do you need an air system?

Cloud_88 · #1 01/08/2004, 10:01 PM

I just got my live rock all put in, sands all in, i used to have an underground filter with the 2 air tubes which i kept cuz i dont know if i need an air system. There going right now but are really annoying cuz its in my bedroom. Do i absolutely need that air or will there be enough air if i took it out?

SAT · #2 01/08/2004, 11:20 PM

Humm... undergravel filters havn't been in vogue for saltwater for at least a decade. As aerobic filters go, they're fine for a while... until they clog up, which happens in a lot of tanks eventually. Most reef tanks do without aerobic filters entirely (including UGF, wet/dry, bio-wheel, etc.), relying instead on live rock, a skimmer, maybe a deep sand bed and/or algae refugium, plus some additional circulation devices.

I'm confused by the "used to have". Is the filter still in place?

It would help if you described your tank better. How big? How much live rock? How deep and what kind of sand? What other circulation devices do you have? Is there a skimmer? Any other filter?

Cloud_88 · #3 01/09/2004, 07:00 AM

i have a 30 gallon tank, about 3 and a half inches of sand, just put in 25 lbs of fiji live rock and about 5 to 10 lbs of old dead rock. Yes i know underground is old which is why i stopped using it but what i use is the air tubes that come up out of the sand on either sides. I did this as a temporary solution until i found out if i need the air system or if the fish and stuff will get enough air by themselves. I'm planning on getting a powerhead in the next couple days to help cycle the rock, and i have a millenium 3000 filter that im waiting to put in later. But my real question was that if fish and corals and such needed the air system for air or if i didnt have any air being put in would there be enough for everything to breathe and grow?

SAT · #4 01/09/2004, 09:34 AM

You don't necessarily need air. You do need a lot of circulation and the airlifts (or just an airstone) are an efficient way to provide that.

You also want something breaking the surface or you'll get a scummy film on it. An airlift or airstone will do that. Most reef tanks use an overflow of some sort, which skims the surface. The millenium 3000 will break the surface the return is above the water level.

One reason airlifts & airstones aren't popular in saltwater is because of the spray. If the tank isn't covered, you'll soon have a salty crust on everything nearby. Be very careful of this around electrical plugs. If the tank is covered, you'll get "salt creep" on the cover. You may have a simiilar problem with the millenium 3000.

Also, if you don't have a good skimmer, I suggest getting one. This isn't a strict requirement, but I don't recommend beginners starting out without one.

Scuba_Dave · #5 01/09/2004, 10:27 AM

The only air I use now are backup battery air devices. If electricity fails, these kick on & pump air into the tank, keeping it aerated. Once power comes back on, they shut off
I had a 30g w/2 small powerheads (no top) & a filter which I had FO for over 2 years. It was before I found RC & I ran air constantly. After I found RC I stopped the air & went to LR, then started a Reef after 5 months of research/reading here