Hello, just wondering if I need air bubbles in my tank, I have a filter that creates a good current...is this enough or are bubbles good too?

Make sure that the current create enough surface agitation, that way u won't need an air pump at all.

my filter has a good surface agitation but i still have a air bubbles

U can have an air bubbler if u want to, but it's not necessary if the water surface is disturbed enough

i got a fluval filter that is set high enough to agitate the water - but i love my air pump - every week when i do a water change i change the air bubbles - from a bubble wall one week to big blobby bubbles the next week - and the fish and i love the changes!!

honestly you can have so much fun with bubbles - plus they look cool - plus they oxigenate the water - so no loss

I agree with d-golem, air pumps are not necessary if you have enough surface agitation from your filtration system, however they do cause extra water movement and bubbles can look nice too.

One of the only downsides with air pumps is that even the quieter ones tend to be noisier than most filters. I can hardly hear my external filters, but I can always hear the air pump - however, the fish like the bubbles so it has to stay for now!

Ok, so it's not really necessary for the fishes health, as long as you have water movement. When you say water movement are we talking ripples or just a slight current? Sorry if i'm being too fussy just want to get this right

It's difficult to say state exactly, as its one of those things you do tend to need to judge for yourself, but basically you need enough aggitation/movement of the water surface to enable adequate oxygen exchange to take place. Filtration, depending on where you place the outflow, tends to cause some surface movement and a slight under current, whereas bubbles from an air pump create aeration by causing smaller surface ripples. Basically, you don't want your tank to be a washing machine! You don't want there to be such a deep surface or undercurrent that your fishes struggle to swim against it. I hope this helps a bit!

I think the current may have been a little too strong so I have pointed the vent into the corner of the tank, should disperse some of the force. When feeding on the surface I think he was struggling a little bit from the current

We've all had that type of problem before, you could also try postioning any tank furniture or plants near the outflow to break up the current, or like you have done directing the flow towards one of the sides also helps. These things are all preferable to adjusting or turning down the flow rate (if you can) because you need to keep the maximum amount of water passing over your filter media. As you know, goldies are dirty fishies and produce a lot of waste, so try to keep the filtration as high as you can without causing a washing machine effect! It's trial and error and you just need to keep tinkering with it until you get the right balance

if your goldfish isnt "gasping" at the surface then chances are they arnt in major need of more ari, but on the other hand i cant hurt.

Hi Drew, in the summer airbubbles are a great addition. Not so urgent in winter.Here's why;
link

Thanks Trinket, good info. Shame I din't know this last month while we were having our hottest summer ever!!

Do you know what Drew? If you want to add air to the tank, then do so. I think that aeration in a tank is underrated and the more air for your fish, the more energy they have.

I have masses of air running through my tanks because I don't ever want them to be without - plus I have plants that suck the oxygen out of the water in the evening.

So if you want an air pump, then go for it

Hi everyone..this is a good post because I am always worried and wondering about bubbles vs. no bubbles..

Imogen:

Hi..I liked your article - I am having a hard time deciding what to do with my 46 gallon tank. First of all, it's hard for me to understand why surface agitation helps oxygen as opposed to the bubbles which are deeper/lower in the tank - I don't get that..I mean, if the only part of the water that is really moving around is the top part, how is that good? Anyways, because I felt that way, I've always used bubbles..so, I had a bubble wand along the back of my tank because I believed that my fishies needed as much oxygen as possible, however, one of my little fantails has been sickly (a whole different story) and she had taken to hanging out by the bubble wall, isolating kind of nose down. Well the other day I broke my bubble wand and the pet store was closed, so I just put everything back together...well lo and behold my little fantail is not isolating or bottom sitting anymore, and she has not since the bubble wand was there...she now floats around mid tank and swims in and out of the little tunnel and seems less stressed - but the thing is, I worry about my other three fish. They seem ok, but I don't know if they are upset about no bubbles. I have two Penguin 200s and a Penguin 150, and I keep the water a little lower on the tank so there is plenty of surface agitation..in fact, I like the way my tank now sounds like a little waterfall instead of how noisy and agitated it sounded with the bubbles..sorry for the long winded post..but what do you think? How do I know if my fishies are not getting enough oxygen or if the others are not happy? What would you do?

99% (not sure of the exact figure, but it's most) of the oxygen in our tanks enters the water from the atmosphere via the surface of the water through gas exchange where oxygen enters the water and CO2 exits the water. Agitating the surface increases the surface area of the water (a rippled surface has more surface area than a flat surface) so it helps increase the gaseous exchange from the atmosphere into the water and vice versa.

So most of the oxygen in our tanks' water is up near the surface where the oxygen is being ansorbed from the atmosphere. The purpose of an air bubble column or wand is to create an upwards current of water to lift the oxygen-poor water at the bottom up to the surface and bring the oxygen-rich water down to the bottom in a circular pattern, so continually circulating oxygen around the tank. They also have the added benefit of rippling the surface as mentioned, so you get a two-for-one deal, which is why they are so useful.

The air in the bubbles themselves don't provide much oxygen at all to the water as far as I know. You could use hydrogen gas in your bubble wand instead and it would have the same result in terms of oxygen supply, which is via the surface and water circulation.

A canister filter spray bar achieves the same result with the filter sucking the water from the bottom of the tank, and spraying it out across the surface to create both the surface agitation and circulation from bottom to top.

I use a slightly different technique where I have the canister filter outlet running to the bottom of the tank instead, but with a U-shaped tube pointing straight up, so it's continually pushing/pulling the bottom water up to the top and then around and the surface ripples like a geyser about to erupt. I actually only do it this way because spray bars are too noisy and splashy! I use an airstone placed next to the filter intake (usually in the opposite corner) to help draw water to the intake with its current so it's not really meant for oxygen supply, even if it helps in that regard. Just to pull the water and bottom-sitting gunk to the filter intake. Once I started using this method a few months ago, I've found all my goldies hang around the bottom half of the tank most of the time now.

just like to say awrieger you have some amazing looking fish, albeit that some aren't too well!

Mine really like the play in the air bubbles a lot. For that alone I have added a bubble wall.