air pump necessary?

[tnn79]

I decided to get a 10 gallon for my bedroom. I purchased the 10 gallon starter kit at petsmart and I noticed the kit does not comes with an air pump. I am planning to put 1 or 2 parrots fish in this tank. The question i have is. Do I need an air pump for this 10 gallon? or the filter system that comes with it is enough to give out some sort of circulation for the fish..

[HawgHunter]

Re: air pump necessary?

I have pretty much the same kit that I bought from wally world for my daughters b-day....put a few guppies in....and with in a month had probably 50 of those little guys. They do very well, and all that has ever run is the filter on the back....no air pmp what so ever. So I believe that with just a couple fish you will be fine....just watch them the first day...they'll let you know if there isn't enough air.

[fishlady]

Re: air pump necessary?

i have 2 dwarf puffers in a 20 gallon in my bedroom and i found that i had to add a sponge filter with an air pump for them....it's not just for air...it helps to keep the tank clean for them and circulation of o2 that all fishies need....so i say go with an air pump.....guppies are more resiliant to not having more circulation than parrot's will be....
but of course this is just my 2 cents worth........

[HawgHunter]

Re: air pump necessary?

fishlady is right!!....guppies are some pretty tuff fish and I have seen more than one tank with guppies that you could tell hadn't been touched in who knows how long. 8O

[rrocket2002]

Re: air pump necessary?

Parrot Fish....aka Blood Parrot?  These guys get big.  One of them will out grow the 10g, let alone two of them.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: air pump necessary?

The old rule of 1" for fish for each gallon of water means that you can put 10 fish 1" long in a 10g tank, not that you can put a 10" monster in your tank.  
I believe that Parots will get too big for a 10g tank (there will not be enough oxygen in 10g of water to support life for them)
Surf the net and see how big they will get.  Try to select 6 fish that will not get bigger than 2".

Fish use up O2 & give off CO2.  If the water has more CO2 than the air some of the CO2 leaks out into the air.  If the air has more O2 than the water then some of the O2 gets absorbed into the water.  You can increase the amount of O2 & CO2 that gets transfered by stiring up the water so that more water comes into contact with the air.   Your filter cleans the water but it also stirs up the water.   An air pump with an ornamant, a filter or air stone also stirs up the water.  
Depending on the flow rate of the filter or the amount of bubbles from the air stone, one may do a better job than the other.  If you use both, they do an even better job.  However, some fish do not like moving water and prefer a quiet little hiding spot.  So chose your fish carefully and select your equipment to provide the best environment for your fish.  

Also you should understand the Nitrogen Cycle, before you put fish in your aquarium.  Again, surf the net.

Have Fun

[Mzungu]

Re: air pump necessary?

I agree, I would think twice about the fish choice for that 10 gallon. They'll outgrow it fast, if they haven't outgrown it already even before you put them in the tank. But yeah, that filter should be enough. An air pump is not necessary unless you like bubbles!

[lachupacabra]

Re: air pump necessary?

something people forgot to mention was that air pumps add surface aggitation which will keep slimy film from forming at the top of the water.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: air pump necessary?

I prefer powerheads or filter outputs aimed at the water surface over an airpump.

[CichlidFan]

Re: air pump necessary?

I like powerheads too, but in a 10 gallon tank,  go with a small pump and small sponge filter.  

CF

[eklikewhoa]

Re: air pump necessary?

I would rather a small aquaclear or even Eheim 2213 in a 10g.

[CichlidFan]

Re: air pump necessary?

I'm okay with both of those choices, especially if your talking about maybe overstocking.

CF

[eklikewhoa]

Re: air pump necessary?

I was talking about a starting point...... :wink:

[wesleydnunder]

Re: air pump necessary?

I'm not a big fan of air pumps. They really contribute to creep. I agree with EK and Steve about powerheads over air pumps, and the 2213 is the shizznit.

Mark

[PhishPhreek]

Re: air pump necessary?

I never could justify puting a $75 filter on a $9 tank.............  But then, I raise bettas