Hey

I have a 10gallon aquarium at home that I'm trying to prepare for litte Triops

I was afraid that the filter would suck the young ones into it so I was suggested to use an air pump that will run the water through blue sponge (see picture) which will also add a bit of additional oxigen.


BUT I read that by running the air pump you're actually removing CO2 from the tank. But CO2 is needed by plants. Some suggest that you only run the air pump for 5h daily, but that would stop the oxigen and food flow in the filter where the bacterial colony is (and needed for filtration). So mine would need to run the whole day.

I plan to have plants in tank (just seems to bare without them and triops can use them for food too) and a few snails (apple and possibly an assassin snail ).

Do you think I should go with the air pump or with the filter?
I could really use any suggestions

picture:
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...matfilter2.jpg

(just add http://)

On photobucket if you use the last link for the picture (img file) it would put the pic up and not the link.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

You can also run the airstone at night when the plants are using oxygen instead of co2. Can prevent oxygen depletion which can affect the fish...

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20 gallon long:Amazon Swords, Ruffle Swords, Red Flame Swords, Fanwort, Wisteria,8 Lemon tetras,
6 otos, 11 Amano shrimp, 3 mystery snails, 3 Bolivian Rams, 3 black skirt tetra and 2-3 lemon tetra fry
10 gallon: 30 lemon tetra fry, give or take...1 gallon Anubias, Fish: 1 betta