Is a bubble wall good because it disolves oxygen? Or bad because it disolves CO2?

Question

Which is it? I thought one would be a good idea to arieate the water, and all the bubbles popping at the surface is kind of like having more surface area. What do bubble walls / air stones really do?

And what is the science behind it.

Answer 1

A bubble wall does nothing to add to the Dissolved Oxygen or DO2 to any tank or water supply. It also does nothing to dissolve CO2.

I am glad Magic Man has been paying attention over the past few months since he was all for air stones. It is simple science here. Dissolved oxygen (6th grade science) can only enter water by movement of water against air. i.e. Waves (in the ocean) waterfalls, filter ripples, powerheads, fountains wind. This is where an agitation of water at the air level can move and absorbe oxygen from the air. Having a bubble wall with forced air only makes bubbles themselves and float to the surface and pop. The bubbles that slowly float to the survace move very little to no water. Even the small pop at the surface does not make enough movement of water against the surface for the water to absorbe oxygen. Unfortunately water popping at the surface gives little to no dissolved oxygen since the molecules are so small and do not DISSOLVE oxygen into the water. It leads more to the evaporation process than the oxygen process. That is what you get. A bubble of air going to the surface. nothing gets abbsolved into the water. It also does nothing to absorbe CO2. Carbon in the water is not dispursed by bubbles. and is not dissolved by DO2. Water is H2O however there are many forms of chemicals that also can be dissolved into water as well as the Hydgeron Water molecule. Carbon can attach itself to any H2 molecule only to change it to C2H2O, however when this happens you end up with a product called dry ice.

Bubble stones and bubble walls are nice to look at that is about all they are good for in an aquarium. If they were for any purpose, seaworld would have thousands of these in their tanks. They are to sell excesseries that is it. Just as leather seats and pin stripes do nothing for the speed of a car. They are there to look good.

Here is a good site that explains DO2

www.iisgcp.org/water/wic/oxygen.htm
I don't condone this site, but here is a popular site that tells you what air stones do
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Freshwater-Aquarium-3216/fish-52.htm

Answer 2

The bubbles that actually occur in the water have absolutely no effect, aeration happens when the bubbles reach the surface and disturb the still water. It's the surface agitation that aerates the water.

Answer 3

Good question, this is a much misunderstood item in fish keeping circles. A bubble wall or air stone or the like really does almost nothing directly for the gas exchange in the water. Yes, each bubble does have surface area, but the exposure time as it rises is very short and due to water tension it is exposed to very few other molecules. What a bubble wall or other air stone does do however is bring water to the surface from the bottom of the tank fairly effectively. It is at the surface that gas exchange occurs and so yes, indirectly it causes additional aeration.

This does not however add O2 or remove CO2 beyond what is found in the air above the tank. For a higher percentage of O2 to exist in the water than in the air above it you would have to inject O2 into the water directly and not through passive exchange.

Airstones and bubble walls are good for increasing water flow to the surface where gas exchange provides additional opportunity for O2 to enter the tank.

The net result it more gas exchange, but not from the bubbles directly. Others will tell you it has no effect on the O2 levels in a tank, they simply are uninformed.

MM

Answer 4

Hmmm...the bubbles don't really change the chemistry of the water (much as we'd love to believe were oxygen charging it..haha). But you are ABSOLUTELY right about the surface area. The bubbles increase the surface area which in turn allows the gas exchange, thus adding oxygen into the water.

Scientifically, because the gases are encapsulated within the bubble, there is no transfer. If anything, the gases escape once it breaks the surface and is released into the atmosphere.

The bubbles are visually pleasing and many fish like to be "tickled" by them. I have a loach that lies on the bubble dish like he's in a jacuzzi :) But really, the bubbles just create more surface area, the same as a gentle wave, etc would.

Answer 5

I totally agree with Chadowfaxx on this one. Bubbles like airstones and "bubble walls" do nothing for adding dissolved oxygen. THe bubbles simple float to the surface and pop. Usually leading to more of the evaporation process than the dissolved oxygen process. The science is simple, dissolved oxygen only enters the water by means of water moving across air (not bubbles popping) like filters, waterfalls, wind, fountains etc. Bubbles also do not remove CO2 from the water either. To explain how carbon is removed from water scientifically would take more space than allowed here. In short it isn't removed by bubbles.

Answer 6

Humans want C02 to breath. We do not breath in since we'd like oxygen however we breath out to eliminate the C02 constructing up in our blood. It is that regular have to allow the C02 out of approach that circulates oxygen round our frame. I used to be as soon as instructed of an scan of a person who desired to end up this truth to his friends he built a desktop that most effective assist you to breath one hundred% oxygen after which eliminated the oxygen he breathed out, so natural oxygen used to be the one factor to breath. He died within the center of the scan, proving his conception proper. Ever attempted respiring out and in particularly quick? after approximately five mins you can move out since there is an excessive amount of oxygen to your approach

Answer 7

for one thing it oxygenates the aquarium..it keeps the water moving..it offers oxygen in the bubbles...its a good thing..fish usually like to play in the bubbles