For those new to the aquarium hobby, the topic of aeration can be confusing as there are three main products available: the standard aquarium aerator, aquarium power heads, and wave makers. These three products may seem interchangeable at first, but for experienced aquarium hobbyists, they are recognized as distinct tools with specific purposes in achieving different results in the aquarium.
In the aquarium hobby, it is widely known that 90% of fish species rely on dissolved oxygen in the water to breathe, while exhaling carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that aquarium fish have access to sufficient dissolved oxygen to maintain their health. Additionally, as fish produce bio-waste, the nitrogen cycle begins, with the final stage known as denitrification, where nitrogen gas needs to escape from the water. To facilitate both processes, surface agitation is required, as it allows for greater interaction between water and air, resulting in increased oxygen levels and gas exchange. An aquarium with these balanced conditions is considered healthy for its inhabitants.
The most commonly used product for aquarium aeration is the aquarium aerator, which is particularly suitable for smaller aquariums and fish species that prefer stable water conditions. Typically, aquarium aerators are ideal for keeping fish like guppies, mollies, goldfish, and angelfish that thrive in stable water environments with minimal water currents. The aerator operates by shooting water vertically upwards, creating air bubbles that create surface agitation but not water currents within the aquarium. This feature is particularly beneficial for fish that require stable water conditions, ensuring they can live and thrive within the aquarium environment.
Aquarium power heads are a type of centrifugal pump commonly used in the aquarium hobby for various purposes, including aquarium aeration. This product gained popularity in the early 2000s when many pet shops began displaying tanks with Chinese-made submersible filtration units. Although aquarium power heads are versatile and often used as filtration units or for DIY aquarium projects, their efficiency in terms of water agitation is relatively low compared to other options. However, many aquarium hobbyists rely on this product for water polishing, which is necessary to maintain water clarity. While activated carbon and Purigen are effective at achieving water clarity, they do little to address the problem of floating particles caused by bio-waste from fish. This can negatively impact aquarium photographers or videographers, who require clear water for optimal results. To address this issue, aquarium hobbyists can use other products, such as water polishing devices, to keep the aquarium water clean and clear.
Aquarium wave makers were initially popular among marine aquarium hobbyists and reef tank setups. In reef tanks, a proper water current is necessary to mix food for corals. As a result, wave makers became more and more popular among marine aquarium hobbyists. Once this product became successful in the marine aquarium hobby, it slowly moved to freshwater aquariums.
In freshwater aquariums, African cichlids do well with water currents. However, one mistake that I noticed among many fish keepers is that they use wave makers pointing downwards, which results in the wave maker creating water currents to blow toward the aquarium bases. This causes the aquarium substrate to flare up and results in the substrate going inside the filtration unit's impeller, damaging it. Therefore, we need to use a wave maker pointing 60 degrees up or so to get maximum surface agitation.
When choosing a wave maker, we need to use common sense. If we use a mighty wave maker on a small tank, it will stress the fish. At the same time, if we use a wave maker that is too small on a big tank, it won't work out effectively.
#AquariumAeration #FishHealth #WaterQuality