AIR stones

Depends where they are and what you want to achive with them. With a correct size skimmer your water will have plenty oxygen in it so no need for it. When you start with corals you dont want bubbles in the display. If you filtering with live rock you have will have a full nitrogen cycle where the aerobic and anaerobic becteria set up right next to each other and the anaerobic bacteria certainly dont need axygen in the form of a bubble coming through.
 
hi all, i hope this gets answered, seeing as its an OLD thread.

i know the topic of having an air stone or not, is not really conclusive, but i would like to know if my setup is good or bad with the air stone.

ok, i have a nano tank, closed circuit, since the whole filtration/pump area is built into the back, i have 2 pieces of live rock - was one piece until we split it, 3 fish, 2 shrimps, 1 hermit and an air stone :)

i was told that it wouldnt harm the live stock and it would bring down the PH if it was too high.

so far, my only problem with this setup is that my hermit is lethargic (or old, i dont know) and my nitrates are still kinda high (15-30).

we dont get fine bubbles in the tank unless the water level is too low for the venturi skimmer.
we do get a lot of salt accumulation on the rim of the tank, around the lid cause of the bubbles popping.
but i am trying to increase the salinity from 1.023 to 1.025/26 and evaporation is apparently one method, coupled with salt top ups.

so in essence, is having an air stone ok, or bad, and if its bad, why?

Ps: i like my bubbles, thats the only reason why i got the stone.
 
Salt spray and electrical connections do not go together - stray voltage

Salt spray and light covers do not go together - light intensity is lost
 
hi riaanp,

strangely, i have felt a bit of a shock when touching the salt on the lid, from time to time.

but what about the health of my live stock?

the lights and fan are enclosed in a plastic casing, the fan electrical connections have already corroded away, so no more fan to cool the air between the light and the water.if i leave the lights on and the lid closed properly, the water temp can increase to 27+. i prop the lid up with a cork at that stage.
(some extra info)

i'm having an issue with green spots (1-2 mm diam) on the glass. not that easy to just wipe off with my finger, need to scratch off with my nail.

is my lighting the cause? i read that lighting causes algae growth.

i worry that if i dont have the air stone, there wont be enough oxygen in the water. the water pump pumps the water out just below the surface, so i had an oily residue on the surface before i got the air stone to break the surface.

tank is too small for even the smallest wave maker power head thingy. we'd end up with a mini tidal wave.
 
Barlan said:
issue with green spots (1-2 mm diam) on the glass.
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Use a blade.

Barlan said:
i read that lighting causes algae growth.
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How old is the globes? Yes lightning period also influences algae growth.
Your filtration system, what do you have? And the parameters of your water?

Barlan said:
so i had an oily residue on the surface
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Your overflow is not correct. Or your water flow in such a way that it does not skim the top.

Barlan said:
tank is too small for even the smallest wave maker power head thingy
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What is the size of the tank? and the return pump rating? Seio 1200L/h pump should work, and is small enough.
 
Air bubbles do not supply the water with oxygen - they circulate the water - moving oxygen rich water from the top layers of water to the oxygen depleted layers near the bottom of the aquarium (oxygen enters the water at the surface and carbon dioxide is dissipate at the surface, which you really want to happen because the more carbon dioxide in the water, the less oxygen it can hold).

Oxygen depleted water from the bottom of the tank is moved to the surface, where it receives oxygen.

So called "old timers" in the hobby, had HUGE success by including air stones. Problem algae outbreaks can often be rectified by good circulation from air stones and the pH will typically remain high (that is at an optimum level) in otherwise well maintained tanks.

Keep electrical unprotected (lighting) equipment away from the spray created from heavy aeration.

Don't place your sessile invertebrates in the stream of bubbles.

Good luck
 
this is the easiest way to describe the tank, they say a picture tells a 1000 words :)

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/277487556/MAGIC_WAVE_MARINE_TANK.html
the 37 liter model.

purple are my comments

specs according to site: (excuse the bad english, chinese ppl arent know for their great English :D)
1. Mini tank special design for the marine fish and corals
2. With 2X 24W PL tube and 4 X 24W high power T5 tube
---->honestly, i have no idea what "PL" means and i dont know what a T5 tube is... all i know is that my model has one light in the back/refuguim, and 4 in the front, 2 blue and 2 white, but sadly, all 4 turn on at once. and 3 mini blue leds, for moon light apparently.
3. Separated internal skimmer (venturi)
4. with moonlight LED (x3)
5. DC 12V heat-cooling-down fan (broken/connection corroded off)
6. Biological filter sponge ,microbial filter ceramic rings and water plant
purify system ---> i have seachem matrix pebbles and square plastic bio balls between the sponge and ceramics
7.Chiller and heater roads interface are set not sure what they mean here, we had a submersible heater, but its faulty
8. Front cover for culture area and back cover for filter area design
with separate
AQUARIUM SIZE 400x330x400mm

i cant use a blade cause the tank is perspex. (sorry i did say glass, but i didnt know what else to call it)

we dont have an over flow, cause the tank isnt built that way. the water gets sucked to the back by the skimmer and then pushed down thru the sponge, and up into the refuguim then down over the ceramic rings and then up thru the water pump. if i can change the back area with regards to the stuff i put in there, to better the chemical level and health of the tank, pls let me know!

i'll post a few pics of mine so you can see.
 
link to my whole 3 pics...i will take more

Marine Aquariums of South Africa

please note that the back has a skimmer and sponge i haven't taken a pic of yet, but it mirror's the ceramics and pump chambers exactly. (skimmer, sponge, refug, ceramics, pump)

hails - yes, "my bubble" syndrome :)
passer - so in other words, the stone is good? (yay)
riaanp - please see pics.

and thank you all, for the replies.
 
Just keep the spray from bubbles bursting at the water surface off any electrical equipment that has not been designed to be waterproof or submersible, but otherwise, it cant do any harm. Your tank is fairly small, so should have sufficient circulation, but the air stone can only improve on water movement. Just watch that invert animals that cant move about are not positioned / stacked on rocks in the bubble stream.
 
hey passer, thank you :) peace of mind.

we dont have any inverts that are fixed at the moment, want to get corals, in the future, but i think i'd like to get the tank running properly first before stepping it up a notch :)
 
No worries Barlan.......it is an awesome hobby (I have been keeping marines for around 40 years - the bug can really bite hard).

Enjoy your tank and all the ones to follow.

Cheers
 
ok, so to end this thread, i can conclude that the air stone is a good thing, or at least not detrimental to my system, except to anything metal :)

PS: dont be surprised if any of you get a PM from me asking for advice on my tank :)

take care everyone and thank you again.
 
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