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Air stones and water flow!


Caper

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Okay, I know that airstones create surface movement.

Ohhhhhh darn, don't know how to put this...it's right on the tip of my tongue :P can you read it???

Filters create water flow, right yes or no? The larger the filter, the more flow, right yes/no? So does adding an airstone, no matter the kind or the size of the pump create more flow?

Caper :-? :-? :-?

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An airstone will increase water flow in a limited way. Filters create more flow as they are more powerful and as they our the water back into the tank it creates a flow. Some filters have their return pipes under the water surface so the flow isn't seen so much on the surface. If the filter returns water at, or above the water surface, it creates more flow. Airstones create flow as the bubbles break the surface but to a much more limited degree.

I think you are getting flow mixed up with increasing oxygen content. If you have a filter, or airstone, creating waves on the surface, you are increasing the water surface area and the amount of oxygen exchange.

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snookie wrote:

on a hang on filter is the water flow under water , or is water breaking the surface ?

Oh my gosh, had to go look at my filters :oops: :-?

I'll try to explain...the bottom "lip" if you will, where the water is flowing back into the tank is just below the surface but I do keep my water levels in the tank high. So, is that what you mean by the water flow under water?

Just to make a point I guess, if I'm doing a water change and don't turn off the filter then the lower the water in the tank the harder the water is hitting from the filter, therefore creating more flow??

Oh my gosh, I didn't mean for this to get complicated :-? :oops:

Caryl wrote:

If you have a filter, or airstone, creating waves on the surface, you are increasing the water surface area and the amount of oxygen exchange.

Yes, I understand that Caryl, but does it, OH DARN, what am I trying to say :o :-? okay, some fish don't like too much current (is that the same as flow :-? ) say by a filter that is much too big for the tank...does adding an airstone cause the same effect???

Vison wrote:

I put my air stone in the corner behind my spray bar, the rising bubbles push the water in the same direction as the bar, this increases the flow noticeably

Because of its location?

Sorry soooo confusing :( :-?

Caper

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I believe "flow" and "current" refer to the same thing.

If your filter outlet is disturbing the surface, if it is creating ripples, then it is increasing gas exchange. Adding an air stone increases oxygen a small amount, but the bubbles cause ripples thus increasing gas exchange also.

Some fish do like a slow flow, others a stronger flow. You can alter the strength by positioning the filter outlet mid tank, or near the side, or by planting tall plants in front of the outlet, or by placing a piece of wood in front of the outlet.

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Okay, I know that airstones create surface movement.

Ohhhhhh darn, don't know how to put this...it's right on the tip of my tongue :P can you read it???

Filters create water flow, right yes or no? The larger the filter, the more flow, right yes/no? So does adding an airstone, no matter the kind or the size of the pump create more flow?

Caper :-? :-? :-?

my filter creates heaps of flow is that good?

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thats in a ar980 tank, you could see the tank flow was amazing, i didnt get a full tank shot but the bubbles were doing the full length of the tank, and the ammount of water movment within the tank was a turnover of water every 3secs or sumthng like tht

edit to remove typo that was a bad word, sorry

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Any sort of filter, water pump or airstone will create some sort of current or flow.

The amount depends on how strong the pump (to use just one word to cover all options) is. A really strong air pump can stir up the water more than a weak filter, and vice versa.

The surface agitation is not a huge part of aeration. The most important thing is the water being moved around so it all gets near the surface where the gas exchange happens. The surface agitation helps to prevent scum building up on the surface, which hampers gas exchange.

Think lungs. Your heart (the pump) needs to move blood (water) around your body (tank) so it all gets to the lungs (surface) so oxygen can enter and carbon dioxide can exit. If there is poor circulation there won't be much dissolved oxygen. If there is surface scum (think a smoker's lungs!) there will be less surface for the oxygen to dissolve through.

That may not have been what you were after...

If you think there is too much agitation but plenty of filtration there are ways to dampen the flow from a filter. Aim the outlet at the wall, at a rock, at (strong) plants, put on a long spray bar (so you are not just turning it into a set of strong jets) or tell your fish to stop being such wusses! ;)

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I believe "flow" and "current" refer to the same thing

Thanks that does help...couldn't think of anything but flow :oops:

So then, example Gannet's air stone (NASSAU type :o :lol: ) it will certainly cause more surface movement, but my question is does that mean there is more "current" for the fish to deal with OR does the air stone just affect the surface itself?? Anybody know what I'm trying to say, I AM confusing aren't I :oops: :o

Caper

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OH MY GOSH, I am so glad right now that I live on the other side of the world or else you folks might want to kill me :oops: :oops:

The airstone would be more just surface and unless it was really forcing oput the bubbles I doubt it would upset any fish

I think that's the bottom line Caryl of what I was trying to figure out. Does adding an airstone, except for the extreme Nassau type like gannet's :lol: :lol: , cause more "current" than fishies would like, so to speak, and if it mostly just affected the surface of the water, which it sounds like it does!!!!!

THANK ALL for your help by the way :bow::bow::bow:

Caper

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mankeycow...I hope you know I was only joking :lol: :lol:

This reminds me of the time there was a parent's session at our high school, and the gentleman that was conducting it was saying about all the things we tell our kids...such as...Oh, I'm going to kill you; touch that again and I'll cut your fingers off; you are NEVER going out again, etc. It was so funny as we all sat there saying "oh, I've said that!" :o :lol: :lol:

Caper

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