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i put an airstone in my tank cause i was told it was good for my fish. i would like some advice about them......do i keep it on all the time , does the noise stress my fish , are they really needed.
i've had lots of problems with my tank before have started afresh it's cycled and i want to do the best possible cause i'm fedup losing fish.

120 ltrs
3 dalmation mollies
1 black molly

p.s
i lost 3 swordtails and 1 molly a few weeks ago only black molly left and 1 sword i think the sword was bullying cause i put it in my other tank with 11 neon tetras + 4 penguin tetras and all my neons are hangin around the corner of the tank .is it possible my fish died of stress tested everything + water is fine

Airstones are absolutely fine for use, im pretty sure any fish that died as a result of exposure to an airstone had either tried to swallow it whole or was hit viciously about the head with it. Any fish so nervous as to die of shock at the presence of an airstone would be so fragile as to be unlikely to survive to any great age under any circumstances.

Airstones are not necessarily essential, but the consequences of not having one means the system is entirely dependant on air exchange from the waters surface without it being roiled to increase that exchange. Water that is not disturbed is also more e to being "sealed off" by protiens and fats from the food, and a film can form that significantly lessens the gaseous exchange.Basically an aquarium without either an airstone, a spray bar , or a venturi aerator creating surface film disturbance will only be able to support a fraction of the stocking density that an aquarium with the aforementioned equipment can.Stocking density is not only a measure of ammonia production produced by fish respiration and excreta, but also that of the oxygen saturation, and the consequent amount of fish that can be supported in that environment. Basically anyone wishing to match the typical expectation of stocking in the current world of fishkeeping will need some form of aeration. Its entirely your choice, but more oxygen can mean being able to keep more fish, unless you really wanted a 30 gallon long aquarium with about 8 neon tetras and a lot of plants in it.

Only close observation and a complete review of your maintenance routine will reveal why your fish are dying.
List everything you can think of, from every piece of tank decor, every piece of equipment you use,filters lights, timers, and how they are set, the choice of food, where the tank is situated in your house , if children are nearby (often a cause of "mystery" deaths) if youve used any chemicals for cleaning, airfreshening or flykilling near the tank. What water conditioners so you use,meds you have used, are you adding any salts? What are the EXACT water readings whether you think they are fine or not, how often do you do water changes,is the tank temperature suitable and steady, do you perform quarantine, well just everything!

Do your fish have any lumps, spots , raised veins, distended bellies, fluffy growths, unusual behaviour?

List the lot, and we'll work it out.

My first instinct from what you have said is that your problem might be bacterial, and as such , any behavioral or physical observations you can make of your fish will help.

An idea, if your air stone is so noisy that it annoys you: I have found the burying my air stones under the gravel (I use a wide flat bar-shaped stone, that makes lots of little bubbles) cuts the fizzy noise significantly.

Here is a question I have been wanting to ask... if you airstone is too powerful (too many Bubbles) can this be detrimental to the fish? I have an airstone it is a rectangular 4" I have set it at the lowest setting and on full it creates a spa.

I have gouramis and guppies and a clown loach.

What about a airstome curtain? I love the effect but I am not sure that it is meant for my tank?

Any thoughts

Here fishy... fishy.. Here fishy... fishy...

Hi,
About the only "hazards" I can think of for air stones
are the currents that they, like larger filters can
create - too much current. Fish seem to love to frolic
in the bubbles and the active ones will delight in swimming
in the resultant currents. However, one has to provide
areas of little or no current for the fish to "rest" in.
They cannot fight the currents 24/7. When the lights go
out they have to have a refuge.

With air stones, you have bubbles constantly breaking at the
surface and the splash that results can coat the glass
cover where the heat from the hood (light) will dry the
splash water and can form a white crusty film that will
eventually cake the glass and reduce some of the light.
The white carbonate can easily be removed with a plastic
scrubby and some vinegar, then rinse it off under the
kitchen sink.

If the glass is not a full cover, some of the splash back
can get on the light and the wiring causing corrosion.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Thanks Frank,

I think that I will leave well enough alone... you know the old saying "if it ain't broke do not fix it".

I also did not know that you can remove that film with vinigar on the hood.

I am learning alot on this site.../:'

Here fishy... fishy.. Here fishy... fishy...

I have seen one incidence of dmage caused by a bubble stone, but this was complicit with a whole range of other factors. The situation was in a very heavily stocked angelfish tank. The territorial space was taken up, and two of the angels decided to hang out pretty much 24/7 either in or immediately next to the bubble flow. The erosive action of the bubbles caused the skin slime layer to peel and consequently the angels looked like they were constantly covered in spider webs. They were not particularly debilitated by this, but the constant peeling might have meant they would have been more susceptible to skin infections than average, They did look stressed.

Thats about it.

The inside of my glass also grows algae. I have a long hood, for a long tank & don't like fooling with taking the hood & light off, so I just hold the hood up with one hand, & scrape the glass with a razor scraper, depositing the gunk onto a nearby paper towel.

I have to scrape hard to get the white stuff off & not all comes off, but it's good enough. This summer I'll probably take the hood off & clean it with white vinegar. I have airline tubing for my air stones running through the little holes on the lid & I don't like messing with them in order to get the lid off! The thing I dislike most about my tank is trying to get those stones back into place & hidden & also trying to hide those airlines that keep wanting to float back up! I know......... gravel, stones, wood........ it all helps, but I'm still airline tubing handicapped.

Yeah, I hate the airline tubing being buoyant thing too. The first guy to make tubing that is both very heavy and hangs really limp while being crushproof will make a fortune! Maybe something with tiny metal rings in? There we go, ive let the cat out of the bag, some git other than me will probably make a million out of that idea..

I've never heard the word "git" over here. Please explain what it means over there.

I have heard that you can silicone those airline tubings down to the tank or objects, but I don't want to fool with it. I've been known to rearrange my tank too often for a permanent solution like that.

As far as a temp. solution to the tubing, someone could try this: Coat the tubing in silicone, & immediately roll the top half in fake leaves from an aquarium plant & then roll the bottom half around in clean dry aquarium gravel until it is thoroughly coated. Let dry & place in aquarium. The bottom half is heaver & hidden with gravel while the top half looks like a vine climbing up the corner of your aquarium. It sounds logical to me anyway.

The suction 4 cups that came with my bubble wall stick good. I stick it to the bottom and it is covered with gravel. Much better than "air stones" IMHO. It was more cha-ching though. If it starts working not as good as before, just use a pin to clean out the little air holes.


edit: cool, if I hold my mouse over IMHO it says "in my humble opion". I meant I'm ho, though. ;-)

Since I have been asked so many times by our americans friends, I shall endevour to explain. It a corruption of the word "get" which was in the 14th century an abbreviation of the phrase " That which is begotten" usually referring to illegitimate children,or offspring of animals, which technically makes it quite rude and it certainly has a similarity therefore to an often used "B" word .

Since then however the use of it has changed and since the 1600's it has become more accepted as a devalued insult more associated with being either old and grumpy, or generally a bit surly and annoying. In terms of rudeness its about as rude as saying "bum" or similar.

The english dictionary first establishes the modern word "git" with its current meaning for the record after it was first used in print in about 1940. Its a commonly used word in england and its renewed description in the dictionary produced a resurgeance of usage. This however didnt extend to the states where it was no doubt used when colonialism began, but no record or official recognition of the word took place. Consequently the word "git" for most americans is a lost part of the language.

There you have it. I personally adopted the mantra after a good friend at work used it at me regularly in jest, referring of course to my long flowing locks and tendancy for being generally grumpy within the office environment.Apparently my appearance and manner did not really fit the IBM corporate mold,something I shall be eternally proud of. It stuck , and became a replacement online for my normal name which is to me at least,tedious . "Dominic" , or "dom" if you must.

The name was chosen for me by my mother, who in a partial state of kidney failure,after a difficult caesarian section, and probably hallucinating, believed that God Almighty spoke to her directly and told her to call me that.I find this whole idea very disturbing, being a complete agnostic, and consequently like to use my real name as little online as possible.

Stop laughing .

Dominic is a great name Being a mother my childern always ask why did you pick that name. And I always have a boring story to tell "becasue I like it!"

My airstone tubbing will also not stay in place. Here is an idea, can you place the tubing beside/behind the heater to hide it and keep it in place. I have not done this because the heater might melt the tubing... but would it really???

Here fishy... fishy.. Here fishy... fishy...

Yeah its possible. If you read the small print on most heaters theres a little piece about needing to have free water flow around them, and if you bunch cables up around them you could cause hotspots, which could damage the cables, or as is more likelyy , just blow the heater.

pizpot- I also have a wand as you described. But I also like my air stone. I have a piece of coral & I like the way the air stone bubbles look coming out of the back of it. I don't use a pin to clean them out though. I just scrub them both with my fingernail brush & they work good again.

But you gave me a good idea on how to keep the airline tubing down better with an air stone! If someone has an extra set of suction cups, they can just attach them to the back of the tank toward the bottom & run the airline tubing through them, being sure the tubing catches at the top part of the half circles. Then cover it with gravel to help keep the tubing in place & to hide it.I have an extra set & think I'll try it.

If I use my Internet Explorer browser I can do what you did & "in my humble opinion" will show up also. And if I hold it over someone's flag it will show the name of that Country. But it won't correct my spelling as I write a post.

On the other hand, when I use my Safari browser, it does nothing when I put the mouse over a flag or over IMHO. It also will not give me the correct dates when a post was posted. It always has the current today date on it. But it does correct my spelling. Comp. & programs DO have their drawbacks.
............................

longhairedgit- Thanks for the explanation of the word git. Very interesting. But I too like the name Dominic! It's not as common over here. I looked it up & it means Lord.

3 dalmation mollys
1 black molly
2 male guppys

100 ltrs
temp - 78
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 25mg/l (was 50 before water change)
ph - 7.2
lost a molly yesterday morn they were all swimming about fine and 2 mins later one was dead on its side at bottom of tank pet shop replaced said there was nothing wrong with it and it must have been stress which can strike upto two weeks after putting fish in tank