Airstone in a planted aquarium?

[DjNEOda1]

Should I run an airstone in a planted tank?

Seems like there is ALOT of different views but hasn't been covered by almost any of the "big" youtubers that I've noticed.

I don't run co2

Gets decent ambient light in room but have light on from 12-4 (top fin hood light)

I Installed all plants on Sunday. I know some might melt. (When will that start to happen and how bad should I expect?)

Only swords and vallisneria

I have root tabs

55 gallon (7 angelfish, 7 harlequin rasboras & 2 clown plecos.)

-thank you

Edited February 11, 2022 by DjNEOda1
Add info for help

[Fish Folk]

Plants respirate Oxygen at lights off. Airstones help, especially if your temperature is up to 80°-F or higher. Algae may also multiply.

[gardenman]

Air stones are one of those "can't hurt, might help" things to me. (Your view may differ.)  There's a lot of CO2 in the air and if you're putting a lot of air into an aquarium it's possible that some of the CO2 in the air gets absorbed into the water.  Using an air stone with CO2 will off gas excess CO2 from the water, but if the water is CO2 deficient, adding a lot of air may add CO2.

It would be interesting to do an experiment with two identical (as much as possible) plants in an aquarium. One plant with an air stone in very close proximity (air bubbles running through the leaves) and one at the opposite side of the tank, away from the air stone. I would expect the air bubbling through the plant would provide extra CO2 to the plant and enhance its growth. You might get a nearly emersed-type growth rate from a plant with an air stone bubbling under it and the bubbles tickling the leaves. The leaves may be able to strip the CO2 from the air bubbles even if the water doesn't absorb the CO2. How much bubbling would it take? A very slow bubble rate or a steady stream of air bubbles? Who knows?

If you could get emersed-type growth by simply bubbling air through the water and through the plant's leaves, it could lead to the commercial production of aquarium plants that wouldn't melt as they were grown in water. It could lower the cost of plant production and cut out one source of greenhouse gas use. (CO2 costs money while air is relatively cheap.) Anchoring the plants might be a bit of a challenge, but it should be doable.

[lefty o]

if you dont have any other kind of filtration that provides water movement, i would opt to run one.

[Jennifer V]

@gardenman @lefty o @Fish Folk as far as air stones go, is it best to just add them to your sponge filters? I was researching last night. I don't have air stones right now but thinking of adding them. I only use ACO sponge filters in my tanks. I have one 10g and one 5g tank. Both have been set up for a year. But I'm planning a 20 long tank. 

[lefty o]

with the sponge filter, they seem to work best with an air stone down inside them.

[JoeQ]

Just my 2 cents from a non co2 user:

I think for a non co2 tank, the difference of running an airstone during the day vs not running one, makes little difference when it comes to bringing in co2 from the atmosphere. My only reason for running one during the day would be for flow.

At night I always run one to avoid spiking co2 levels (plants expel co2 at night, and oxygen during the day) I read this spike helps to add to algea problems. I'm not sure if this system truely discourages algea growth, but it seams to be working for me!

Edited February 12, 2022 by JoeQ
Clarity

[Fish Folk]

On 2/11/2022 at 6:08 PM, Jennifer V said:

@gardenman @lefty o @Fish Folk as far as air stones go, is it best to just add them to your sponge filters? I was researching last night. I don't have air stones right now but thinking of adding them. I only use ACO sponge filters in my tanks. I have one 10g and one 5g tank. Both have been set up for a year. But I'm planning a 20 long tank. 

Sponge filters are fine. You can just use that. No need to do a stone if your sponge filter is designed to lift air you put through it properly.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Fish Folk