The betta fish is a highly sought-after species and many people set up an at-home aquarium with the sole intent of keeping these wonderful fish. However, much like other tank species, the betta fish requires just the right conditions to thrive, and oxygenating the water is one thing that has left new aquarists a little confused. So, do betta fish need an air stone?
Betta fish are blessed with a special organ that allows them to head to the surface and breathe. For this reason, it isn’t essential to have an air stone in your tank. Furthermore, provided that you install a good quality filter, the water should remain well aerated without the need for an air stone.
Of course, there are some benefits to using an air stone and if you decide to install one, it isn’t going to do any harm to your betta fish.
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What Is An Air Stone?
An air stone is sometimes called a bubbler so before we get into the nitty-gritty, it is important not to confuse the two names; they’re both the same thing. These stones are usually made from things like lime wood, stone, and other porous materials and can be used to diffuse a stream of oxygen bubbles into the water.
As well as providing the water with oxygen, an air stone has a variety of other purposes and is something that a lot of aquarists would consider to be an essential piece of equipment. For example, your tank filtration system may cause large bubbles in the water but an air stone will diffuse these and limit them. Moreover, they are excellent at limiting the noise of the filtration system which is one of the main reasons a lot of people use them.
How Does An Air Stone Work
An air stone needs to be connected to an air pump and this is what will deliver oxygen into the stone. Since these pieces of aquarium equipment are made from incredibly porous materials, the oxygen moves through this and separates into much smaller air bubbles.
Now, you might be asking yourself why you couldn’t just use an air pump without the stone. Well, in truth, you can but your tank won’t benefit from the oxygen as the bubbles are far too large. As a result, they will float to the surface and won’t provide proper aeration in other parts of the water. Not to mention that big bubbles like this won’t look very good and your fish probably won’t be huge fans of them either.
Your air stone will dissolve the bubbles and make them far more functional as well as looking a lot more attractive. Your fish will thank you since they will find it a lot easier to breathe.
Do Betta Fish Need An Air Stone?
Despite their beautiful appearance, betta fish are pretty hardy little animals and are built to survive in some rather extreme conditions. Where other fish might struggle to breathe and even die in water that lacks oxygen, the betta fish will thrive much more easily.
Typically speaking, you can get away with not using an air stone at all and simply putting a lot of plants into the water as well as using a good filtration system. These things will provide enough oxygenation that the betta fish will be relatively happy. However, don’t let this fool you into thinking that they will be happy with the idea of not having an air stone; if they knew what one was, of course.
You see, while betta fish are well equipped to survive in less oxygenated water, this doesn’t mean that they should have to. It is far better to provide your betta fish with a stable and well oxygenated and aerated environment so that they do not have to keep heading up to the surface to breathe.
What Is The Labyrinth Organ?
Betta fish are not the only species to have the labyrinth organ, there are many fish that have this and they are collectively known as…you guessed it, labyrinth fish! You might think of this organ as a small lung which is not all that dissimilar to the lungs humans have. It is a special organ that is designed to allow the betta fish to breathe surface oxygen as opposed to taking this gas only from the water.
If you own betta fish or have ever been lucky enough to observe them in the wild, then you may have seen them swimming up to the surface with mouths wide open. This is how they breathe surface air.
Again, we have to reiterate that just because your betta fish has this organ, it doesn’t mean that they should have to use it all the time. They will be much happier taking their oxygen from the water and since air stones are so inexpensive, it is almost definitely worth investing in one.
How An Air Stone Can Benefit Your Tank
While betta fish don’t necessarily need an air stone, there are plenty of reasons that you may wish to consider one. If you are keeping betta fish with other species then the air stone, sometimes called a bubbler, may be advantageous to them too so it is worth weighing up what other fish are in the community before making a decision.
Keeping The Water Fresh
One of the main reasons that a lot of hobby aquarists decide to use an air stone is that the quality of the water will be much better maintained. When running an aquarium, it is essential that the water is filtered as this prevents a build-up of toxins like ammonia which can be lethal to your fish in high doses.
For the most part, good bacteria in the tank will break down ammonia meaning that it won’t cause too much harm to the fish. That said, these bacteria take a lot of oxygen from the water. What this means is that when the tank is dirty, more bacteria are needed to stay on top of the breakdown of ammonia and this results in them using more oxygen. When you install an air stone, this counteracts the issue.
In addition to this, when an air stone is not placed in the tank, the filtration system has to work much harder. Sometimes, if there is a build-up of toxins and mucus in the water, the system is unable to cope with this and these things will build up on rocks and other structures within the tank, making the environment very unhealthy for the fish.
Improve Physical Fitness For The Fish
Just like humans need exercise, fish do too. If they do not have an adequate amount then their health will suffer. In a small environment such as a home aquarium, there isn’t the space to move around that these fish would benefit from in the wild. The result is that they may not get as much physical exercise as they need.
However, when you install an air stone, this causes the water to circulate a little more and provides a bit more resistance as the fish are moving around. Essentially, it will give their physical fitness a handy boost.
Aeration
A lot of people think that aeration is the same as oxygenation but they are two different things. Oxygenation refers to the production of oxygen within the water whereas aeration relates to how this oxygen is spread around the tank.
Without an air stone, you may find that the oxygen is spread only across the top part of the tank and this is not good. However, when a bubbler is in place, this will mean that the oxygen can more easily spread to all areas offering much better aeration.
Keep Your Betta Fish Happy
Now, as we will learn a little later in this guide, betta fish have a special organ that allows them to take air from the surface. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the best way for them to breathe. Despite what many people believe, bettas will be happier taking their oxygen from the water so if you install an air stone, you are giving your fish much greater convenience, which is never a bad thing.
The organ that these fish have known as the labyrinth organ is designed to be used as a last resort and the fish prefer not to use it unless they have to. If an air stone is present, they won’t have to keep heading to the surface time after time just to breathe.
Aesthetic Appeal
If there was ever a reason that anyone wanted to set up an aquarium, it would be simply because they look so cool! Having a wide range of stunning fish such as the betta is one way to give your tank a beautiful aesthetic but decorations and knick-knacks can vastly improve how the aquarium looks.
An air stone will create a constant stream of tiny bubbles which can be incredibly relaxing to watch as well as simply looking cool.
Conclusion
Betta fish are a common sight in a lot of home aquariums. However, there is a lot of concern over whether these fish need the intense oxygenation that an air stone can provide. Air stones are a good way of putting oxygen into the water and aerating it but they aren’t vital to the survival of the betta fish. This is because these fish have a special organ, known as the labyrinth organ, that allows them to breathe at the surface.
That said, this organ isn’t designed for permanent use and is there to help the fish in an emergency so while your betta might not need an air stone, it would probably appreciate one. What’s more, these affordable pieces of equipment provide a whole array of other tank benefits.
