The stones are a waste of time and money in my opinion if you are going to run an air stone you may as well run a sponge filter in the tank.

This is the best filter around.

Dont like the look and you maybe want to hide it.

Try something like this.

Detail © David Hynds
Tired of that ugly sponge filter in your otherwise gorgeous aquarium? Here is an easy DIY project that will conceal the filter and enhance the aesthetics of your tank.

Sponge filters are popular for small tanks like hospitals or breeding tanks. They also work great for fish which prefer the surface of the water to be calm. Beneficial bacteria grow on the sponge and clean the water. The problem is that sponge filters are almost always bulky and ugly. A coconut shell is perfect for adding to the atmosphere of your tank while hiding that awkward, unsightly sponge in the corner.

For this project you will need: 1 coconut, a hammer, a drill, an ice-cream scoop or sturdy knife, a deep pot to boil water in, 6” length of 3/4” plastic tubing, a cap for one end of the 3/4” tubing, 4-6’ air line tubing and an air pump, a nail, aquarium-safe silicone, and an open-pore sponge.

First, buy a coconut. The ones available at the grocery story are often scored, so they crack open easily. Find one of these, if possible. On the top of the coconut, you will find three indentations where the coconut was attached to the tree. Poke or drill through the largest of the three holes, and drain the milk. Using a hammer, crack the coconut in half. Don’t be too zealous in your hammering. You just want to crack it in half along the score marks, not obliterate the shell. It usually works best if you just tap it gently until it cracks enough that you can pull it apart with your hands. Scoop out the meat. An ice-cream scoop usually works best. A knife with a thick, short blade also works well. You want to get between the meat and the shell, and pop the meat out.

Boil the top half of the coconut to kill anything potentially harmful and to keep it from leaching much tannin. Boil it for 15 minutes, empty the water and refill it. Do this again twice for 30 minutes and then again for an hour. The coconut may turn your water a little brown when first introduced to the tank. The tannins it leaches are mildly acidic and may affect the pH slightly.

While your coconut dries, heat the nail, and use it to poke holes in the bottom inch 3/4" outlet tube. Next, glue the air line tubing to the inside of the outlet tube. You want the end of the air line tubing to be just slightly above the holes you poked with the nail. Next, cap off bottom end of the outlet tube. Take your sponge and cut a 1" deep hole down into it. It needs to be deep enough to cover all of the holes in the outlet tube. Insert the bottom of the outlet tube into the sponge.

Use a drill to enlarge the hole you made to drain the milk. Make the hole big enough for your outlet tube to fit snugly inside. Put the air line and outlet tube through the hole, so that they are sticking up out of the top of the coconut. Put the coconut into your tank, hook up the other end of the air line to the pump, and turn it on. The coconut should be heavy enough to make the whole apparatus sink. If not, simply glue a few rocks or marbles to the inside of the coconut until it sinks.

This project is easy and inexpensive. The coconut will really enhance the appearance of any tank. You can even use the other half of the coconut to make a cave. Your fish will love it, and so will you.

 

Are they a must have if I want to grow plants or have fish that do not breathe atmospheric air?

 

Depends on your filter, does it have good flow/aeration? I've had quite a few fish that don't breath air and none have died from lack of it. If your filter is weak, consider a air stone or sponge filter.

 

Like Aquastar suggests, if your filter riffles the surface or splashes, you probably have enough gas exchange to oxygenate the tank.

Good one, Nick. Coconut shell sponge filter. I guess, if the bottom edge is uneven, you don't even need a bottom on it.

I agree with Nick, if you're going to go through the trouble of getting an air-pump, check-valve and airstone, you might as well run a sponge filter and get some use out of it all. An airstone does make a sponge filter more efficient.

That said, some Betta and other fish enjoy playing in the bubbles.

(Nick, are you sure you can run an airstone in that brand of filter? I know you can in the ATI Hydro version. But I've never seen that knockoff in person. Some of the pictures I've seen make an airstone look problematical.)

 

You dont put an airstone in it, You connect the hose to the top of the housing.

Here's another idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIrQ_RWGRKI

 

Please note this is just my opinion.

Every tank should be filtered and have an air pump, This no filter no air pump in a Bettas tank is just plain nonsense.
Go look in the Betta Fish Diseases and Emergencies section and you will find that the majority of people who ask for help do not run aeration/filtration combined with poor water quality and no live plants.

 

Can you recommend any good air pumps I could buy?

 

A sponge filter is definitely helpful. In planted tank what I learned is that you can get dead spots in the tank and mulm (basically petrified poop) does not break down properly. An airstone is not much use unless you are running it at night when the plants take up more oxygen. However, after awhile many people get canister filters for planted tanks. They are quiet and long lasting. Here are reviews for a small one apparently people are using it on tanks from 5-29 gallons.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Exte.../dp/B00ROT41PK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451514085&sr=8-1&keywords=SUNSUN+602-603

Here it is cheaper on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Aquari...-Table-Top-Nano-Fresh-Salt-/262190715911?hash=item3d0bc8d407:g:JRoAAOSw7FRWbjgR

I would figure out what you'd want long term. Because what generally happens is you spend money one thing only to decide you'd rather have the best possible equipment and that you could have just spent the original money on. Planning your plantscape, your lights (very important) and filter ahead are what will end up saving you money.