Airstones and live plants incompatible?
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I was about to go out and buy an airpump and airstone to help break up the film that accumulates on the surface of the water. Then I came across a web site that said that if you keep live plants (I do), you shouldn’t buy an airstone as it will drive the CO2 out of the water. Any views on this? The site also said that keeping live plants obviates the need for an airstone as the plants give off plenty of oxygen. However, I keep 6-7 plants in my 75 gal aquarium and I still get the protein film on top. Any airstone
— In diamondbackterrapins@y…, bassethound@e… wrote: That is true – most live plant tanks are not aerated. keep The water can be saturated with oxygen but without water movement on the surface, the proteins will still accumulate on the surface. It would seem that you’re dilemma here is not the supply of oxygen but rather the supply of water movement on the surface. Maybe you could utilize your existing filter’s output to break the surface of the water. Your plants’ survival with an agitated water surface will depend on the species. Bear in mind though that as your dbts grow, they will sooner or later thrash your plants anyway, or at least take chunks out of them! Mine do… -Chun
I have plants in my dbt baby tank and there are a bunch of them (plants) and I use an airstone. The plants are thriving. Vickie
Air stones will add what ever is in your atmosphere in your tank, O2, CO2, N2, ect. This all will reach an equilibrium. If you want to keep your CO2 high then add a few fish. The fish help clean up after the dbts when they eat anyways. Buy cheap fish at first that will not eat the plants. The dbts may decide to eat the fish, hence cheap fish. As Chun said, try adjusting the current filter for surface disturbance, or add an aqua clear or similar filter (you will need it later). If the water current is too much for the plants then they will never surve a dbt. I can’t have live plants because they are eaten by many other species of fish and turtles I have. Scott
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