Wow, that's really sad. Funny... but it's a shame someone with their own LFS would be so uninformed!!
Are Airstones & Bubblers Really Bad for Plants?
- Thread starter pisces70
- Start date
I am running a high tech planted tank myself, Co2 runs while lights are on, and oxygen airstone at night. Taking it off soon just because of it is visible in the tank. Co2 during the photo period will allow it to be used by plants, making its own O2 in the system. Oxygen during the night so the Co2 in the water is off gassed just to prevent fish from being sufficated. The oxygen did nothing against the plants. The guy at your LFS may have meant that the oxygen running during the photo period was off gassing any Co2, keeping plants from having any?
Goodness gracious. As stated by everyone before me, this man is clearly out of his mind. I would ignore everything he tries to tell you from here on out. He has proven his ignorance.
If you're not planning on running CO2 in your tank, you don't need to have an airstone. Like others said, keep it on hand for emergencies and the like, but it will be rare! As long as your filter or a powerhead is creating agitation on the surface, you'll be just fine.
If you're not planning on running CO2 in your tank, you don't need to have an airstone. Like others said, keep it on hand for emergencies and the like, but it will be rare! As long as your filter or a powerhead is creating agitation on the surface, you'll be just fine.
The LFS person is definitely wrong.. BUT Think of it this way as well..
Do you really need it? No. Even if your running Co2 or not. I run several High tech Co2 tanks and some low tech tanks. I dont run any airstones at all. What I do is keep a nice ripple on the water surface as that alone will give great gas exchange. Besides its not that the bubbles coming from an airstone add O2 to the tank its that it creates disturbance and flow allowing gas exchange. In a Co2 based tank if you shut your Co2 off about 30 min to an hour before the lights go off with a nice surface ripple you will pretty well off gas and use up any Co2 in the water. In a low tech we would like to try and keep the Co2 that is naturally happening in the water so using a stone in the water just kills that even more so. So thats why I dont recommend it.
Do you really need it? No. Even if your running Co2 or not. I run several High tech Co2 tanks and some low tech tanks. I dont run any airstones at all. What I do is keep a nice ripple on the water surface as that alone will give great gas exchange. Besides its not that the bubbles coming from an airstone add O2 to the tank its that it creates disturbance and flow allowing gas exchange. In a Co2 based tank if you shut your Co2 off about 30 min to an hour before the lights go off with a nice surface ripple you will pretty well off gas and use up any Co2 in the water. In a low tech we would like to try and keep the Co2 that is naturally happening in the water so using a stone in the water just kills that even more so. So thats why I dont recommend it.
This is exactly what I am doing currently... co2 during photo period and air stone at nights.. Plants are okay (co2 and lights) and fish are happy (healthy o2 during photo and air stone during nights).. I think that is not incorrect to do?
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@Pisces70, I noticed your from Fayetteville. I know the store you mentioned, I've gotten advice from there that was sound (so far as I know anyway). But even I agree that an airstone killing the plants is absurd. I had the same issue with my plants and he sold me some flourish tabs but I don't think they helped. Setting up a new 40g Breeder with flourite so hopefully it won't be an issue. Please let me know if you get anymore idiocy there and if you find a better location locally. Also if you learn why your plants turned "mushy" and how to fix it. I miss my plants.
