Bubbles, Always On? Or Off At Night?

Hi Paddyc, Personally I have my bubbles come on from 12:00 till 21:00, this btw is not something I've read about somewhere, just my theory, so take with a pinch of salt!...
I do this in an attempt to provide my plants with some CO2.  CO2 will build up in a tank over time as the fish respire and air bubbles function are to break the waters surface so to encourage gaseous exchange (whether that be to add or take gasses from the water dependent on the comparative concentration in the air and water) so...
In my tank therefore, CO2 builds overnight from fish respiration, drops after the lights are switched on as the plants use it during photosynthesis (generally plants will use up CO2 in a 4 hour period in this way, some keepers use x2 4 hour lighting periods for this reason) levels are then balanced with the outside air do the remainder of the day.
I hope that makes sense, just my way of doing things!
I have previously had the aeration on 24hrs and it just seemed a bit wasteful imo.

Probably more just a theory... but the plants do seem to be doing a bit better, the vallis especially.

Airstone bubblers are a complete waste of time and money ...

Whilst I agree that they're not necessary, they're neither a waste of time or money for those people that like the way they look.

I think sometimes the fish seem to like it as well. I've had air stones in my tanks previously and noticed the fish swimming through the bubbles. Whether that's more a "swimming against the water flow" thing or the bubbles I don't know. Since removing the air stones and changing the way the spray bars on the filters are set up I still occasionally see the danios and the dwarf puffers apparently playing in the flow/bubbles created. I guess it's not a bad thing to offer the tank inhabitants some alternative entertainment. 

As usual, each to their own. My preference is for everything to look as natural as possible, hence for me bubbles fall into the same category as "ornaments". I've painted the backs and sides (on the outside of course) of all of my tanks black so that you can't see anything through the glass behind them. Another advantage is that black internal filters are virtually invisible against the black background. Heaters are hidden behind plants and bogwood. If algae grows on my plants, wood or rocks, I just leave it, I've yet to find a natural water body that doesn't contain algae, just a part of nature. As are snails, which I leave to multiply or decline as conditions dictate. They increase until they reduce the algae and then numbers decrease again as their food supply becomes less.
You may not be surprised to learn that my garden is much the same, I leave my plants (all perennials) to fight it out among themselves, some win, some lose.

Welcome, Mussoda! 

Totally agree with Richard re the comments about black backgrounds. I recently changed the black background to blue - in retrospect, the black was better for the very reasons Richard mentions. The blue looked better in the shop, and possibly for a decor-free tank, but black disguises the filter and heater and looked better as a background for the colourful silk plants whereas now it all looks a little too colourful (but may look less so if I gradually start replacing the silk plants with real ones).

When it comes to bubbles, it is all personal preference as it's more a visual thing. Bubbles will add oxygen to the water, but not through the bubbles themselves, but by the agitation they cause on the surface. Therefore, if you have your filter outlet agitating the water on the surface, you don't need bubbles as this will cause the gas exchange.

With regards to a planted tank, you don't want to be adding unnecessary oxygen to the water, as the plants will use up the CO2 within 4 hours of lights on, as Mussoda and Matt pointed out. In my planted tank I'm currently on a 4 hours on, 4 hours off, 4 hours on, 12 hours off schedule, but when I start CO2 injection I'll have a more normal day period of 8 hours.

My otos seem to like playing in the bubbles in the tank they're in and I added an airstone strip to the 200l after I added the stiphs because Seriously Fish website recommends it.

I've so many plants in the 200l it'd be invisible, my 12 bar sits in 2 pebbles at the back and you cant see it. Sorely tempted by ones of those though Paddy, an ebay purchase?

I've so many plants in the 200l it'd be invisible, my 12 bar sits in 2 pebbles at the back and you cant see it. Sorely tempted by ones of those though Paddy, an ebay purchase?

Yip, good old fleabay, I assume by 12 bar you mean 12 inch? The £4.20 one I bought is 60cm so double the length...