To bubble or not to bubble...that is the question

[reefrules]

I can't take it no more someone out there answer my questions with something other than it's a preference...why is it that you go into to 1 store and all their saltwater tanks have some type of air stones running in the corner of tanks,and others don't? Is a whole lotta of bubbles a good thing or a bad thing ? I mean I have 3 powerheads running in my 120 and I could run airline tubbing to all 3 but if they're(bubbles) a good thing how much air would I need to allow to my tank for right mixture...?That's all for now and Thanks for all replies...:eek3:

[Poseidon]

No Bubbles in a reef tank, period.

Bubbles in a fish tank are your preference. Take 'em or leave 'em.

[BubbaWPB]

Air stones help with gas exchange when there is insufficient circulation. I see airstones in the LFS's tanks when it is a small tank, with little circulation, no powerheads, no live rock, no sand... just basically a tank, water and fish.

Bubbles are a very good thing to have in your protein skimmer. Keep them there. Trust me on this one. I tried an airstone in my refugium... within a couple of days I had salt creep like I had never seen nor imagined before.

[BubbaWPB]

P.S. I did use an air stone on a battery powered air pump when the power was out for a few days after hurricane Wilma... but thankfully, that's not an everyday occurrence.

[Steven Pro]

Bubbles can be useful for oxygen exchange and they are not harmful to most inhabitants (seahorses being one of the few exceptions), but they create a lot of salt spray and can be a real mess. I prefer not to use them in displays in most instances.

[kevinpo]

The only downside to using an airstone in a saltwater tank is the mess they make. As the bubbles rise and pop at the surface they splatter a small amount of salt each bubble. Soon there is salt everywhere. If the tank is tightly covered where the bubbles rise then the moisture condensing will prevent the salt from drying and collecting on the surounding surfaces. With so many people running high power lights and open tops it is not practicle to run air stones in most cases.

HTH,
Kevin