Any aquarium aficionados out there?

[Not Heidi]

I'm thinking of adding air stone bars in the back of my aquarium, to make a wall of bubbles. I wonder if my fish will like it. Their home is rather boring. What do you think?

[Polybius]

1. I've got two aquariums, but never had stone bars

It should look cool though. Right now I have a 54 gallon tank and a natural, 10 gallon one. How big is your tank, and what fish do you have?

The natural one was an experiment tank. I did about an inch layer of dirt followed by about two inches of sand on top of it. Then I put in several plants, and then added the fish like 5 days later. They are thriving now; in fact, it's growing out of control. I used the method by Father Fish. He's a bit of a quack and totally unconventional, but he's right a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_yczBK9HleS-HOFFHtM5Wg

[Not Heidi]

3. Hi, Polybius

Mine's a 15 gallon Fluval Flex. It's a kit - comes with everything necessary (except thermometer and test kit).

All I have right now are Harlequin Rasboras and a little cat (don't know what kind of catfish he is).

I want to plant it and get more fish, but I've been dragging my feet. I just got a new gravel vac (the last one must've been cheap because the hose split).

Tell me, what kind of fish do you have?

[Conjuay]

2. as long as it's a fresh water tank, you should be fine.

The bubblers will create more water movement, which will allow more off-gasing of CO2
and add more oxygen. It helps keep the detritus moving instead of settling to the bottom, which improves filtration.
The only time I wouldn't recommend it is in tanks that have naturally sedentary fish- Bettas, for example who tend to live in quite stagnant pools. AND goldfish that have such outrageous fins they can barely keep moving.

Salt tanks- no. There is a problem called 'salt creep' that makes everything nasty.

[Not Heidi]

4. It's fresh water.

Thanks for the info. I knew air stones can bring in more oxygen, but I didn't know about the CO2 or improved filtration.

Thanks!

[jmowreader]

5. Your fish should like it fine

They tend to like more movement in the water column, and that’s what air stones are really for.

Do you have some good-size rocks and plants in your aquarium? Those add interest…I couldn’t use them when I still had a tank because I was keeping plecostomus catfish, which need the tank floor space rocks take up, and violent cichlids which dig up plants. Your tank may be different.

[Not Heidi]

6. My aquarium is only 15 gallons

I need to get some plants (the tank is somewhat new yet), and I have a decorative thing that takes up half the substrate - I'll probably get rid of it. Even so, with the planting I want to do, there may not be room for rocks. Maybe I can get a couple of smallish ones - or, I really like the idea of driftwood. My LFS has a huge selection of both rocks and driftwood. (The driftwood is pricey! - but I'm pretty well fixed on it.)

Thanks!