Air Stone in reef tank?

[huskysglare1]

Do reef tanks need air stone? just in case something went wrong and there are no oxygen.

 

[lmsmith]

Some people do, but they create salt splash and salt creep EVERYWHERE, which is a PITA to clean.

 

[wrott]

I keep a couple of air pumps on hand just in case, but no you don't want to use an airstone continuously due to salt creep(microbubbles).
As a rule, you need to point a powerhead up to perturb the surface to allow for gas exchange.

 

[tmz]

Airstones create lots of beneficial surface agitation. Powerheads are relatively very limited but adequate in most applications. Salt vapor is a big problem with airstones unfortunately but short term use is a good thing when needed.

 

[darkdruid]

There is another big problem with airstones besides salt creep. Bubbles tend to build up and get trapped under things. If that thing happens to be the underside of a coral, it can cause damage. What happens to a coral if you take it out of the tank and expose it to the air for a long period of time? Dead coral, right? Trapped bubbles do the same thing, part of the coral is away from the water and exposed to the air, and the exposed section can die. Airstones are great for providing circulation in an emergency, but I never run them otherwise.

 

[huskysglare1]

ohh ic ya, that's right. hehehe thanks guys.