > in the garage. LOL! A less dramatic solution was to place the air
>> > pump on a sponge -- kitchen sponge or car wash sponge.
>> >
>> > coolchinchilla
>>
>> You would laugh if you saw some of the contraptions which I've built for
>> airpumps. When I started with aquariums, almost every filter ran off of
>> air. My external powerfilters either had an airstone in the return pipe,
>> or somewhere in a long hose which reached the floor.
>>
>> In one case, I built a small cabinet, double walled (like a safe), with
>> sound absorbing material hanging inside, a diaper-like contraption
>> hanging down with a Super Crown airpump in it. What did I learn?
>> Airlines hum, airstones hum, airpumps without adequate circulation get
>> too hot and hot diaphragms wear out faster when pumping down 2 feet of
>> water.
>>
>> I know the technology is much better now, but when the magnetic impeller
>> assembly was invented, I felt like the gas engine just replaced the
>> horse, and I was hanging up my buggy-whip ;~).
>>
>> When I do buy another airpump, it will probably be some sort of rotary
>> piston job which I'll keep in the workshop, and it will be for many more
>> aquariums than I have now.
>> --
>> www.NetMax.tk
>>
>>
> The ones that I have are Hydor Ario air pumps. The pumps are actually in
> the
> tank - at very most they sound like coffee perculators - but that is just
> the bubbles and I rarely hear them over the ambient noise in the house. I
> tried an external one once and the noise drove me nuts.
>
> Gill


Try putting your ear against the glass to appreciate how noisy or quiet it
is in there.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Elaine T]

Dr Engelbert Buxbaum wrote:
> Fernando M. wrote:
>
>
>>Hi,
>>which ones are the benefits of having an air pumper in the aquarium?
>>could it make it more pleasant for the fishes or oxigenate water? do
>>you recomend it?
>
>
> The bubbles from the air pump caus additional agitation of the water
> surface, this allows oxygen to be dissolved into the water (so it's
> _not_ the air bubble from which most of the oxygen gets dissolved). The
> same effect can be reached by directing the filter output to the water
> surface and - during day time - by life plants.
>
> The noise from the air pump can be limited by hanging it from threads so
> that it has no mechanical contact to anything that could resonate.
>
> What I was worried about was the effect of the noise of the air bubbles
> on the lateral organ of fishes, this must be like a constantly running
> jack hammer for them. Not sure how big the problem really is, but I have
> stopped running mine, though it's still connected for emergencies.

Probably not too different from living in rapids. Many of our pets are
riverine in the wild.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[blank]

>
> Try putting your ear against the glass to appreciate how noisy or
> quiet it is in there.

Do fish have good hearing? (Serious question)

[NetMax]

"blank" > wrote in message
...
>
>>
>> Try putting your ear against the glass to appreciate how noisy or
>> quiet it is in there.
>
> Do fish have good hearing? (Serious question)

Yes, very good, though I'm including their lateral line receptors in the
term 'hearing'. Also I'm considering their range of hearing (lower
frequencies?) appropriate to their environment, and not our hearing range.
It's all vibrations in the water, in which their true ears distinguish and
identify sound like ours, and their lateral line detects point of origin and
magnitude of the vibrations. Considering they can 'see' and hunt at night
with these senses, there's an assumption of a significant level of
sensitivity.

I don't believe audio travels very well through air and then through water
(vibrations work better through mechanical contact), but many ponders would
be able to tell you that their fish respond according to the voice they
hear. They show less reservation about approaching the person if they
identify their voice as their regular feeder, and will sometimes disappear
if they hear a stranger's voice. I don't think my hearing is that good
under water, so their hearing is much better than mine ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

blank wrote:

> Do fish have good hearing? (Serious question)

Fish "hear" with rows of mechano-receptors on their sides, the "lateral
organ". This is very sensitive and used by fishes to find prey or
partner and avoid predators even in murky water. Water is an excelent
conductor of sound, and any movement will cause "sound"waves.