How long does my air pump have to keep running?

Question

do i have to turn it off once in awhile? or does it stay on 24/7? its in a 55 gal tank with mosquito fish so far.

and what kind of fish can i put with mosquito fish? i want a sucker or algae cleaner fish and some of those tetra neons.. compatiable? if not tell me what else i can do

Answer 1

An air pump is not really necessary. If you have one, you don't have to run it 24/7.

Surface agitation (usually in the form of your filter's outflow) is usually more than enough to allow a sufficient gas exchange and oxygenate the water. I don't use air pumps at all and I have tanks containing fair-sized fish (6"+).