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Ripple or no ripple?

Gary Nelson

Gary Nelson

Member
Joined
20 Jan 2011
Messages
1,292
Location
Leicestershire
Just thought I'd ask a simple question... How many of you on here have your filter outlet or power head creating a ripple on the waters surface? Or any of you that have tank setups that just have a very still water surface?

I know some people set a good surface movement of water to help combat the surface film that can build up.

I dont get any surface scum myself and filter outlets are pointing down into the tank, obviously giving me a very still water on top, just wondered really if this has any benefits to the plants or fish, or perhaps it is better to have a good ripple on the surface?
 
easerthegeezer said:
personally i like a good rippling and just inject more co2 if you use it. Fish definitely seem to appreciate the additional oxygen.
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So would the extra oxygen from a decent amount of surface movement help combat algae as well? As algae does not like lot of oxygen... Right? Or have I got that wrong? :?:
 
Hi Gary,
personally I'm going for much more surface agitation this time round. Tom Barr does this to increase oxygen levels in the water to allow for a slightly higher C02 concentration, whilst keeping the fauna comfortable. The trade off is of course a higher injection rate but my aim is to make things less stressful for the fish and better for the plants.
Cheerio
Ady
 
Personally I don't bother with too much surface agitation as this gasses off the co2 which you have injected. You shouldn't really need any extra O2 in the water as healthy plants will do this for you!
 
Matty1983 said:
Personally I don't bother with too much surface agitation as this gasses off the co2 which you have injected. You shouldn't really need any extra O2 in the water as healthy plants will do this for you!
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Don't you have to be careful about the plants producing co2 in an already co2 saturated tank with minimal surface agitation/gas exchange?
 
How I understood it (no expert at all) is they produce o2 during photo period and co2 during lights out so I would I though with little surface agitation gas exchange the majority of o2 the plants consume is used as it is produced as the tank is being injected with co2. So if the plant produced O2 is pretty much consumed by lights out when the plants start expelling co2, if you still have very little surface agitation/ gas exchange you have a co2 heavy O2 light tank being filled with plant excreted co2 meaning you have an even greater amount of co2 compared to O2. Having said that if co2 is going off before lights some of it will have been consumed and if you have no fish dying it is obviously working for your set up.
 
ianho said:
it's all about equilibrium...you do need some surface agitation IME.
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I completely agree. Since adding more agitation my fish have been happier and I have been able to up the CO2 a bit as well. It also seems to benefit the plants. If its good enough for Tom Barr (as well as IanH of course, hehe) its sure good enough for me :)
 
When you say surface ripple, do you mean movement of the surface without breaking the surface? If so then I already have that.
 
jamesb said:
Matty1983 said:
Personally I don't bother with too much surface agitation as this gasses off the co2 which you have injected. You shouldn't really need any extra O2 in the water as healthy plants will do this for you!
Click to expand...

Don't you have to be careful about the plants producing co2 in an already co2 saturated tank with minimal surface agitation/gas exchange?
Click to expand...


The plants produce O2 (which is Oxygen) during the photoperiod from co2 & Ferts.
 
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