# Aeration why?



## Reuben (12 Jan 2014)

Reading some of the info in T. Amano's book, I see a lot of reference to 'Aeration - 14hrs'  Presumably overnight.

Just wondering what the thinking behind this is/was?

Does anyone still do this?

Thanks


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## jose_j (12 Jan 2014)

Hi Reuben,

yes I do it in this tank:

300L pseudo-Dutch style Planted Tank | UK Aquatic Plant Society

while lights are switched off an air pup is sending bubbles to the aquarium through a diffuser stone. I do it because this overnight aeration removes all CO2 molecules from the water (creating the same effect you get when you shake and open a soda bottle). Plants don't need CO2 at night, what they need is O2, and overnight aireation is great to give them what they like. Moreover, If you do it, the rest of the livings in the aquarium will be happy as well as they also need O2, not CO2.

Hope my message will help you

Cheers,

Jose


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## mitchelllawson (12 Jan 2014)

jose, im going to start doing this. how long after turning the lights off should i turn the airstone on?

mitchell

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## Yo-han (12 Jan 2014)

More important, your filter bacteria like the extra O2 and it raises the pH. Most bacteria in our filter are most active at a 'high' pH (8-8,5). Amano doesn't use air stones. Instead he just raises the lily pipes so they suck in extra air. You can use an air pump instead off course (I do!)



mitchelllawson said:


> jose, im going to start doing this. how long after turning the lights off should i turn the airstone on?
> 
> mitchell
> 
> Sent from my GT-S5830i using Tapatalk 2


 
 Right away!


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## Reuben (12 Jan 2014)

Mmm, interesting -seems like a few are doing this then, or is nearly everyone?  Be good to get a general concensus.


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## jose_j (12 Jan 2014)

mitchelllawson said:


> jose, im going to start doing this. how long after turning the lights off should i turn the airstone on?
> 
> mitchell
> 
> Sent from my GT-S5830i using Tapatalk 2


 Good choice Mitchell. In my case the air pump starts working exactly when the lights are switched off and stops 30 minutes before they are turned on again.


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## Ian Holdich (12 Jan 2014)

I use the ehiem skimmer to give me extra 02, and also get a nice clear water suface.


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## aliclarke86 (12 Jan 2014)

Personally I have lots of surface agitation giving me more oxygen all the time. The only downside is I go through a lot more co2 (about 500g every 2 - 3 weeks on my 80ish litre tank)

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## Ian Holdich (12 Jan 2014)

That's a lot Ali!


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## aliclarke86 (12 Jan 2014)

yup I'm actually looking at a skimmer. I get a fair amount of surface scum and the only way to beat it is having the surface break... I get nice growth and happy fish but my wallet takes a beating!

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## Reuben (12 Jan 2014)

Well my water surface ripples, but doesn't 'break' -i.e. air bubbles don't form.  

I took aeration to mean adding air bubbles into the tank.  



Ian Holdich said:


> I use the ehiem skimmer to give me extra 02


 
Does that add air bubbles then?


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## ceg4048 (19 Jan 2014)

I don't do any of this and I don't have any problems. As mentioned, surface agitation during the photoperiod increases CO2 loss and increases the Oxygen loss because plants produce Oxygen and saturate the water with Oxygen. Adding bubbles during this time is therefore self defeating and pointless. At night it can help to improve Oxygen levels during the non-photoperiod hours.


Surface ripples are fine during the day.

Cheers,


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## Reuben (19 Jan 2014)

Thanks for the input.  I did think about trying to resurrect this 'debate' to get a few more opinions, but as I've decided not to bother with the nigh time aeration gave up!




ceg4048 said:


> At night it can help to improve Oxygen levels


Do you think this is why Amano does it?



ceg4048 said:


> I don't do any of this and I don't have any problems


What is the measurable advantage (asAmano sees it) in this case?


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## ceg4048 (19 Jan 2014)

Well the only real reason to do it is, as mentioned to prop up the Oxygen levels at night.

During non-photoperiod plants are Oxygen consumers and they also produce CO2 from their metabolic process, exactly as you do. Therefore they compete with fish for Oxygen. At some point in the early morning, it can be that the Oxygen level bottoms out while there is still residual CO2 from the previous day's injection and this is a bad combination.

The disadvantage of night time aeration however is that it off gasses the CO2 faster, so it takes a longer time to raise the CO2 levels prior to lights on, which, of course, is THE most critical time for CO2.

If the fish are suffering then naturally, aeration is the best response. Use of wet dry filters also have an advantage at night because of the aeration inherent in their operating method, but again, that just means that you have to add more CO2 during the day.

One has to observe the fish late at night or early morning to determine if it is necessary to aerate. Look for signs of Oxygen debt, breathing at surface and so forth.  Of course you can just aerate from the general principle, i.e, being safer than sorry.

Cheers,


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## Vito (23 Jan 2014)

I raise the Lilly every night to create water movement and bubbles, keeps the surface scum away and plants are in tip top shape and grow ferociously.


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## ceg4048 (25 Jan 2014)

Yes that works fine too, no doubt about it, but I'm too lazy to fiddle with plumbing every night, so I never bother and my plants grow just as ferociously....and I never get surface scum.

Each person has to decide what the risks and benefits are and to maintain their tank with whatever policy seems to work best. So if fish are fine and fishkeeper is lazy, then taking no further action will work. If the fish suffer discomfort that can be attributed to lack of aeration at night then it might be worth the effort  to aerate.

Cheers,


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## plantbrain (25 Jan 2014)

Actually Amano uses a sump and prefilter over flow wet/dry type filter on all the larger tanks including his home. 

I do also. The sump/prefilter overflow increased O2 1-2 ppm consistently on 4 tanks I changed over from canisters to wet/drys. 
Not just one or two, but 4 tanks...........and 1-2 ppm is like 15-30% more O2, which is a lot.
All my tanks have them. I never liked aeration: cloudy dusty floc is pulled up, if the canister gets it, great, if not, well........you get a haze.
Lime spots from the spray of the bubbles. Something else to plug in and put on a  timer.
Adjusting the pipe works, but, it's a chore to remember.
And you have to clean the pipes often to keep them looking decent and most everyone I know has broken a lily pipe or two.
Argument for the wet/dry just beat the snot out of the canister for myself. Canisters have their attributes: very quiet, small, relatively cheap for smaller tanks etc. 

I use a Mame overflow and a sump on my 60p, but the prefilter cost more than the tank. 
Eshopps nano prefilters work well and are relatively small and such a system can be done for less than the cost of the canister. Some prefilter mods can make them extremely quiet also.
But below a 70-80 liter tank ....naw.


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## Cherry (24 Mar 2014)

plenty of expert thought here but my two penny worth _ I am away a bit so have stuff on timers - I have a pump with a bit of plastic pipe in the inlet which I have on a timer that comes on about 12.30am (as it annoys me otherwise) and it goes off about 8.30am(and blows air under the water so it doesnt splash) - before that I found my fish were suffering in the morning.I then have my CO2 coming on about an hour before the lights - and I have a teeny skimmer which does the trick - dont have it running all the time


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## Mr. Teapot (24 Mar 2014)

Additional aeration at night seemed to work for my tank’s overall health... could have been other factors and I’ll have to get round to seeing what the results are if I switch it off. I use a little aquamedic reducing T (couple of quid) on the outlet with the air pump on a timer when the CO2 isn’t on - no mess in the tank and everything hidden away… placed just after the inline diffuser.


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## Cherry (24 Mar 2014)

Mr. Teapot said:


> Additional aeration at night seemed to work for my tank’s overall health... could have been other factors and I’ll have to get round to seeing what the results are if I switch it off. I use a little aquamedic reducing T (couple of quid) on the outlet with the air pump on a timer when the CO2 isn’t on - no mess in the tank and everything hidden away… placed just after the inline diffuser.[/quot
> 
> whats that for mr T?


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## Mr. Teapot (24 Mar 2014)

Cherry said:


> whats that for mr T?



To improve Oxygen levels during the non-photoperiod hours


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## ian_m (24 Mar 2014)

Other thing I have noticed in putting an air pump on during dark ours, as it creates a slightly different water flow which seems to shift detritus into the water column to be filtered out. Before I ran the air at night (also suffered surface film) I used to get little collections of detritus/fish poo in corners, behind bits of wood etc, usually cleaned away at water change, but now with air pump running at night don't seem to get these.


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