Aeration in tank important?

[Blaizze]

My air pump currently is running one tube into the tank which I plan on having permanently running in the tank creating air bubbles and while I was cycling I threw in another hose which is just sorta floating an inch off the bottom... it looks ugly right now but it was planned to be temporary so that makes two, and they are both on the right side of the tank, filter on the left... Its a 29 Gallon, AquaClear 30 filter.

Does this create too much water current? It doesnt look like it but I could be wrong? Also is it important to have two running in the tank for oxygen? It's a planted tank or can I remove one of them and just have one... or should I just relocate it?

Thanks for the help

 

[phanmc]

The majority of the oxygen in a tank isn't derived from air bubbles created by an airpump, it's derived from the gas transfer between the water surface and the air above. To properly oxygenate your tank, increasing the surface agitation to break up the water tension will allow for better gas transfer. An airstone will cause surface agitation when the bubbles break the water surface. Most filters will also cause alot of turbulence and surface agitation so airstones aren't necessary in most cases.

In a planted tank, surface agitation becomes even less important as the plants will provide the oxygen. Good water current is important and unless your fishes will have a hard time swimming, you probably don't need ton worry about that.

 

[karen99]

I have a 29 gallon planted tank with one Aquaclear 30 and it works great. I add CO2 so I try to reduce surface agitation as much as possible by keeping the water level high.