Greetings from Vermont!

[Jill in Vermont]

Hi all,

Just got back into the hobby when my son got furloughed in February.  He brought me his 10g tank.  Then a Seller client of mine was moving to Florida and gave me a 36g with a PennPlax 1200 canister filter.  OMG I am addicted!  Just got a 32g Fluval Flex and it is currently cycling.  So exciting to create under water worlds that make the fish happy and thrive!

Question though - hoping someone has good guidance here - do I need to use aeration in the 32G Flex?  If it's advisable to do so, can I put it in the compartment with the pump and heater?

Looking forward to everyone's posts!

[FrozenFins]

It depens your stocking. I have a 36 Gallon with spongefilter with no airstone. If you see the fish gasping you can add a airstone, yes you could in the filter. If i'm not mistaken the Fluval Flex has an internal filter, you could lower the water a bit past the outake and that will cause more oxygen in the water, but also very noisy. I would start with out airstone, and as you add fish and you see the fish may need oxygen, add an airstone.

[Streetwise]

Jill, welcome to the forum. I think there are about four of us from Vermont here now!

Cheers from exit 10.

[Kirsten]

Welcome to the forum, Jill! I'm your neighbor down south here in western MA. That sounds like a pretty bad*ss canister filter you've got there! I doubt they'll need more filtration in a 36g. I'm new, too, but I've had great luck so far with Aquarium Co-op's videos and just-what-you-need, nothing-you-don't selection. As others have said, it depends on what you're putting in your tank, but for most reasonably stocked, hardy freshwater fish, I think you'll be fine with a medium sponge filter with an airstone and a nano pump (costs less than $30 total, including airline hose). Canister filter can't hurt on top of that, though!