I am considering getting a Söchting Oxydator for my tank but I have a question before I decide.  Can you use an oxydator with an airstone or sponge filter?  Or would the bubbles drive the extra dissolved oxygen out of the water?

I have & have had no problems, the water can only be oxygenated to saturation & it is better to use pure oxygen from an oxydator as air only contains 21% oxygen.

Thanks Squiggle.  I have read that air stones and CO2 don't work together because the surface agitation caused by the air stone causes the CO2 to off gas as fast as it is added.  I just wanted to make sure the same wasn't true of oxygen added by an oxydator. 

 

Based on what I have read regarding oxydators, if I get one I really won't need the air stone.  The oxydator will saturate the water with oxygen without any help.  On the other hand, there really isn't any reason to remove it either.  

 

True for both dude.

As I mentioned on other forums, you do not need oxygenators and air stones. Air stones don't aerate the water directly. The act of the bubbles breaking the water surface, hence surface tension, causes oxygen exchange. As you said, air stones also degass the CO2. All I do is have the outlet of my canister 1 inch below the surface and blowing horizontally across the water. This creates small ripples which again break the surface tension and aerates the water.

 

I have 30 cardinal tetras, 10 lemon tetras, 100+ RCSs, 10 Caridina Typus and hundres of pond and ramshorn snails all in a 165L tank with CO2 at 2BPS fully dissolved with a massive external CO2 reactor and have no issues with fish gasping for air.

 

Here is a photo of the famous Tom Barr's tank with the surface ripples for oxgenation.

Off topic.....That's a nice looking tank !

Edited January 28, 201511 yr by inverted

Vlad is correct, the best way to oxygenate water is with surface movement/agitation & the cheapest way to do it is an airstone, but if you can use a powerhead or canister return then they are much more effective & definitely more aesthetically pleasing.

Thanks for the comments.  I am not sure what I am going to do once my tank cycles.  The more I think about it though the more I lean towards getting rid of the air stone.  Since a canister isn't an option for me right now, I would have 2 HOBs and a sponge filter's bubbles to create surface movement.  I think that would be sufficient, but I still may add an oxydator.  I have read so many good things about them and I really like the idea of an oxygen supply that isn't reliant on power.

 

Thanks again for the input.

The outflow from the HOB alone should be enough to aerate the water. If your are worried about the lack of oxygen during power outtages, then that is the least of your worries. Filtration is the most important issue with power outtages. People have used battery powered air pumps to drive DIY moving bed filters during extensive power outtages. There are people on AquariumLife that have way more stock than my tank and only rely on surface ripples from their filter outlet.