bubblewands suck, can i replace with power head?

[gagaliya]

It's one of those things that sounded and looked cool on paper but executes poorly.

I plan to replace it with powerheads, does anyone know how many powerheads i need and where i should place it to get the same oxygenation level i have now with double bubblewands and a whisper 60.

Here's a pic of my tank, if you can tell me where to place the powerheads it be great! also which end of the powerhead should face where Plan to yank out both wands and make the graval a lot thinner

 

[phises]

what size tank? filtration beside whisper type of substrate type of fish?

 

[gagaliya]

tank is 50g 36x15x20, filtration is 2x aquaclear 50 power filter. Whisper is just the air pump for the bubble wands.. substrate is small gravel, and fish i am still changing around. Right now about 30 mixture of guppies/zebra danio/whiteclouds/cory cat.

 

[stingray4540]

No need. the aquaclears will create enough surface disturbance for proper gas exchange. Unless you want the current from the powerheads. A lot of people don't use bubblewands or power heads, I don't have either in any of my 3 tanks.

 

[mooman]

Agreed, absolutely no need for airstones, bubblewands, or powerheads (unless you want the current). The reason is that the bubbles simply aren't in the water long enough for significant gas exchange to occur. That's why people need to use bubble ladders when injecting co2 (to make sure the bubble of co2 is in the water long enough for some co2 to diffuse into the tank)

Yey!! now you can throw out those tacky bubble wands for good!

 

[gagaliya]

i plan to convert my tank into rainbow fish species tank, from what i understand they require pretty high levels of oxygen. Do you still think it's ok without a powerhead? can i put one in there just to be safe? thanks

bubblewands are definitly coming out!

 

[Roan Art]

They'll be fine. The O2 caution is for people injecting CO2 into their tanks. So long as you don't take the CO2 above 25 ppm and monitor the fish for signs of stress, there should be no problem.

Rainbows open and close their mouths a lot when they swim. If they start to do that more than what you've usually noted, then they are becoming stressed and there's not enough O2.

Having said that, they DO like a nice current. Medium, not high, and places where they can get out of the current. Some will ride the current all day and some will ride it most of the day.

Roan