airstones in npt

[Juicebox]

im thinking about buying an airpump for my npt.does anyone else use them?

im baffling my filter so there is very little flow and water movement in my tank.theres hardly any surface agitation......

what are the pros and cons of using an air pump?? ive got bettas snails and shrimp in the tank....

also if i do decide to do it can anyone reccomend some equipment please.do i buy an air pump some tubing and a dollar airstone and im good to go?where abouts would i place it in the tank and secure it and such

[aokashi]

My personal opinion of airpumps is that they are noisy, create wayyyy too much turbulence...

if you do get one, I would recommend a control valve and a fine airstone. Honest for filtration I prefer HOBs as the water fall effect creates really nice surface agitation.

[319]

I don't have an NPT but I am planning on making my 10g one once I get it cleaned. The tank I'm using now (3g) came with a whisper air pump and a LED airstone thing. I love it and so does Sebastian but the light was bright and I had to cover the lights with some of the gravel and since the tank is rather small I had to turn the bubbles down with a valve so I would invest in one of those also if your airstone or pump doesn't come with one.

[LyLy]

My boyfriend and I recently got a piece of decor that came with an air pump attachment and bought pump a few weeks later to try it out.

Since we only have a 3.5 gallon tank and the decor piece is quite tall, the bubbles end up at the surface rather quickly, creating a lot of disturbance.

The noise isn't all too bad, nothing that can't be drowned out by a movie or game in the background, but I think you should factor in the size of your tank and placement.

[319]

The pump I have isn't bad. I can't stand the sound of a constant hum so I placed a folded up bandana under the pump. Can't even hear it. :)

[aokashi]

Lol, for me, I sleep next to my tanks :3 airpump noise is unbearable.

[callistra]

I always use an air stone under my heater to distribute heat. I've used them in as small as 2g and as large as 10g. I use a tetra whisper pump and it's practically silent. I don't even hear it across the room. I also use an inline control valve to turn down the bubbles into more of a mist. I also use a certain kind of stone.. after tons and tons I like this one. It's called a Kordon Mist Air Fine Bubbles.

[Juicebox]

should i get the 20 gallon pump for my 14 gallon or should i go for 30 or 40 gallon pump, i dont want to go too small in case in the future i want to run it on 3 or 4 tanks..

will a 30 or 40 air pump be too strong for a 14 gal or will it be fine if i buy one of them valves that u twist on the line to make the tube pinch smaller..


you recomend the best place to put it is in corner beside heater?

[Kytkattin]

It is strongly recommend that planted tanks have as little surface agitation as possible. This removes CO2 from the water, which will then stunt the growth of the plants (as they "breathe" in CO2). Thus, a strong filter, air pump, or anything that is generally considered beneficial for the oxygenation of the water is not recommended nor required for a planted aquarium. Of course some people do use them in unison, just keep this in mind.

Also, some plants, particularly surface plants such as duckweed or frogbit will not grow at all and may even die because of the aforementioned pumps/filters. They grow best, as do betta fish imo, in still waters.

[aokashi]

I think that theory is flawed
carbon dioxide in a room can be 380-3000ppm
whilst in water it's only around 10ppm...
I love a good flow for my plants with a decent surface movement.
unless you are running CO2 into your tanks, allowing for greater gaseous exchange isnt a bad idea