# Air Stone? Yes or No?



## Egrant

Well I am starting to feel bad, I have asked a few questions and have not been able to help anyone else out yet, YET being the key word. :-?

My question today is about the air stones i have in my tank.
20 Gallon tank has one 6" stone and the 60 gallon has two 6" stone in it. 

The question is are air stones really needed for the fish or are the more for the look? The reason i am asking isthe water in my 60 gallon tank evaporates rather quickly. I am not sure if this is normal or if it is from wither the bubble or filtration (aqua clear 110 and an aqua clear 30). Guess i should mention the 20 gallon tank has an aqua clear 70. Thanks for your help everyone. I am anxious to see if everyone is on the same page on this.


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## jaysee

I don't have airstones in any of my tanks. It's more for you than the fish. Airstones CAN have a purpose - if the filtration is weak, an airstone can move water preventing a dead spot. And, a sponge can be added to it making the biofitation stronger. That sponge will make a great filter for a quarantine tank. Anyway, good strong filtration negates the need for air pumps IMO.


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## Romad

I used an air stone until I got live plants. 

As for evaporation, it has more to do with the humidity in the air. Here in the Northeast, once the heat is turned on and the windows are shut during the winter, the tanks evaporate much more quickly.


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## VTonic

I asked the same question a while back and the conclusion that my research led me to was that they are not necessary. I personally still use them though because they do have a use. It seems the main thing that they do is to keep the water from "layering", meaning that it keeps the water column more active so you don’t end up with different water temperatures or parameters in different areas of the aquarium. This only really becomes an issue with the larger aquarium sizes. I currently have 3 aquariums in my home 125 gallon, 25 gallon, and a 10 gallon. All 3 have more than adequate filtration on them, actually more than they need but as I stated I use air stones in all 3 of my systems for 2 reasons, 1 being I just like the look of it, and 2 being that they can’t possibly hurt anything by being there so why not have them if they do serve some purpose even if it is unnecessary? Just my 2 cents. If anyone else has some insight to this question as well I would love to hear it, or if anything I’ve said here is inaccurate then please speak up, I would hate to be giving out bad advice :doh!:
VTonic


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## 1077

VTonic said:


> I asked the same question a while back and the conclusion that my research led me to was that they are not necessary. I personally still use them though because they do have a use. It seems the main thing that they do is to keep the water from "layering", meaning that it keeps the water column more active so you don’t end up with different water temperatures or parameters in different areas of the aquarium. This only really becomes an issue with the larger aquarium sizes. I currently have 3 aquariums in my home 125 gallon, 25 gallon, and a 10 gallon. All 3 have more than adequate filtration on them, actually more than they need but as I stated I use air stones in all 3 of my systems for 2 reasons, 1 being I just like the look of it, and 2 being that they can’t possibly hurt anything by being there so why not have them if they do serve some purpose even if it is unnecessary? Just my 2 cents. If anyone else has some insight to this question as well I would love to hear it, or if anything I’ve said here is inaccurate then please speak up, I would hate to be giving out bad advice :doh!:
> VTonic


My thoughts are similar. Airstones can help disperse heat more evenly ,and perhaps help move water possibly lower in dissolved 0xygen from the bottom of the tank to the top in marginally filtered aquariums.
I run sponge filters in all but planted tank.


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## totziens

I don't use any air stone too. In a planted tank, if you're injecting CO2, you will end up losing all your CO2 with an air stone turned on. Air stone is necessary only when your filter's aeration is not good enough to supply oxygen to the fishes. In a planted tank, some people turn on the air stone only when CO2 and light are turned off to supply oxygen to the fishes. I dislike air stone because it looks ugly in a planted tank.


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## Egrant

So is a sponge filter different from a normal filter, never heard of one? IS it in the tank?

Thanks for all the advice guys!


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## Mattcot

I like the look of them if they get placed correctly 

can any one help with reducing the amount of air that comes out from an air stone with out damaging the air pumps diaphragm?


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## redchigh

They can't hurt, since fish can't have too much oxygen.
They might increase evaporation a bit...

Of course, with good filtration they are unneccesary, and with plants they're downright harmful (by driving out all of the CO2, which plants need.)


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## 1077

Mattcot said:


> I like the look of them if they get placed correctly
> 
> can any one help with reducing the amount of air that comes out from an air stone with out damaging the air pumps diaphragm?


 Check out the Luft Air pump at DrsFosterSmithAquatics.com they can be adjusted to increase or decrease flow by reducing electrical current.


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## Romad

Mattcot said:


> I like the look of them if they get placed correctly
> 
> can any one help with reducing the amount of air that comes out from an air stone with out damaging the air pumps diaphragm?


 
check to see if there is a button on the motor to turn the flow up or down. i didn't even realize mine was adjustable for about 6 months. Doh!

you can also bury it further into the gravel to reduce air or bring it closer to the gravel surface to increase.


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## Byron

Egrant said:


> So is a sponge filter different from a normal filter, never heard of one? IS it in the tank?
> 
> Thanks for all the advice guys!


A sponge is a very basic simple filter, and very effective especially in smaller tanks (up to 55g). It is basically a chunk of sponge material with two tubes (a smaller inside a larger) down the middle; you connect the small tube to an air pump, and the air goes up/down the tubes pulling water in through the sponge. The sponge filters out the particulate matter--just like sponge pads, floss, etc. in other filters--and bacteria colonize the sponge. So a sponge is mechanical and biological filtration all in one. Being small, in a small tank they are perfect. The water current is not great, which is usually preferable for various reasons.

Byron.


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