Airstones or Sponge Filters - Get one. Maximize Oxygen Easily.
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 9. 07. 2024
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â Unfortunately this video is several years old and I lost footage. I have done extensive testing with a dissolved oxygen meter in home aquariums. It is my opinion that the home hobbyist is best served by adding at least 1 air stone or sponge filter to every aquarium no matter the filtration. You can achieve maximum oxygen without it, but it requires very loud water sounds from splashing water. I did test powerheads with venturi but lost the footage. In testing it did not perform that well as the powerhead was pointed towards the top of the tank. A koralia circulation pump was also tested and did not improve it that muche ither.
6.1ppm -55g with Surface plants with Sponge filter.
6.9ppm - 55g Without surface Plants with sponge filter.
7.4ppm - 55g With Fluval 406 Canister Filter at Surface and sponge filter.
6.7ppm - 55g Fluval 406 Canister at water surface only.
5.4ppm - 55g Fluval 406 Canister below water surface.
7.4ppm - 55g Aquaclear 110 Hang on Back falling into tank.
6.9ppm - 55g Aquaclear 110 Hang on Back at water surface.
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0:00 - Intro
0:57 - Testing the oxygen in an aquarium
14:58 - Outro
#Spongefilters #Aquariumfilter #Freshwaterfishtank
Grab that airpump in the garage, and throw a good air stone like this ziss air stone in your tank and get an easy benefit to your aquarium. www.aquariumcoop.com/products/never-clog-air-stone
I asked a former biology professor how oxygen transports in water - you got hes answer in your inbox "team@aquar..." sent today. I think you want to read it. Best regards and thanks for sharing â€
Were do you buy the duckweed?
@@BEINERFELTs wait what was the brief answer?
@@JosePineda-jn8jk Brief answer is diffusion at top (0,04 inch) and the rest of the way you will have to move the water by pump, fish fins or by using a airstone to turn the water vertically.
It will take very long time for oxygen to travel to the bottom by diffusion.
At 14:04 it looks like the best setup was a hang on back with water falling into the tank. That suggests that while an airstone is an excellent way to increase the dissolved O2, it isn't necessary, or even the best.
Just found this. Shame about the missing footage. Love how you showed the difference an airstone makes and you state in the description that no one wants the noise from a h.o.b emptying above the water line, which is why the airstone wins. Seems very clear. Will be sure to add some to mine, thanks for doing the leg work!
Never ever ever, delete this video. Excellent knowledge to have. Good work Cory!
And i tought i was a longtime subscriberđ but I've never seen this video. Thanks mister McElroy for what you do for this hobby!
Eye opening! I'm convinced that air stones (or sponge filters) are essential. Plus you provide real proof that too many floating plants inhibit proper oxygenation. I never realized that about floating plants đ€ Time for me to get to work ....
Really glad you released this video again. I'm keen to see more videos like this!!.
Great video, Cory. This is a perfect example of why I have at least one airstone/diffuser in all my tanks. Thanks for taking the time to do this experiment.
Yeah, once I had a meter i always have to have air in a tank now.
Omg the old days đ kinda want to go back and watch all your old videos đ
I knew it!! lol been waiting on this one for awhile,great video corey! thank you for putting in the time to do this!
Now the info is out there :)
We have been looking forward to this video. We ended up taking all the extra air pumps out we had laying around. Great topic. It was interesting seeing you actually put to the test how different types of surface agitation impacts dissolved oxygen levels.
Yeah I did it with the same load in the tank, same tank each time, so it took while to do all the switches.
Such a valuable video for aquarist, love that a cheep sponge is still the best option, although the hang on the back also impressed me too. Thank you for making helpful videos like this !!!
I was surprised by the hang on back also because typical wisdom says don't let it fall into the aquarium like that.
Thank you for doing this testing!
Thanks for putting the time and effort into that, very useful for everyone in the hobby I would think.
Hoping so. I'm still angry I lost some footage.
Finally found this video that you mentioned in the recent livestream. Great information!
This definitely makes me wonder how my tank is doing. Or how a HOB with output above/below waterline would do, ziss vs sponge vs air filter, and an additional pump just added for circulation. Unfortunately I don't have a canister filter. I am willing to bet that just using a circulation pump would've helped you tremendously with this testing (removing that Variable).
Definitely is worth the time, energy, and thought to test things like this. Your efforts are much appreciated.
Great substantive video. Thanks for taking time to film
it. It was worth my time to watch it.......twice. Lol.
It really changed what I had thought before I owned a meter. In my opinion it's a must watch video :)
Thanks so much for the video! I just added an air stone to my new aquarium :)
This video was extremely informative and appreciated
Glad I could help.
hello my tank is 3gallon so a spongefilter is big for it .... m thinking to put an airstone instead will it be great .... ill just keep shrimps
great idea of a video. I always wanted to know all of these options . your videos have great info. thanks for sharing.
I try to help 1 video at a time :)
Wow, a real eye opener! Thanks.
Man these old videos are forgotten treasures.
Added an air stone and sponge filter to my new tank and my new fish (after cycling tank) seem pretty lively. I'm glad I ran across this video. Shows I'm doing the right thing with giving enough air. I did remove some duckweed but I was still getting a lot of water movement. Ty.
Thanks for finding this. I have been very interested in this. Not very many people go to the trouble of doing the actual testing.
I would also like to see someone test different biological filter media with an empty tank and known ammonia levels using liquid ammonia. Say like compare a sponge filter against a liter of sea hem matrix versus lava rock
Seriously cute dog! Great video, informative, thanks.
She is super sweet :)
Thank you Soo much for this measurable experiment
Real good video awesome info cory.
That's a great video. Thanks for the info.
No problem :) Just angry I lost some footage.
nice work great tests
Love your videos!! :)
Great Video answered my exact question on using air stone. Thank you
Glad it could help ;)
Love your videos they help me a lot thank you
Thanks for doing the oxygen test. Very important and informative.
Wow! Had no idea the diference was that big. Thx m8!!
Yeah, I was shocked when I forgot my meter too.
Airstones using normal air(20% oxygen) to pump air to tank results in 85 parts per million oxygen to water, finer diffusers can result in higher ppm, and devices that uses electrolysis of water to produce 100% oxygen results in 120 ppm of oxygen. This finer bubbles are usually used in marine tanks, but I not too sure if these bubbles can be used in protein skimmers.
I agree that an air stone and a quality, quiet air pump is important.
Asked you the time & you showed me how to build a watch. lost will to live before the end.
Well done!
Thanks :)
Sweet baby girl you have!
Great job on the video!!
thanks
Great video!
Thanks
Old video but gold
That was a realy useful video, thx.
No problem :)
Thanks for this video đ
One of the classics. This video needs to be free uploaded so it's back on top of the list
great info, thanks
Goodness this was just the video I was looking for, the actual scientific testing was a bonus. I would have loved to have seen the numbers on a Powerhead with Venturi, I feel like that must be similar to the airstone PLUS it can provide circulation (if you need it), im looking at hillstream loach tank setups!
Hey Cory I hate the sound of a big air pump will your nano pump and nano sponge filter be good enough for a 60 gallon heavily planted tank just for surface agitation love your products BTW
Thank you!!
The one HOB above the surface was just as high of O2 as the air stone with canister though?
For an air stone (not sponge filter), is it better to get smaller bubbles or larger bubbles?
Also, is it better for the air stone to be at the bottom of the gravel, or just above the gravel?
Aww cute little doggy
nice vid. (maybe you should have a control tank as reference since you compared tanks across time . . . ) but how i wish you can make a DO level test in a tank with that Twinstar thingy.
Does the stocking level change the oxygen level... more fish less oxygen to read?
Great video. Check what a wet dry and overflow do
It would be interesting to see the static O2 levels in tanks of varying surface areas. 20 high vs 20 long would be expected to have different O2 levels. How much of a role does the length and width of the tank play with regards to oxygenation?
Generally, more exposed surface area means more O2.
Very interesting
sassy pants...nice! Another great one Cory! I'd be curious to know how low the dissolved O2 needs to be before harming livestock (or before they're heading for the surface for more o2)? Its clear certain setups provide more dissolved o2 than others, but how much more is really necessary? I'd also love to see a planted tank running pressurized co2 to see the differences at various times such as overnight vs during the "day" (lights off vs on); right after co2 turns on; and then again maybe a few hours later. Not trying to put you to work though cory; just sheer curiosity! I suppose the possible variables are endless though especially with planted setups....floaters, vs stems, stocking levels, plant density etc etc etc
Well most fish can't go below 4ppm. But different fish need different levels. Cooler water fish like reticulated hillstream loaches tend to suffer first when oxygen gets low.
Hi. I need your help please!! Don't know what to do. My cichlids are swimming on the top gasping for oxygen. Water test, amm-0, Nitrate-40, Nitrite-0,Hardness-25(very soft),Chlorine-0,Alkalinity-180,PH-7.8,Temp-82. Thx in advance. Did 25% water change...
I have a 75 gallon planted tank with a 40 gallon sump in the sump I have the heaters biomedia dc simplicity 1000 and two air pumps 4 port total for 160 gallons my question is, can I keep my airstones in the sump or should I move them to the display tank?
nice video, once again cory. have to ask you this, what cqn you sqy about using a hang on back filter and a sponge filter at the same time in one tank?
They compliment each other. It is beneficial.
+Aquarium Co-Op thanks cory
Cool video I really appreciate you taking the time to actually experiment and gather fact and not just pass on speculation and word of mouth/internet that's awesome. Have you set up a donation option or patron option for your channel?
I LOVE to find out things for myself as opposed to relying on others.
+Aquarium Co-Op me too I am naturally a sceptical person so I always find my self questioning things and experimenting and trying things. That's how I found a wait to not have to use the prime on the sunsun style canisters lol
+Matt's Aquariums nice.
+Aquarium Co-Op I don't know if you have checked out my videos but I have one on how to get the sunsun style canisters to auto prime after maintenance you should check it out.
Hey, i have a question for you. I test my O2 too, but i use a drop test from JBL to get the value. Would it still be good practice to test the oxygen content this way, or are the results of a droptest for O2 not accurate? In the morning before the sun is up and/or curtains closed i always test around 6-7 ppm O2 and in the evening right before lights out always around 10 ppm O2. These results are with a lot of plants and a powerhead directed at the surface enabled at night and DIY CO2-injection by day (CO2 starts 30 minutes before lights on and stops 1 hour before lights out, once CO2 stops the surface agitation by the powerhead starts.). Thanks in advance for your input ;)
PS. is it maybe an idea to test the O2 contents of the aquarium water with your O2 meter and at the same time with a few different brands of O2 drop test, to see how accurate they are?
well since you own it, why not use it, as long as the results are the same each time you test, it could tell you if something was off I suppose.
A two "hand job" Excellent!
great info...thank you for sharing....just subscribed to your channel...
+DAVID MANGAROO welcome aboard
Can you test it without any filter running and test it in a heavily planted tank with no filter running.
did you do some test on planted tanks, low tech, high tech, co2, no co2, ferts, so on?
Not in this video, but yes since I own a store and fish room and a DO meter, there isn't much that hasn't been tested. Even my ponds etc.
+Aquarium Co-Op I would enjoy seeing how o2 is in those tanks
It would be interesting to know how musch oxygen is there in a planted aquarium and wether or not you need extra o2 since the plants produce it too
Is an air stone needed in a planted tank with live stock?
Sassy with the save! Good girl lol
I test my o2 weekly. It's a very accurate indicator of the population of nitrifying bacteria in a saltwater reef tank; provided all conditions and livestock are basically the same.
By testing the oxygen I can log a pattern of the o2 levels and this will tell me if the bacteria population is stable so I know how to react or change any carbon dosing. Many people do not even test for o2 but I have had a lot of success doing so.
Interesting. I'd love to spend more time following tanks closely with a o2 sensor.
Sassy-Pants is so adorable! Would you recommend an airstone or a sponge filter for a betta tank? Thank you for making this video.
Since nobody jumped in and replied to this one, in case you're still wondering, sponge filters are ideal for betta fish. Also, they're a lot less noisy if you put an airstone inside them, and then boom, you got filtration and oxygenation going in one package.
@@seanvalentinus thank you so much.
I had to pause this video at 2:00 . Someone get this guy a cameraman
What about wet dry filters and algae scrubbers? I hear these oxygenate the water. I have also typed with the idea of placing either and air stone or a power head in a sump where all the water will be exposed to it. Have you tested sumps for oxygenation?
I have tested s ump oxygenation. With a trickle tower, typically they are already highly oxygenated. Algae scrubbers would produce oxygen as long as it's lights are on.
Interesting vid,good one.So many variables you could test -spraybars,plants with/without,gravel cleanliness etc.Oxygen level in relation to ph would be interesting also.
Yes I've pretty much tested all of those. But doing all that on that same 55, would have taken along time to plant it and get it thriving, then take them out etc. So this was what I could do with the same tank to eliminate the most variables.
When you tested with/without plants, did you notice a difference?
I use a head cam (GoPro on a head strap) to shoot video and still use both hands.
Do you want a cookie
Do you neex to worry about too much bubbles in tank causing too much resistance for fish to swim in. Can you do too much oxygen? Is that dangerous for fish? I love bubbles but how much is too much for my angel fish?
But based with the results, a HOB falling into the water provides more oxygen than a sponge filter right?
Cory, I have serious doubts that the type of filter was the cause for different D.O. levels. In the video it appeared that the amount of surface agitation/surface area with clear contact with the air was having more of an effect.
Have you tried no filtration and power heads/spray bars causing large ripples across the entire surface of the water?
If you ran the same tests (as in the video) again but measured carbon dioxide content. I would assume that you would see higher levels with low agitation than higher agitation because of the gas exchange between air and water. Afterall, carbon dioxide is easier to disolve in water than oxygen.
It's not really the different filters so much as it is the way you use each filter. For instance a canister with it below the water level, at the water level, and above the water level all provide different amounts of oxygen transfer.
So please run your canister filter differently to the video. Use tank long horizontal spray bars pointing from the back to the front OR vertical spray bars pointing from one end to the other (which could create good surface agitation and laminar flow) OR simply from one end to the other with larger surface agitation OR no filters at all but use a pump/power head to create lots of agitation over the entire surface of the water.
At the end of this video, why do you say "Well, now you know that you have to add an air stone to basically every tank you have"? Your results state that just one hang on back filter is the same as canister and sponge.
7.4ppm - 55g With Fluval 406 Canister Filter at Surface and sponge filter.
7.4ppm - 55g Aquaclear 110 Hang on Back falling into tank.
Every bubble adds to the total surface area which add to the over all exchange of gases!
yeah, I wasn't thinking about it like that but it totally makes sense.
Is that my little chihuahua you got there Cory....how did he get there from UK. Ha !!
What was the temp of the tank?? Will water changes affect oxygen levels? Also what about plants that float under the water line like anachris and hornwart will it hinder oxygen levels?
+Rico Suave yes water chanes will affect it. Water in the winter holds more than the summer. Thats why in the winter you get bubbles on the glass. Im not sure about horneort and anachris. Id guess it is better than duckweed but would have to test.
this is an an awesome video. it shows the misconception that people have that putting fish in a box with just water that they can breathe in can't count how many times I see a fish in some sort of container with no filter or airstone just gulping by. makes me wonder what information if any is being given.
Hopefully the word will spread.
Which air pumps do you have the best luck with?
Aquatop
Great info.. I just started my first Aquascaping tank and DIY a corner tank Sump. In the Sump I have a powerhead and next to it is an air stone. The powerhead is sucking bubbles from the air stone and throw out nano bubbles around the tank. Think you can try out this experiment, my idea of this setup is trying to Minus CO2 system since air contains 70% CO2 and 20 plus O2.
I've done some stuff like this. I can get plants to pearl while using an airstone etc. getting the water to super saturation of oxygen is easier with an airstone in the water too :)
Air 70% CO2? What?! We are on another planet? :D
Hey Mate, I really appreciate you took the time to do all these tests and share the results. But I think you are giving way too much credit to the air stone
Good surface agitation contributes the most to good oxygen levels. Yes, the air stone helps because the air bubbles contribute to surface agitation but moving your canister filter outlet closer to the surface had a huge impact too.
Look at your reference tank with no air stone and really good surface agitation outscored every other setup with airstone. Also the hang back filter with the water falling into the tank *without any airstone present* resulted one of the highests scores.
Your tested scenarios:
Air stone & Duckweed, modest surface agitation: 6.1
Air stone & no Duckweed, modest surface agitation: 6.9
Air stone & no Duckweed, outlet moved up & high surface agitation *7.4*
No Air stone & no Duckweed, moderate-high surface agitation 6.7
No Air stone & no Duckweed, no surface agitation 5.4
Hang bak filter:
No Air stone & no Duckweed, water falling into it, high surface agitation - *7.4*
No Air stone & no Duckweed, water flowing, moderate surface agitation - 6.9
Reference tank:
No air stone, no duck weed, high surface agitation (outlet just below the surface at the right, flow over the entire length to the left) : *7.7*
Spongefilter running using an airstone 7:7ppm. That's the reference tank
i wish you could also do a comparison pH test using a reliable pH meter and run a test on different tanks with different hardscapes and aquasoils . . .
+jessumano al always a possibility in the future.
Them turtles are hilarious
I don't know how you could test it, but does it matter with or without a lid on the tank? Great video valuable info thank you!!
I didn't test that, I think it would be hard to quantify how tight or loose fitting the lid/back strip is etc.
+Aquarium Co-Op my thoughts as well. Just wondering.....
+David Ensor maybe some day if I run out of things to do, ill test that lol.
Do those turtles not need a place to dry? They are very cute. What kind are they? Great video.
Mini Musk Turtle. They don't have to have a dry spot, but will use it only when laying eggs.
Thank you.
LRB uses no air, no filters just water changes and he's doing better than most of us. Cory, you say no heaters. I guess we just need a tank, water put it in front of a window... think how much hobbiest can save
Sissy is very cute i have 3 short haired ones
I wonder what numbers would an aquarium with surface skimming overflow get.
Those setups have sumps with water going over the baffles in the sump.
So that's a lot of surface agitation. You don't even have to have the return line above water line to agitate the water.
+Ivan KoliÄ sumps with a drip tray perform well and generally hax maximum dissolved oxygen.
+Ivan KoliÄ sumps with a drip tray perform well and generally hax maximum dissolved oxygen.
Yeah I'm sure that emerged sumps and drip trays have good amounts of dissolved oxygen.
What I'm wondering is what about the amounts of oxygen in a submerged media sumps.
I'm setting up a sump system in my living room and don't want it to be too loud but I still want good amounts of dissolved oxygen.
I'm thinking of internal overflow box with a herbie method for dead silent overflow and I'm going to rely on the rippling effect on the return for surface agitation to get oxygen into the water.
When using a herbie drain, it'll be similar to a canister filter in my tests. While it seems like the overflow would skim from the top and help, it doesn't do much to actually add oxygen to the water.
Oh, ok. I was kinda hoping that the skimming would help a little.
Hey Cory nice Fish đ Dog đ¶
What kind of turtle is that
Miss Sassy Pants is so beautiful!
How about a "waterfall" ? What if you put the outlet of the external filter above the water and create a waterfall ? The rivers in mountains are the richest in oxygen so that should be one of the best solutions.
I liked the pseudo-experiment; love to see people finding truth through science. However, there is sever aspects to the experiment which is missing; water temperature and water chemistry would also have conceivable effects on the water's oxygen retention..? I'm very new to this hobby, but love this aspect of it.
Those elements are missing from the video, but not from the experiment I did.
Thank you, really interesting plus your video's disprove so much garbage that is spouted in Facebook groups.
That proves the old fashion the better :) sponge filters with air stones : cheap, Great bio filter , great mechanical filter , great oxygen giver , durable ... What else ?!
Yeah exactly. But beware old fashioned has duckweed too... Duckweed is bad :P
They are soft and can be used as pillows if needed
+Aquarium Co-Op exactly haha
+Jeff K well hose it , I've got mine behind the wood . The most important part it its job . I'm sure Cory agrees :-)
+Jeff K hide it * I mean
Coops lost tapes .. part 1
7.4ppm - 55g With Fluval 406 Canister Filter at Surface and sponge filter.
7.4ppm - 55g Aquaclear 110 Hang on Back falling into tank.
so in my summary for 1 tank recommended:
- buy 1=2 outlet air pump(myr 25) for 1 sponge filter(myr 10) and 1 air bubble stone(myr 5)
-1 check air valve(myr 5)
-cost around=myr 45@usd 11.. more better than that aquaclear 110..
btw thanks for info..
You mentioned yesterday on the livestream how you will never do another video on oxygen levels. I'm assuming this is the one you were referring to. For the most part I only run canisters - but I always use a spray bar as the return. Air stones may be the cheapest way to do it, but as SolidHQX pointed out below, something that agitates the entire surface of the water works the best. That something could also be airstones the length of the tank. Anyway, I was just wondering what people were disagreeing with you about oxygenation.