Airstones or no Airstones

[Tihshho]

How many of you run airstones in your tanks? I used to run air 'wands' for years for flow, but stopped when I couldn't source the same type to replace the clogged ones. 

[Guppysnail]

I run them in all my tank with hobs and cans. My fish swim closer to the top and are less active when the airline comes loose from the pump so I think it makes a difference. Cory did a dissolved oxygen study that shows how affective they are. Even if not it can’t hurt and I hook them to nano sponges. I have battery backup air supply so power goes out I flip the line to the nano to continue with some filtration some I just keep hooked to a nano in the bigger tanks. 

[lefty o]

in some tanks i do, others i dont.

[Tihshho]

My tanks are all air driven for filtration, so this would just be additional for O2 exchange and additional water flow. 

[Struggle]

All of my tanks are air driven HMF, some have air stones and others don’t. Heavily stocked, heated, spawning, fry grow outs, QT and medicated aquariums all get an air stone added to them. I do not run a air stone on normal / lowly stocked tanks. 

[eatyourpeas]

I run two airstones in my SW tank. One inside the internal skimmer, which also areates the tank with controlled escaped bubbles,  and another one inside the sump. They are both limewood.

All FW tanks have sponge filters, no airstones.

Edited September 14, 2021 by eatyourpeas

[Colu]

I have external canister filters and internal filters on my tanks but I always have an extra air stone in each tank to increases surface agitation.

[Mmiller2001]

For me, bubbles are an eye sore and do not run them. To compensate, I surface skim and have heavy surface agitation.

[Andy's Fish Den]

All my tanks, except one are run with sponge filters so they have air going through them. The one tank that isn't, has a sump, but I have an airstone running in it. 

[Marnol D]

All my tanks have at least one sponge filter in them (some have more just so I always have a cycled sponge if someone needs one and usually a hang on back for better water circulation and to add polishing pads to). But I usually run an air ring or air bar in them as well. I tend to make mini volcanos (out of lava rocks) around the bubble rings for the aesthetic and shrimp seem to love to feed off the stuff that grows on them. 

[Hobbit]

I have sponge filters with airstones in all my tanks except my 55 gallon, which has a powerhead that pulls air into its spout. This morning I woke up to find the powerhead clogged (probably by a Malaysian trumpet snail 🙄) and my loaches hyperventilating. I added an air stone and everyone’s fine now. I’ll probably keep the air stone just for added insurance. I’ve had problems before with fish getting enough oxygen in that tank.

[Tihshho]

On 9/14/2021 at 1:13 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

For me, bubbles are an eye sore and do not run them. To compensate, I surface skim and have heavy surface agitation.

I guess it depends on the tank. In a scaped tank I'd agree, but at this point all my FW tanks are utilitarian. 

[ARMYVET]

On 9/14/2021 at 12:05 PM, Tihshho said:

My tanks are all air driven for filtration, so this would just be additional for O2 exchange and additional water flow. 

Same here

[Odd Duck]

I have sponge packed, sponge prefiltered HOB’s and Ziss airstone operated AOC sponges in almost every tank.  Sponge only in culture tanks, no HOB’s.  I don’t have separate airstones in anything but a bucket holding plants right now and I only have that because I’m in the midst of changing up some tanks.  Usually plants in holding are in tanks, not a bucket unless just very short term.

[Tanked]

The UGF in my 29 uses air stones because the power head was too much for small fish. Otherwise extra aeration would come from Powerhead's venturi, or the HOB.

Bubbles in the aquascape are obviously a matter of taste.  As a rule, I don't like them.  I did build a DIY Twinstar Reactor. a few years back,  The cloud of microbubbles it produced was pleasing, and the fish liked it.

[Intuos]

I run airstones on all my tanks but on timers so they only run at night to help maintain oxygen levels when the plants are using O2 and not CO2. 

[Crabby]

I have sponges on 4 tanks and a spray bar on the 5th, so I don’t see a need for airstones. To be honest, airstones irritate me a bit; they always break when I’m trying to take them off an airline!

[Keeg]

I only use air stones for quarantine tank, but the rest just have small sponge filters because why not have extra bacteria for them while im at it.