Airstones...

[chebert22]

I have never really cared for the airstones or the bubbles in the tank. I have always liked the trickle type, both for the sound, and for the shear fact that they dont produce bubbles from a piece of plastic pipe strawn all over the inside.

However, I recently saw a tank that had a bubble curtain in addition to the trickle type filter, and I kinda enjoyed it.

Obviously the bubbles aerate the water and create movement, but how exactly do they work? :confused:

[chebert22]

And by "work" I mean how exactly to the filter the water?

[tsunderl]

Airstones don't actually filter the water, but they do "stir" the water in a sense. This gets things up and through the filter that may not otherwise reach the filter. I like them because I like water movement in the tank for that reason and also so there are less stale areas of little water movement. I think it helps keep the tank cycling by bringing the gasses to the surface and naturally expelling them through the bubbles and agitation.

I've had the bubble curtains before and there's usually a fish or two that love to swim through them. Pretty cool to watch. Combine bubbles with moonlights and a few bottom feeders and you have some good night time entertainment. (Yeah, I need to get out more. :) )

[biggin]

I have found the cycling process is much quicker and is stronger by using air stones through the process. I think my bacteria are more plentiful and stronger in tanks I use air stones then in tanks that I do not.

Before I started doing this my extra HOBs I use to start up tanks would fail about 50% of the time but tanks that have the air stones or a bubble filter and I put the filter on a new tank, I have yet to have one not work.

I am guessing this is part of the reason bubble filters work so well for this.

Just my 2 cents.

[ElijahTurtle]

air has multiple benefits to it when used consciously. Just look at the concept of a skimmer in a Salt water tank. they take water pass it through a confined space force air into it, then as the air rises though the water, dissolved organics & other gunk cling to the air & are pulled out of the water as it rises.
Probably the efficient biological filtration method you can have for your tank is an air driven sponge filter.
The only time oxygenating the water in an aquarium isn't desirable is when you are trying to grow copious amounts of plants & they have to compete for any remaining co2.

[fishyjoe24]

aquarium air stones are your best friend.