Wave maker or air pump??

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Iv only got a wave maker in my 220g. But wanted to swap it for bubbles they look nice I think but might just keep waves and add bubbles
 
One thing about running an air stone in the aquarium is that it will produce really fine bubbles that will not make it to the surface. Instead, they will get caught in the current and when the light hits them they can be a bit unsightly. I have them in my 29 right now but I will not be putting them in my 220.

As for the larger bubbles vs smaller bubbles for oxygenation, it is the same kind of relationship between sand vs rocks as filter media. Oxygenation requires surface area. A lot of finer bubbles have a much greater overall surface area than a few large bubbles.
 
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Both do the same thing.

The way how water gets oxygenated is by movement of the surface of water. A wave maker and an air pump does the same thing, the bubbles that you see are not oxygenating the water. When the bubbles reach the surface and escape, thats when the surface of water gets disturbed and oxygenation take place.

However, the more you are able to disturb, the more the water will be oxygenated.
 
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So what's a good wave maker? Not too expensive though the 1 I have don't have long left its on its way out
 
So what's a good wave maker? Not too expensive though the 1 I have don't have long left its on its way out
I have had good experiences with the Hydor Koralia line of wave makers/circulation pumps. They are dependable, strong, and fairly inexpensive for the quality.
 
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