Is it true you don't need an air pump if you have a filter?

Question

I have a 10 gallon tank with an air pump and filter with 1 betta, 5 neon tetras, and 3 cory cats. Someone told me that you don't need an air pump if you have a filter. I'm not sure if that's true. Can someone confirm?

Answer 1

I have two tanks, both with power filters. One has no air pump. The other, I added one on a timer to run at night because I was adding CO2 to the water for the plants, and CO2 builds up at night and can be toxic to the fish.

Much depends on the tank. Power filters - anything that breaks the surface of the water, for that matter - will add oxygen. Plants add oxygen. That may be all you need. But if you keep your tank at a higher temp, add lots of CO2, or various other things that can deplete oxygen, then go ahead and add an airstone or something like that.

Answer 2

It depends on what kind of filter you have. Some filters are run by the air pump, so that would be completely false! LOL! Of course, if you have a 10 gallon with a powerfilter or HOB, your water should be getting enough aeration from the filter that you don't need anything else to add more oxygen, so in that case, an air pump would definitely be unnecessary.

Answer 3

nope you don't need an air pump. they do nothing to add dissolved oxygen to the tank and are for decoration only anyway.

Dissolved oxygen comes from water movementagainst air i.e. waves, filters, waterfalls, fountains. Airbubbles just float to the surface adding little to no dissolved oxygen to the tank.

they are used to add bubble walls and run little chests sitting at the bottom of the tank.

Don't need one.

Answer 4

No, you dont need it but its better to have one,