What is an Air Stone?

If you are preparing your aquarium, you may have come across the term air stone. Air stones are a useful part of any tank setup but what exactly are air stones and what do they do? We go into what makes an air stone and essential accessory for your home fish tank.

What is an Air Stone or Bubble?

An air stone is sometimes known as an aquarium bubbler and sits within your fish tank in order to diffuse air into your fish tank water. Air stones also help with water resistance which can be important for fish growth and muscle development. Air stones are often made from lime wood or porous stones and work to efficiently distribute air quietly without causing the large air bubbles sometimes seen in aquariums.

What Does an Air Stone Do?

Air stones work to circulate the air around your fish tank by producing tiny bubbles filled with oxygen. These bubbles not only work to fill your fish tank with oxygen but they also work to circulate the fish tank water by lifting the different layers within the tank to the top of the aquarium. Organisms within your tank produce different gases as a matter of course so circulating your fish tank water helps to lift these out of the water.

What Are the Benefits of Using an Air Stone?

Using an air stone or air bubble within your tank is useful for a number of reasons. Air stones work alongside your fish tank pumps to ensure your fish tank and fish remain in the best possible condition by distributing oxygen-rich air bubbles throughout the tank. Most fish tend to live towards the bottom of fish tanks so over time this section of water may become oxygen poor due to the different gasses your fish naturally emit. By circulating the water properly throughout the tank with the use of an air stone, the oxygen-poor water or air bubbles are lifted to the surface of the fish tank to be replaced with oxygen-rich bubbles from the air stone. Doing this also prevents toxic waste from building up at the bottom of your fish tank and making your water cloudy.

The use of air stones in your fish tank can also help to keep your fish healthy in other ways. In smaller fish tanks, some fish may not have the space they need in order to develop and exercise their muscles properly without proper help. By using an air stone to circulate the water in your fish tank, you will be creating bubbles within the water and so create resistance in the water to help give your fish something to work against as they are swimming through the tank. 

Where Can I Find an Air Stone for My Fish Tank?

As suppliers of all things aquariums, CD Aquatics stocks air stones for sale as part of our aquarium supplies range here. To find out more about how to make your fish tank healthy or any other questions you may have, contact our team now.