Benefits of Running Airstones?

[Brandxn]

I started running an air stone in my tank for a couple days after hearing that it’s good for the tank and introduces O2 into the water for the fish. Along with splashing water all over the cover lol. I was wondering what the other benefits of running an air stone in the tank are. 

[lefty o]

imo 2 main things are, it introduces some oxygen, and it helps to circulate the water in the tank a bit. the negative as you noted is the bubbles splashing on the lid.

[PineSong]

I have been adding them to my tanks over the past several weeks, so each tank now has a sponge filter at one end and an airstone at the other. I was wondering if they will hinder plant growth by dispersing CO2. So far I cannot see any damage and I can tell that the fish like them as they seem to enjoy the current and play in it. I feel better especially about my two tall tanks, knowing they don’t have any stagnant corners.

[Fish Folk]

As @lefty o mentions, O2 is key to excellent fish health. Remember that plants respirate O2 at lights-out. CO2 is used with light (which is what some folks starting out using CO2 forget). But O2 not only helps fish and plants, but remember that the beneficial bacterial colonies you are wanting to keep healthy are aerobic colonies. So the O2 is helping them stay healthy as well.

Again as had been already stated, good water circulation / movement is very important. The larger a tank is, the more potential there will be for dead spots to bring along problems. There are electrical / mechanical ways to resolve this -- small pumps, circulars, powerhead -- but with every introduction of electricity to an aquarium, there are a number of elements that are not always optimal. Stray current, though not very common anymore, still can decrease fish health. Power outages affect everything, but if you can back up power to your air source, that is the single most reliable stop-gap measure in an emergency.

Another thing to ponder is the inverse relation gas and solids have to solution in water. Warm or hot water will allow solids such as salt or sugar crystals to dissolve more readily. This is why sugar is stirred into hot coffee easily. But hot water allows LESS GAS to dissolve in it. Conversely, cold water allows a lot of gas to dissolve in it This, by the way, is why if you live far enough north or high enough in elevation you should take care when water changing in the winter since your source water may have substantially more gases in than summer water. The principle is the inverse of solids: the warmer the water = more solids dissolve / less gasses dissolve; the cooler the water = less solids dissolve / more gasses dissolve. Ergo, if you are running a hot tropical tank in the 80-85 F degree range, you want to add air stones to allow more gasses to be forced into the water, bubbles popping on the surface, so that gasses are exchanged. However, if you're running a cooler tank, more gasses will be in there naturally.

I do think it is important to observe that certain fish are adapted to low O2 levels. Anabantids, for instance, have a labyrinth organ that allows them to gasp O2 straight from the air. Betta splendens, for instance, are able to stay alive in utterly awful little cups for this reason: they can suck air from their environment. This adapts them well to shallow rice paddies, dank standing water off roadsides, etc. Other species, however, desperately need oxygen-rich water to thrive.

Here's a cold water tank with TONS of added O2. These fish are used to temperatures from 40-60 F. But as my basement warms up to the 70s, adding O2 counteracts the warmer climate...

Here's a warm tropical tank, ca. 83-85 F. Discus need this temp to really thrive. But I always add extra O2 by way of air-stones to reinforce good health...

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Fish Folk

[PineSong]

On 5/20/2022 at 11:05 PM, Fish Folk said:

As @lefty o mentions, O2 is key to excellent fish health. Remember that plants respirate O2 at lights-out. CO2 is used with light (which is what some folks starting out using CO2 forget). But O2 not only helps fish and plants, but remember that the beneficial bacterial colonies you are wanting to keep healthy are aerobic colonies. So the O2 is helping them stay healthy as well.

Here's a warm tropical tank, ca. 83-85 F. Discus need this temp to really thrive. But I always add extra O2 by way of air-stones to reinforce good health...

 

Since your plants look great I will stop wondering! 

[Brian]

I guess as others said oxygen..   I apologize did read all the replies.  But also with the circulation and movement at the surface isn’t it helping to also gas of any negatives. 
Good Luck

[Flumpweesel]

Since re adding them to my main tank the first thing I noticed was much less air gulping from the corys and fewer cyanobacteria breakouts . Plants all doing fine fish seems to like sitting in them some algae die back. Possibly fewer water changes. 

Adjust your bubbles a bit so they aren't as fast to reduce splash and the benefits really out way the noise for me

[Tanked]

For reasons still unknown, my no tech planted tank developed a surface biofilm heavy enough to trap bubbles from pearling plants, and other gasses underneath.  Surface agitation from the airstone broke up the film immediately, and eliminated it in a day or two.  Assisting in the gas exchange across the entire water surface area is the biggest benefit for me.  

The only animals in this tank are pest snails.  The airline feeding the airstone has become a gathering place for more baby snails than I have never seen.  It may be coincidence, or the water quality might be a little better closest to the air stone.