# How much aeration is too much ?



## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Okay... so I have a 75 gallon tank that is in the cycling process. 

I have two Top Fin 75 Power Filters (HOBs). Each of them has two exit ports, each is about 4 inches wide. Those puppies create a lot of air bubbles when the filtered water re-enters the tank. 

I also have two of these:








And they create a lot of air bubbles... more than I thought they would.

I also have one of these:








it's pointed toward the surface and creates a good bit of agitation on the surface.

I plan to house:
10 Zebra Danios
12 Albino Corys
10 Cherry Barbs
10 Harlequin Raspboras
10 Cardinal Tetras
1 Dwarf Gourami

There are a lot of bubbles collecting on the surface. Is there such a thing as over-aerating of a tank ? If so, am I close to being over that line ?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I can't say how much is too much,but besides my breeder/fry tanks I use NO bubbles.True oxygenation(gases escaping{co2}and gas uptake{oxygen}) take place at the surface of the aquarium through water movement.Truely they take place anywhere they have contact(sump trickle filters)between air and water.The more "roughed up the surface"(bubbles,waves,ripples...)the better the exchange will be.
I'll bet that powerhead pointed at the surface does more than the bubble disk(true water movement).
No real answer, but hope this helps.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks, bandit... that does help. I read that Dwarf Gouramis do not like too much water movement. He'll be the last guy I add to the tank. I'll have to monitor him to see if I need to turn off the circulation pump for a while each day or turn off at least one of the two airstones. 

Gracias !


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

coralbandit said:


> I'll bet that powerhead pointed at the surface does more than the bubble disk(true water movement).
> .


What I meant was I don't think the bubbles are necessary with the powerhead pointed towards surface.They are more natural and effective IMO.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Okay, got it. 

Have you or anyone else here run a powerhead/circulation pump with a Dwarf Gourami ? Did they tolerate it well ?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Gouramis aren't a "soft guy".I have 3 dwarf (honey flame cross) from when I bred almost 2 years ago.They are in my 180(with the masses) and don't really seem to mind current.I have 2 powerheads(I don't run them all the time),and 4 returns from my filter in basement.Tank flow would be aprox 1200-1400 GPH.
They are the one of the toughest(if the toughest) of fish I have.They mostly chase each other though,but they get given space by larger fish.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Okay.... good. Someone on another forum I ran across must have had a "sissy" Dwarf Gourami. ;-)

As always, thanks for your information and advice!


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