# Ripple or no ripple?



## Gary Nelson (4 Sep 2012)

Just thought I'd ask a simple question... How many of you on here have your filter outlet or power head creating a ripple on the waters surface? Or any of you that have tank setups that just have a very still water surface?

I know some people set a good surface movement of water to help combat the surface film that can build up.

I dont get any surface scum myself and filter outlets are pointing down into the tank, obviously giving me a very still water on top, just wondered really if this has any benefits to the plants or fish, or perhaps it is better to have a good ripple on the surface?


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## Iain Sutherland (4 Sep 2012)

personally i like a good rippling and just inject more co2 if you use it.  Fish definitely seem to appreciate the additional oxygen.


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## HarryRobinson (4 Sep 2012)

Is it okay for a ripple if dosing easy carbo?


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## Antipofish (4 Sep 2012)

HarryRobinson said:
			
		

> Is it okay for a ripple if dosing easy carbo?



Absolutely mate     No probs at all with that.


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## Gary Nelson (4 Sep 2012)

easerthegeezer said:
			
		

> personally i like a good rippling and just inject more co2 if you use it.  Fish definitely seem to appreciate the additional oxygen.



So would the extra oxygen from a decent amount of surface movement help combat algae as well? As algae does not like lot of oxygen... Right? Or have I got that wrong? :?:


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## Ian Holdich (4 Sep 2012)

ripple for me...


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## Ady34 (4 Sep 2012)

Hi Gary,
personally I'm going for much more surface agitation this time round. Tom Barr does this to increase oxygen levels in the water to allow for a slightly higher C02 concentration, whilst keeping the fauna comfortable. The trade off is of course a higher injection rate but my aim is to make things less stressful for the fish and better for the plants.
Cheerio
Ady


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## Gary Nelson (4 Sep 2012)

Ripple does sound like more sense then, Ian's video shows a very light amount of surface movement which I might go for (nice tank Ian)


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## Matt Warner (4 Sep 2012)

Personally I don't bother with too much surface agitation as this gasses off the co2 which you have injected. You shouldn't really need any extra O2 in the water as healthy plants will do this for you!


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## jamesb (4 Sep 2012)

Matty1983 said:
			
		

> Personally I don't bother with too much surface agitation as this gasses off the co2 which you have injected. You shouldn't really need any extra O2 in the water as healthy plants will do this for you!



Don't you have to be careful about the plants producing co2 in an already co2 saturated tank with minimal surface agitation/gas exchange?


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## Matt Warner (4 Sep 2012)

I'm not sure but I've always thought the plants will produce enough O2 to last until lights on again.


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## jamesb (4 Sep 2012)

How I understood it (no expert at all) is they produce o2 during photo period and co2 during lights out so I would I though with little surface agitation gas exchange the majority of o2 the plants consume is used as it is produced as the tank is being injected with co2. So if the plant produced O2 is pretty much consumed by lights out when the plants start expelling co2, if you still have very little surface agitation/ gas exchange you have a co2 heavy O2 light tank being filled with plant excreted co2 meaning you have an even greater amount of co2 compared to O2. Having said that if co2 is going off before lights some of it will have been consumed and if you have no fish dying it is obviously working for your set up.


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## Ian Holdich (4 Sep 2012)

it's all about equilibrium...you do need some surface agitation IME.


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## Antipofish (4 Sep 2012)

ianho said:
			
		

> it's all about equilibrium...you do need some surface agitation IME.



I completely agree.  Since adding more agitation my fish have been happier and I have been able to up the CO2 a bit as well.  It also seems to benefit the plants.  If its good enough for Tom Barr (as well as IanH of course, hehe) its sure good enough for me


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## Matt Warner (4 Sep 2012)

When you say surface ripple, do you mean movement of the surface without breaking the surface? If so then I already have that.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (4 Sep 2012)

jamesb said:
			
		

> Matty1983 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




The plants produce O2 (which is Oxygen) during the photoperiod from co2 & Ferts.


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## Gary Nelson (4 Sep 2012)

A decent surface movement with no breaking of the water.


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