Do any of you have experience with "bubble walls"? Are they beneficial to the fish, and what all do I need to operate one.
Bubble Walls
- Thread starter FrWhatItsWrth
- Start date
I put one in my 29-gal. From what I understand it's truly personal preference. They add oxygen to the water, which is a benefit, but alot of people don't like the additional noise (doesn't bother me, though). I've also noticed my fish playing in the bubbles - it's really cute!
To run one, you need an air pump, air hose, and whatever bubble wall/airstone accessory you choose. You should also get a check valve to make sure no water can back up into the line and get in the air pump.
To others with more experience - am I forgetting anything?
To run one, you need an air pump, air hose, and whatever bubble wall/airstone accessory you choose. You should also get a check valve to make sure no water can back up into the line and get in the air pump.
To others with more experience - am I forgetting anything?
I think they are just elongated airstones that have holes (as opposed to sand stuck together in a normal airstone) that make a wall of bubbles 
.
.
Plants use co2 give off oxygen those bubble walls airstones etc give off oxygen so youre filling the water with waste (oxygen) if you have plants forget it. Personally i wouldnt waste my money on tubing, a valve, air pump, and a bubble thing I'd waste it on something else 
Apart from the beneficial aspect... I tried them a couple times, years ago. They soon get gunked up and never look as nice as at first, even if you take it out and scrub it clean. Once the airflow gets at all hindered, the bubbles are few and far between or else you get big glopping bubbles at the join of tubing to wand.
We had a bubble wall in our ten gallon tank but have recently switched to air stones (our tank is heavily planted). One good thing to invest in (you can find it at Wal*Mart or your local pet store) is a gang valve. This lets you control the flow of air and the amount of bubbles in the tank. When we initially bought the bubble wall there were too many bubbles for our fish. We bought the gang valve, turned the bubbles down, and they loved it.
Last edited:
Not much O2 is added by bubbles actually rising. The O2 that is added comes from the agitation at the top of the tank caused by the bubbles. The biggest reason for not using these or airstones with planted tanks is that the agitation of the water lets out CO2.
I'd say if you don't have plants, then it's just a personal preference. Having one isn't generally adding enough O2 to make a difference, although some may disagree with that.
I'd say if you don't have plants, then it's just a personal preference. Having one isn't generally adding enough O2 to make a difference, although some may disagree with that.
I'll agree with that! I had one (an air "block" - elongated air ston) for a while in a 55 gal. *It added a minimal amount of O2, less than 1ppm (can't remember the exact number but minimal at best).
*Wether the O2 increased as a result of direct diffusion into the water column as the bubbles traveled through it or it was due to the increased surface agitation I don't know.
*Wether the O2 increased as a result of direct diffusion into the water column as the bubbles traveled through it or it was due to the increased surface agitation I don't know.
Bubble walls are great for tanks that need a lot of additional surface area agitation. The taller, narrow tanks with warm water would probably definately need something like a bubble wall.
When water reaches its oxygen saturation point, the bubbles won't add more oxygen, but it will help break up the film on the water surface.
When water reaches its oxygen saturation point, the bubbles won't add more oxygen, but it will help break up the film on the water surface.