Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Tanks and Equipment => Topic started by: Pixiecatjo on October 31, 2012, 08:15:47 AM

Title: Air stone and pump?
Post by: Pixiecatjo on October 31, 2012, 08:15:47 AM
Hi all, I finally have my Fluval 305 up and running on my Juwel Rio 180, its so nice to have an almost silent filter running, my old filter had an outlet that was a spray bar, the Fluval has an underwater outlet which creates a different current, and i am really liking the way it has changed the look of my tank.
So here's my question because the water surface is not being broken should i look to get an air stone and pump to agitate the water surface? And does anyone know of any that run with less noise? The last one i had a few years ago drove me mad, said it was ' silent running' but it was that loud i took it off!!
Hope all your tanks and fish are good guys!!
Title: Re: Air stone and pump?
Post by: Sue on October 31, 2012, 09:09:24 AM
I've heard that air pumps can be noisy. Rena is the brand I've read is the best on noise grounds. Putting the pump on a towel or suspending it somehow usually reduces the noise, which is mainly cause by it vibrating on a solid surface.

Does the new filter not move the water surface at all?
Title: Re: Air stone and pump?
Post by: Pixiecatjo on October 31, 2012, 09:24:01 AM
Hi thanks Sue, it does move the water surface, but it doesn't cause it to break because the outlet has to be fully submerged and its around 3 inches below the water surface, i always thought to increase the aeration in the water the surface needed to break?
Title: Re: Air stone and pump?
Post by: Sue on October 31, 2012, 09:48:35 AM
We usually say that as you can see the water is moving, that's all. It is possible to keep fish in a tank with no water movement, but you can't keep as many fish in a tank like that - though a tank without water movement wouldn't be filtered either.
Gas exchange takes place where the water meets the air. Oxygen dissolves from the air and carbon dioxide breathed out by the fish leaves the water and goes into the air. If the water surface is still, the same water is in contact with the air all the time and the carbon dioxide has to move through the water to get to the surface, and the oxygen has to move down into the water to get to the fish. If the water circulates in the tank, the surface layer is constantly changing; the oxygen rich old layer is pushed under and the carbon dioxide rich underneath water is brought to the surface. This enables gas exchange to take place much faster and the tank can support more fish. This is one reason an overstocked tank suffers more quickly during a power cut.
So long as your new filter moves the water round the tank, it will be OK. Causing ripples may show the water is moving a bit more vigorously, but the main thing is that the water is moving round the tank. When you feed the fish, what to the bits of food do? If they move along the surface it shows the water is moving. 

If you are still worried, don't stock to the max  :D
Title: Re: Air stone and pump?
Post by: Pixiecatjo on October 31, 2012, 10:24:51 AM
Thanks again Sue, i don't plan on stocking heavily, the water movement kind of threw me i have always had outlets with spray bars, so this looks really different, i like it though.
Title: Re: Air stone and pump?
Post by: Sue on October 31, 2012, 12:37:12 PM
Something just occurred to me while I was out at the optician - are the inlet and outlet pipes close togther or well separated? If they are very close, the water will go straight out of one pipe and into the other. If the two are a distance apart it will create water flow between them.