On Apr 20, 6:02*pm, Sconad wrote:
i'm sure i'll get jumped for asking what some will see as a dumb
question, but how many of you use an aerator? *how absolutely necessary
is it?

Hard to say, but I sure have not used any aerators in years and years
in a tropical fish setup. I use mainly hob type filters and as long as
they stir up or agitate the top surface of the water its always been
just fine, plus the fact I do not overload my systems. Overloaded
systems will benefit with additional aeration, but it just does not
seem to be a vital factor like it used to be years back. If I want
additional water movement, I add a power head for current flow or to
agitate or mix up water, and fish seem to enjoy it better than a
typical air powered device. Then again to each his own, as there is a
lot of foks that still like seeing a wall of bubbles or a treasure
chest or deep sea diver blowing out bubbles.