Are Aquarium Air Pumps Oxygen Tanks? Fish Tank Bubbles, Do You Need Them? 

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I put a bubbler that was made to look like a water fountain in mine. One of my snails climbed on top of it and was promptly launched into the air by the bubbles, bouncing off the fixture's rocks on the way down like a plinko ball. Best 50 bucks I ever spent.

Loved the garage analogy! "Oooh lord help me, it's getting stuffy in here!"

FInally found the answer for my doubt. I don't need an air pump for my tank since the filter drops the water from the top, moving the water and there's also a small waterfall to the second part of the tank. Great video!

Hey there! Long time fan though very rarely post. An absolute great thing about air pumps (or anything that causes atmospheric exchange) is that in low-tech planted tanks it can help to add CO2 when the plants deplete it from the water via the atmospheric exchange. By increasing also C02 with 02 in tanks that are C02 depleted, it helps to empower the plants that we have to fight off so many various forms of algae. Using air stones, when ran accordingly, can actually bring your C02 levels near the level of passive C02 setups with out all the extra added costs. And as you mentioned, they are absolutely fantastic for helping to spread nutrients throughout the water column.

Really? "Lets clear all of that up?" How did you miss, "Let's clear the air." when it is so obvious? You are usually so good at those.

Thank you John and Lisa for your videos!! I have been keeping fish for almost 40 years, professionally for 35, and I love your passion for the hobby, and the fun way you guys explain things!! Keep up the good work, love watching you both!!

The most amazing thing that I've seen with an airater system in a tank was. The fish were actually playing in the bubbles. So if the fish like them. Definitely worth having. Air stones come in many shapes and sizes. So be creative and have fun.

Ugh I’m so new to this fish life and it’s so stressful! I wish there was a place I could just vent and ask all my questions to😂 your videos have been so helpful amongst all this stress! I love my new fish children but I never know what’s normal and what’s abnormal when it comes to these fellows!

Walmart. Fishing section. 10 different kinds of bubblers, rechargeable, battery operated, usb operated. I have many and the best is the 4 dollar mr bubbles that takes AA or AAA one or two batteries at a time.

Back in college I had an Oscar that like to wander into the bubbles and let himself rise to the surface and I think it was actually entertainment for him

You’re awesome! Thank you for bringing up bettas! So many people say that they need absolutely still water and to not add bubblers. I tested that out and I took the bubbler out for 5 days. My bettas kept swimming to the bubbler waiting for it to turn on. They lingered by it like crazy. I finally turned it on, and they were swimming around like their old selves again! I’ve tested this out by even turning it off at night and the first thing I do when I wake up is turn it on and they go right to the air bubblers, waiting for the bubbles. Bettas are so smart. Anyways, great video, and you’re the first RU-vidr that explained this clearly

Here’s another tip! If you mod your sponge filters and add a small air stone in the base you get smaller bubbles which is more efficient as the amount of air needed is reduced because smaller bubbles lift more water. Another one when moving fish, keep them on the cooler side, cooler water holds more oxygen than warm water and reduced metabolism of the fish means less oxygen consumed and less waste produced.

That was excellently done. Also just an FYI, the “tanks” that people walk around with are compressed oxygen at approximately 99.9% oxygen (compared to what is in the air we breathe is 21% oxygen), also the “compressors” that people see hooked up to a nasal cannula is actually a molecular sieve that compressed the oxygen from the air to the patient. Both require a Physician prescription.

Great vid John, you nearly killed me with that thumbnail.

I added a UPS (battery backup) like those used for computers to power my Tidal filters and air sponge filters on my two tanks. Can sustain power both for about 90 minutes. If needed, I can disconnect the Tidal filters and just keep the air pumps going.

There is one more use, when I go for vacation I insert a air filter with dual power that goes to battery when power goes and remains in power supply usually. So if there is power outage when I am not home it takes care.

Great commentary. Surface agitation is the real key though and I'm glad you said it repeatedly. The bubbles emitted from the stone do very little until they breach the water surface and interfere with waters surface cohesion; that bubble breaking the surface is where most of the exchange takes place, not the bubble passing through the tank's solution. Any surface agitation breaks the water-atmosphere interface and encourages gasses to diffuse both into the solution and into the atmosphere according to the gradient's present in either material

I wasn’t going to add an air stone to my 10gal tank until you mentioned all the benefits in this video! I’ve got a big filter but it’s turned down so the flow is manageable for my betta. I definitely think the tanks more stagnant than it should be & I loved when you mentioned that an air stone will help keep a ‘hard to reach area’ of your tank cleaner! Great ideas!!! Found a new air pump for $2 at my local thrift store so going to get an air stone now!!

Freaking yes. And you don’t need a big one. My parent’s 65 is kept happy by a little ten gal air pump. Now I think it also depends on your fish load, tank size, and how far the water from your filter drops to get into the aquarium.

That constan coloumn of bubbles pumped in under pressure gives the water much air, do not underestimate the total surface of those bubbles and the high pressure between the airbubbles and the water. In my higly filtrated 750 tank introduced an airpump, and i actually see airbubbles sitting at the bottom of the tank after a night of aeriation. And... my tank had good watercirculation before i introduced the airpump.

Great explanation on air pumps. However the surface around each bubble is a surface too. Although the oxygen exchange is minimal and not the reason to have an air pump, it is another added reason to have one. When I had tanks, I loved underground filters which reduces " dead spots." Someone told me if I take the egg crate covering that covers the shop or kitchen lights use a heated pin to punch holes in the egg crate covering and glue Chinese marbles to one side with aquarium safe seal or glue cut a hole on each one of the opposite two sides to glue & place the plastic tube then run an airstone and line in each that makes a perfect under ground filter. They were correct but if you include Dojos or Spiny eels and Geophagus species or African Giraffe cichlid that keeps the small round pebble gravel churned up. I still would replace the water with a quarter water change at appropriate intervals moving my larger rocks to clean under them as well as well. I liked the waterfall effect and sidemounted filter would add.

In a pinch, fish can push water over their gills to get oxygen. After all, they are shipped overnight in sealed bags. But beneficial bacteria can only live without water movement for about 2 hours (depending on temperature). These pumps are vital for keeping your aquarium's filtration alive in a power outage or long car ride.

Can you make a video about the best combinations of fish for different sized tanks. (5 gal, 10gal, 20gal etc)

Thank you. I’m relatively new to the fish world. I inherited two large striped Raphael‘s and a couple of large Cory catfish. And now I have 19 fish and one snail LOL Anyhow I have a great neighbor who has 1- 75 gallon 2- 65 gallon and many smaller aquariums around her home. All beautiful, she has told me about your RU-vid channel and has helped me loads. I am really enjoying the fish world and am going to start a 55 gal very soon. Your channel has helped me loads 😊

I have been told that I don't need my pump all of the time and my tetras are dieing off. I have noticed them gasping at the surface too. Pump back on and getting a few airstones. Thank you for this. Bit late but Happy 4th July Everyone! 👍 🇺🇸 🇬🇧

I remember my dad had an under gravel filter in his tank while I was growing up but I've never seen them in fish stores. Why were they used and why aren't they used anymore?

After years using pumps on tanks I started a new tank 5 years back without one. Being a Juwel model it has a filter built in, previous tanks I'd used an external large filter. What with having to replace filter pipes over years and seals again thought I'd try the internal filter. Opinion on these is split out there, some buy these types of tank and remove the filter, which makes no sence when you've just paid for it to be there. So in all those 5+ years it's been perfect, filter basket is easy to lift out and clean meaning I'm doing it more often. Plus I can change the filter contents and try and check different filter mediums. The power head is angled to push the water along the back of the tank and slightly upwards to create a circular flow back to the filter and agitates the suface. One add on I've just ordered though is a surface skimmer to remove and keep clear the surface of residue that comes off plants and food, also will keep the surface in a better condition for oxygen transfer. I do regular 10% water changes , gravel cleans and test the water, this is the first tank that's given me real success with plants so can't be too bad.

Is it weird that I just like the hum and the sounds of bubbles? I got this tiny fishbowl air pump 20 years ago and it still works and pretty well too.

We have a 75 gallon tank that always worries me every time the power goes out. It was my dad's fish tank and we only have 1 more fish left that he bred before he passed away 2 years ago. I have been so anxious during this current power outage and I've been freaking out all day. A friend lent me his power supply and I'm running an air pump I found with. I wasn't sure if it'll help without a brand new stone but I feel that having some water movement in general is probably better than nothing. I came across your video at 2am and it's really helping relieve my anxiety of things a bit. I really appreciate how enjoyable you made the video be 🙏 I just gave a like and a sub🙂🙏

Ive wondered about the air pump forever and finally i got a good video about it the moment is asked a question to myself in my head you answered it in the video this is the best video i’ve seen so far about air pumps And got to say i love the intro and the song

My spray bar points towards the surface. Really helps the gas exchange.

I love the USB air pumps I’ve used them 3 times this year due to power outages just pop them onto my sponge filters airlines and into my laptop and it’s kept my fish happy and alive :)

Thank you from UK John and Lisa. I started with a tub in the garden this year and replaced that with a 110 gallon above ground aquarium plus 4 tanks indoors, (where else can I put one) Yes I saw your video about multi tank syndrome 😃. I have learned so much from you both, you are my go to place for info and advice. Appreciate the fun honest and straight forward approach. Thanks again

There's a few negatives to air pumps that prevent me from using them. I've actually removed my air pumps simply due to the noise that it was creating. You could have the quietest pump however the noise from the surface agitation drove me insane. I simply use my filters to create surface movement which works fine for me. the crazy thing is, I like how a wall bubble looks. I just hate the constant droning noise and the spittle on the glass from them.

thanks for the help! i'm in a dire situation right now and your video helped me realize, quickly and simply, why i need to buy an air pump. explanation below :D during the night, i've caught my fish coming up to the surface for oxygen. i have a 10 gallon, a decent amount of hardscape, and a few live plants in here. i have the water filled up past the outflow line, so there's no waterfall to really agitate the surface, which means that my water may not be sufficiently oxygenated during lights-out. another reason being that my live plants stop producing oxygen when the lights are off at night, they actually start absorbing it. and in a *slightly* overstocked 10 gallon, my fish will run out of oxygen quicker. in my situation, an air pump is definitely crucial. i need surface agitation and oxygen in the tank for my overstocked tank during the night, else my fish would not have a very good time sleeping. another reason being that my cycle actually isn't totally complete (having a bacterial bloom at the moment). i was forced into a fish-in cycle, so my ammonia is not at 0 ppm. it's closer to 0.5, maybe 0.6. in 78 degree water with a ph of 8.0, that level ammonia is borderline toxic to my fish. ammonia converting to nitrites is an oxidization process, so it requires oxygen. in an overstocked, non-cycled tank, especially at night, oxygen levels deplete very quickly. i thought about it last night and realized that i could potentially be hindering the nitrification process by not providing enough surface agitation in my tank for oxygen to come in. as a result, i am slowing down the cycle that's already stressing out my fish, when i need this cycle to complete ASAP. by buying an air pump, not only do i provide more oxygen in my tank for my fish while they sleep at night, but i could potentially speed up the nitrogen cycle and have a fully cycled and safe tank for my fish to live in faster than if i didn't have an air pump.

From what my grandpa taught me is the air pump does is it doesn't give the fishtank oxygen it displaces carbon dioxide more.

We recently lost power and it took over a day and a half to turn it back on. I had been setting up a tank actually a few things This is very addicting hobby. For about a month now. When the power went out I was out of town so I could not hook anything up to an inverter with a battery. I can see where the battery powered d cell pump would come in very handy. Anyway the sad ending is for the 9 neon Tetra and a 10 gallon tank. It had a couple plants and some frog bit but that didn't help much. All nine neon Tetra are dead and if you have tetras I highly recommend this. The catfish that was in the tank is fine The puffer fish in another tank are fine and all of the loaches catfish and gara fish seem okay. We did lose one axolotl because of the air conditioning. Anyway all the best to whoever reads this and enjoy your hobby 😊

my fish (plecos, red tail sharks) love the bubbles running up against them.

under gravel filters are my favourite filters. but yeah they are very oldschool.

Thank you, this was some information I needed to improve my tanks!

Once saw a video where the dude said "you don't need to aerate your tank water because H2O is already part oxygen." 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

I still like the idea of populating your tank only to the point where it can handle the fish load without power. Yes you need battery pumps when the power goes out if your tank is overloaded. If your area is prone to long outages, less fish = less concern. Good video. I like sponge filters in addition to HOB filters. Some air stones are seriously noisy and don't work for me in a "quiet" room.

Y’all are amazing! This is my first tank as an adult and I’m loving it!!! You have helped me so much. I watch my snails and shrimp for like 4-8hours or more a day hahaha

But my betta lovessss the air bubbles! 🤣🤣 He is one weird fellow!

I've been fretting over the oxygen cause the top is covered in floaters - frog bit. I put an air stone in, but the bubble can't really "go" anywhere cause of the floaters... My tank is heavily planted, so will the plants make enough oxygen that I don't have to worry about it? I hate to take the frog bit out cause I love the jungle looks and my shrimpies just love it this way. There are a lot of live, rooted plants as well. Thank you.

I have the marina portable pumps lol and I am one of those nerds that put a pump when I’m transferring fish. Love this video.

I took care of a pond once, was covered in slime and algae, I installed two aerators and within two weeks the pond was crystal clear to the bottom, and all the growth died. Ph is very important and will typically be the sayer of what happens.

Should also mention that dechlorinators use O2 in the water in order to break down chlorine and chloramine molecules. Having an air stone running will help keep the O2 levels up when doing water changes.

This is one of the great myths of aquarium keeping,I don't have an air pump at all on my tropical aquarium as the power filter agitates the water surface and aquarium hygiene keeps derititus from collecting,I think air stones are more decorative than functional but,they do look great,each to their own.

Got a little hung up on the surface agitation. A snapshot of the bubbles coming out of an air stone will likely have just as much total surface area as the top of the tank at a given time. Gas diffusion occurs just as readily if not more in the turbulent bubble column, given it's the same air on the surface as it being pumped in. Just thought I'd add that in here.

It's called air pump, not oxygen pump for good reason.

I always loved an end to end bubble curtain on dark background. Give the tank depth.

They are very useful when the power goes out

I went from thinking sponge filters didn’t work to loving them after using them in my angelfish breeder tanks. Now one of of my main 125 gallon tanks is ran off a pair of sponge filters rated for 80 gallons a piece

i just like seeing the bubbles - my filter return oxygenates the water plenty

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Just setting up a 10g for a Betta. Got a small filter but the water isn’t moving. Advice on line is confusing land contradicting.

This is a good question because even when the air bubbles turn off like when the power goes out, the fish are still alive even after a couple of hours.

Last summer we put a bunch of crawfish in our turtle tank as food. This tank has no filter and exchange water once every two weeks. 150 gallon. We over hauled it and found one crawfish alive. We gave it its own10 gal tank with a filter and bubble curtain. It has molted , eats and doesn’t try to escape. Luckiest prey item ever.

hey you guys have helped me so much with setting my first community tank up, thank you from aus.

Like you said on the first night that I bought a one foot tank and 3 pairs of Molly fish, and of course an air pump, I didn’t slept much. I felt the bubbles were stirring the water so much that probably the fishes couldn’t rest/sleep, so I switched off the pump for couple of hours. I was in doubt if I did the right thing. So next day I was back at the shop and I bought a regulator by which the flow of air is controlled. I am at peace since then. The shop didn’t had a filter small enough for one foot tank.

Good topic! I haven’t seen this covered yet!

That's a googly eye betta you got there!

5:21 that fish looks really rough. Is he ok?

My betta loves his air stone lol he swims through it just to get spun around 😂lol my little buddy is goofy

I love how it is the power cable in the thumb nail not an air line 😂

Well I love how LRB does filter less natural tanks, but I’ve found mine do the best with a sponge and a filter or bubbler with it. It seems the surface agitation just makes the whole tank healthier!

Thank you for all the helpful tips. I have gotten a lot of advice that applied to my aquariums.

I have my air stone in the corner of the tank behind some plants and it looks nice, my tiger barbs actually go in the bubbles they love it

Airstones are recomended in tall aquariums.

Thanks God, the only video on RU-vid that explains it in detail.

Omg! Thank you for this video. Luterally contemplating if i need to stuff in an air pump ytd

I use surface agitation from my can return plus I love the sound

Great video! I've got a question. What about the amount of bubbles? I'm always worried about using the full power of my air pump, cause it's a bubble curtain (as we call it in my country), and I feel like the amount of bubbles can stress my fish, maybe too much noise or moviment. What do you say? Thank you!

Thank you for the video. I keep 3 battery backups for my aquariums. Please do a undergravel filter segment. I installed a undergravel system into my 40 gallon breeder. Just as a pre-filter for my canister filter. I have plans to attach a riparium on it as well. I also have an air pump to circulate water from underneath.

I hear they are best for surface agitation if you have a canister filter.

Great vid John! I missed seeing them! Anytime i go to a garage sale or flea market and see aquarium supplies dirt cheap i pick them up! Can't tell you how many pumps i've picked up for a buck or less!! Old style box filters as well. I love them and they've worked really well for me the entire 50 years i've been at this hobby!! Happiest of Holidays and hi to Lisa!! Peace always. ernie!! 😍😃💝😻😄

Awesome RU-vid thank you. I'm new at fishtank hobby. Started with a 10 gallon. What numer of fish can you have in a 10 gallon and do fish need places to hide ? New subscriber:)

Thank you, I’m new to keeping fish and this video really helps.

Have never seen a zombie beta before. Cool

5:34 i loves when he gets facetious 😂

love that fish room!

I think a simpler explanation would be that air pumps creates more surface area in the tank. There is more water to air contact creating more chances for gas exchange.

I'm obsessed with your advices.

Man... I wish I would have researched moving fish a little better. I just moved from FL to UT, and transported a 20 gal tank with my fish still in it. I had no idea what to do... So I just emptied half of the water out, and at each stop for the night, I would lug the tank inside. I would use a cup to agitate the water, then in the morning, put the tank back into the car for another day of driving. I consider myself lucky for having never lost any fish... I keep forgetting I live in a time where I can just look this stuff up for some reason... I'm in the military so I'm sure this info will come in handy later when I move again.

All of my tanks are without any air stone and if light goes off, My tanks still function well. How is that possible 🤔

Gas exchange occurs at any air water interface not just at the water surface.

Your videos are so cool they’re so interesting and educational makes me want to keep going in the fish Hobby

Sir, I want to ask: 1. For a 20x20x25 tank, do you need an aerator? There's already a hanging filter... 2. In the morning and afternoon I turn off the lights because there is sunlight, do I need to provide an aerator? 3. I will turn on the lights at night after I get home from the office around 9pm (because I'm in the bedroom, the AC is on 16°C 😅 so I need a light so the water isn't too cold🙈.. 4. Fill with low CO2 plants, bright fluorescent fish, guppies, mollies, platties, and ornamental shrimp.. 5. The tank is new and will be filled with tap water (in Indonesia, you can't drink tap water because it contains iron and chlorine). 6. what should I do and what do I have for my tank?

Hello ...is that Betta healty.?

As a newbie to the hobby, your information has been invaluable!

I still use under gravel filters and IMO they are the best and I have 60 years experience with aquariums.

Plain and simple. More air in the water is good. Also it helps keep the water moving in the tank. My fish love the bubbles. I've trained them for feeding time when I turn the bubbles off. They know when the bubbles are off they know it's time to eat.

luv u kg for informative videos

One thing I did not see mentioned is you should uses a one way check valve in the air line to prevent any water from siphoning back to the air pump when than the air pump is lower than the tank. This is particularly critical with an AC powered pump.

Y'all have an uncanny ability to put out videos on topics I'm researching right when I'm researching them. 😂

the usb one is great during lockdown the kids been doing brine shrimp experiment one cheap sponge filter one usb mini pump 4 months later we still have colony of brine shrimp

Nice video John 👍 I've just ordered as twin outlet air pump and sponge filter for my 50 Gallon because my high flow hang in back filter is a pain in the arse to dismantle to clean the filter pads! Hopefully the sponge filter setup will make life easier ! 👌

Ied say add an airstone as some of your fish may just like playing in the bubbles like my male SFF did, it’s really cute watching how some fish play with the different water movements in the tank.