newbie questio about airation

[cb9tunerguy]

is it bossible to have too much airation? i purchaced a zoomed 214 powerhead 160gph. i modifyed it and installed a limewood airstone in the prefilter intake chamber and used a regulator valve to slow the air flow to a slight trickle. this produces a very fine mist of air bubbles about every other sweep of the powerhead nozzle. best way to describe it, it looks like dust in air if you can visualize it. i have a 35 gallon hex and installed the powerhead twards the mid-bottom of the tank for good circulation twards the bottom because it is very tall. the powerhead jet is directed twards the L.R. to have good circulation over it. i noticed at the zoo, in the aquarium house, alot of their reef tanks have a massive surge of airation about every 15-20 minutes. i am asuming this is to simulate a wave surg? i was thinking of putting the air pump on a timer to turn on once every half hour or so, with a large surge of air from the powerhead to simulate wave surg. any comments or suggestions would be great! if this is just a plain stupid idea please say so. also i am not running a protein skimmer or sump at the current time. i am using a fluval 204. also at the current time there is only substrait, 30-35 lbs of base rock and about 6 lbs of fiji live rock. i am currently trying to propigate the base rock. thanks for your time.

 

[hairymushroom]

its not necessary to have a PH blowing bubbles as gaseous exchange takes place at the surface which provides aeration , just make sure there is enough surface agitation so that a film doesnt cover the surface

 

[hairymushroom]

there is no such thing as a plain stupid idea in this hobby

 

[ambaratur]

Most people try to avoid those small bubbles in their tanks. They are referred to as "microbubbles".

You would get much better airation, like hairymushroom said, by agitating the surface. If you can direct the PH up so that it causes small ripples on the surface of the water you will be doing more for airation than the microbubbles are.

 

[cb9tunerguy]

i am getting pretty good surface agitation from the return on my fluval it is located close to the waters surface. i am mainly using the powerhead for good circulation near the bottom of the tank because it is a fairly tall tank. i am just experimenting with the airation as i saw at the zoo. why do people try to avoid these microbubbles?

 

[hairymushroom]

salt creep