Commonly, aquarium air stones are also called aquarium bubblers. The air stone is actually one of the most essential accessories in any aquarium. The prime work of air stones is providing dissolved air in fish tanks or an aquarium.
Normally, the fish tank air stones are made up of lime wood or porous stones. These are quite cheap and tiny devices that effectively draw out the air in the water and also remove the noise too.
Also, they avoid the big bubbles that are a common sight in many conventional air filtration systems.
How do Aquarium Air Stones Work?
The water in a tank usually requires to be revolved and this is what perfectly an air stone does. When the air stone is linked to an air pump outside a tank, it begins to produce small bubbles.
Within seconds, those small bubbles are filled with the oxygen that would progressively fill up a tank. These bubbles are actually produced by an air stone that not only fills a fish tank with oxygen but also supports mixing the water.
When the bubbles increase towards a surface, the water near a substrate is lifted to the top. When this process keeps on reiterating, the water present in the tank is effectively rotated.
Advantages of Air Stones in an Aquarium
Normally, the water in a tank is not being rotated. If you notice that the surface of the water in your fish tank is undistributed, it is a sign the water is not being rotated sufficiently.
To have a good understanding of the advantages of aquarium air stones, you want first to understand the advantages of water movement in a fish aquarium.
Below are some of the major benefits of rotation or water movement that includes:
Physical activity
In a tiny environment like a small aquarium, the fishes do not even obtain sufficient room for energetic swimming and their motions are somewhat controlled.
But when there is sufficient water circulation, they simply obtain a needed quantity of physical activity required for their development and also to improve their muscles too.
Usually, the water rotation aided by the aquarium air pump and air stones provides a little bit of conflict and this could be actually more beneficial for the fishes.
Great filtration
As discussed above, the water movement greatly assists in eliminating gases like nitrogen, methane, and sulfur into the environment.
As more oxygen is pumped into a tank, the biological filtration becomes more effective, as the water movement does not enable the deadly wastes to settle at the bottom of the tank. This not only ensures the good health of your fish but also saves you the need to introduce algae eaters into your fish tank.
Without accurate water rotation, metabolic waste, mucus, toxins, and other equivalent organic wastes will collect on the corals and probably result in a green waste aquarium. As a consequence, the ridge filtration becomes much tougher, and also the water becomes gloomy within a short period of time.
At present, you have completely learned about the circulation of water and you may have understood how essential the fish tank air stones are. If you are searching for the worth of quality and money, you cannot even go wrong with a tetra undertone.
They are less than $10, they seem great and also they are durable in almost every tank. They also guarantee to perform live by their name of undertone.
Do I really want an airstone in an aquarium tank?
Whether you have an internal filter in your fish tank or not, introducing aquarium bubblers makes the circulation of water even better. Adding an air stone will always keep the water much cleaner and give more oxygen to the fish.
Moreover, it has included plenty of health benefits for aquatic life too. Even, this air stone is cheap and will not even create a hole in your wallet.
What are the different kinds of air stones available?
Aquarium bubblers are available in different sizes and shapes. Even though the air stones are completely made for similar purposes and some might be greatly suited for the specific kind of tank.
See also: Seiryu stone aquascape
On the other hand, not all aquarium bubblers will be an accurate fit for the entire form of tanks. Below are the different kinds of air stones that you can select such as:
Aluminium oxide
There is not much difference between aluminum oxide stones and silica stones in terms of performance. When it comes to durability, aluminum oxide aquarium bubblers are a wonderful choice.
These stones are capable of withstanding several years of usage and tough cleaning as well. However, these kinds of stones are majorly utilized in bigger or industrial ponds.
See also: What is the best pump for a fish tank ?
Silica
This kind of air stone is the most common one that you will discover mostly in aquarium stores. It is also available in multiple sizes from one inch up to twelve inches.
Reference
Aquarium Co-Op: Air Stones: The Secret Weapon Every Aquarium Needs