No air pump needed for my tank?

Question

I have a 29gal... currently I have the filter that comes with the kit... a regular power filter 300gph, with the carbon and fiber.....

Soon I will get a 400gph penguin bio-wheel filter and I will probably leave both running.....

Someone told me that with those filters I wont need an air pump in my tank to oxigenate the water.....

Is this true?

Ps. I do NOT like the cascade effect.. I fill my tank all the way to the very top.

Answer 1

Good news, you don't really need air pump at all if you have Penguin bio wheel filter at all because the wheel itself produces about 30,000 more oxgyen than other filters and air pump combinated, according to their website (just click on the link below). I don't think you really need to get the most biggest, baddest size filter.

Just get a penguin power bio-wheel 150 (new product), or Penguin bio-wheel 125, both are design for 30 gallon which is plently for your 29 gallon tank and if you feel that you think you don't have enough circulation, there would be nothing wrong to have either Penguin power bio wheel 200/ penguin bio-wheel 170 (designed for 50 gallon).

The rule is that for Tropical fish you would want to have your filter to circulate the tank water 5 to 6 times per hour. 29 gallon multiply by 6 equals 174 gallon. Try to find a filter that will circulate 175 gallon per hour. You don't need a filter that circulates 400 gallon per hour (it will overkill the tropical fishes unless it's saltwater fish).

I have the feeling that you would be happier with penguin bio-wheel filters that are designed for 50 gallon tank however, the decision is yours. You will not need to run both filters at all the times, however, it won't hurt to use old power filter for polishing the water occasionally (when you clean the gravel, the dirty will raise so it would be useful to use both filter to run to clean your dirty water quickly.

You will NEVER need to replace your bio-wheel at all, just wipe the wheel itself with paper towel, the bacteria on it is very valuable for the enivornment in the tank and always wash the filters media in tank water (suck some tank water in a bucket use for tank only ) not tap water because the chloride will kill valuable bacteria. Also, you can custom made filter media for your filter as well to improve the lifespan of the filter itself... cheaper here than purchasing replace filter all the time. (link included below)

Any question feel free to ask.

just an edit here: i don't like casade effect too, I tried to fill the water to the top in the past, it made my parents nervous in the past, but in future tanks water must be near to the top.

Answer 2

Your plants are going brown because of unsuitable water conditions. Yes, live plants help cycle your tank but not at the beginning. I would wait two weeks before adding them, and then once the tank has been running for two weeks add the plants to help finish off the cycle. Air pumps would be better than to just have a filter. The plants and air pump provide oxygen while the filter and also the air pump circulate it around. Your fish will be much healthier. Good luck!

Answer 3

Depends - how much room do you leave at the base of the filter when you fill it? If you're like me and fill it so that the water is a little bit past the base, then yes, you're going to need a separate air pump. Otherwise you just aren't going to get enough of the waterfall effect to create enough oxygen. If you're going to leave enough room so that you can visibly see bubbles, then you should be ok without an air pump as long as you don't have a coldwater tank - coldwater should always have an extra oxygen supply as it holds less dissolved oxygen than warm water.

Answer 4

I currently have a 29 Gallon tank with lots of community fish and the same kind of filter you are using (Penguin Bio-Wheel 400gph). We've had it for over a year now, and NO, no additional aeration is necessary. You may want to add a bubble wall or what not for cosmetic reasons, but it is not necessary. As far as someone suggesting the use of sponge filters for beneficial bacteria, ignore that. Sponge filters are great for fry tanks where little water disturbance is desired. However, the bio-wheel in your filter is designed to serve exactly the same purpose in terms of housing beneficial bacteria. In fact, if you read the instructions, it will tell you to rinse the bio-wheel in cool water (as opposed to hot water) when cleaning the filter, to not kill the beneficial bacteria living inside of it. You also never replace your bio-wheel (unless it breaks), because when you replace it, you lose your existing beneficial bacteria colony. Trust me on this. I'm not some 15 year old who has one community tank. I am an avid Betta breeder with thousands of Bettas (fancy ones, not the kind you find horribly cramped and sickly in the pet stores). While Bettas do not need and shouldn't have this kind of filtration system, I do know a thing or two about fish. For a community tank setting like you are planning, what you have is fine. As far as using the old filter, I'd just scrap that. The bio-wheel filter has the option of putting two carbon filters at a time in the filter chamber. When you do this instead of just inserting one, your water will be so clean and clear you won't believe it. You just want to be sure to replace those filter cartridges weekly or bi-weekly (depending on your wasteload), and also perform a 25%-30% water change weekly. That should keep you in good shape.
Just a side note: Since it sounds like you're setting up a new tank, I would suggest picking up a bottle of Cycle. It helps speed the whole Nitrate-breakdown cycle and at the same time adds beneficial bacteria to your tank instantly. The dosages are on the bottle for new tank setup, as well as weekly water changes. The best chlorine/chloramine removers out there are Novaqua and Amquel. They are equal in quality, but I have noticed that the Amquel has a smell to it that Novaqua does not. No matter what anyone tells you about not adding these, please do! It is true that the Chlorine in our water evaporates by simply letting the water age. However, Chloramines do not evaporate, and they are present in most of our tap water, and they are deadly to fish. Freshwater aquarium salt is also a good additive in most instances. It helps fish that are stressed and helps to prevent diseases such as Ich and Velvet. It depends on what kind of fish you are getting though. Just read the side of the salt box to see if it is appropriate for your fish, and if so, what dosage is recommended for your type(s) of fish. I have found that the all-in-one tank conditioners are just a gimmick to make more money, and you are better off buying a couple of simple things that are doing exactly what you need them to do, and nothing else. I'm sorry if you already knew this information (since it wasn't in your question), but thought I'd add it just in case it will help you. It just seemed like you got some responses from some people who have no clue about the Penguin Bio-Wheel line. Some did offer the correct advice, but I wanted to tell you more since I have the exact same setup as you are planning on doing. Hope it helps.

Answer 5

With those 2 filters you wont need an air pump. Since an air pump doesn't add oxygen into the water from the bubbles themself but rather when they pop at the surface allowing the gases to escape. And both of those filters create enough surface disturbance to allow those gases to escape. You can add an air pump if you want, it makes the tank look better, at least I think so, and many fish enjoy playing in the bubbles.

Answer 6

Correct, you don't need an air pump. However, for my tanks I run an airpump for the sponge filters. All my tanks have a sponge filter, even the tanks that don't have a power filter. Sponge filters give excellent biological filtration. They are good if you have any baby fish because 1) the babies will nibble the accumulated stuff on the sponge filter 2) they are gentle - don't swirl the babies around with too heavy an outflow from a power filter, or suck them up the power filter tube.

Besides if you don't have an air pump, how will you run your bubbling clamshell or bubbling treasure chest ? ;-)

Answer 7

I say that is true. With a good power filter, the use of an airstone powered by an airpump is not a must. I like using them because It looks nice, to have an airstone stuck down in a log or something, and it gives extra airation to your water, which is good for your fish. I have owned fish for many years, and worked in pet stores for years, and I have never noticed a difference in the health of fish when it comes to one way or the other. Just so your filtration system is good, and you syphon regularly, don't overfeed, etc. everyone should be happy.

Answer 8

This is true. Keep the water level lower than the output lip of the filter so the water 'splashes' down into the tank (like a mini waterfall...) This will provide plenty of surface agitation. No extra pump should be necessary - save your money for fish!

Answer 9

That is true, so long as you have the return pipe just below the surface this will give you all the oxygenation that is required. I have set up plenty fish tanks ranging from 50gal - 500gal as I work for a pet and aquatic company.

Answer 10

That is false.
I would get an airstone and bury it into your gravel and turn on the air pump and let the airstone produce the bubbles.
My fishes love to swim into the bubbles and let it carry them to the top of the tank and swim away. They love it.
Also it helps add oxygen to the water.