is air pump needed for my 55gal aquarium?
by Aquaboy on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 | 7 Comments
i have a 55gal tank with a 55gal filter (the one that hangs on the sides) going on 24/7. in the tank i have 12 small-mid goldfish. do i need an air pump?
but if i dont put in an air pump does my water become dirty or anything bad?
(i dont want the air pump because when the bubble pops on the surface its splashes water on the roof of fishtank and the water left there makes algae.)
You have to have the air pump. And it also helps the filter keep the tank clean. Filtration isn’t enough you also have to have aeration, thus the air pump. Attach it to a bubble wand that goes on the bottom of the tank, the bubbles at the top are minimum and don’t splash much. It doesn’t hurt to have algae either. Some is actually good. Remember you’re creating a mini ecosystem for your fish.
The air pump is purely to put oxygen in the water for your fish. Your mid sized fish will be just fine without the pump. When they become bigger and start hanging around the surface rather than at the bottom, an air pump is definitely necessary.
Goldfish don’t really need air. They can “gulp’ it from the surface.
An air pump delivers the oxygen when it breaks the top of the water, (the smaller the bubble the greater the oxgyen released) by having a filter on the side will work as the air pump by the fact it is breaking the water, as it delivers it back into the tank. It’s the filter that will keep your tank clean not the air pump. If your tank is going dirty, it’s due to lack of cleaning, either water changes or filter strength, Goldfish create a lot of waste material.
I suggest you do set up air in this tank. You need the circulation. I have 10 goldfish in a 55 gallon, and it works out great. Also the goldfish like to swim through it.. WEEEEE. Gives them something to do besides swim in circles.
You don’t need an air pump. The dissolved oxygen in the water is increased by water movement. Your filter will provide that, and you’ll get the most when the tank is filled so when water comes out of the filter it creates a ripple across the top of the water rather than a waterfall. The waterfall also makes your filter’s motor work harder to pull the water up the added distance, so you filter’s efficiency will decrease faster from less gallons per hour being filtered (or your motor burns out).
You can use the air pumps to power the bubble wands, undergravel filters, and moving decorations, but only if you want. They do provide some movement to the water surface, so they will contribute to the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange, but their effect isn’t as great as the filter’s.
12 goldfish is probably excessive for 55 gallons. their waste is more toxic than other fish. the air pump will help airrate and get oxygen into the water along with decreasing the ammount of algae build up.
An air pump and airstone increases the oxygen content. If you want the goldfish to have a little more oxygen, then an air pump and air stone would be the best.
~ZTM