How to Keep a Bubble Stone Down – Things You Should Follow

Bubble tea is a type of iced or hot beverage in which tapioca pearls, sugar and flavorings are mixed and the mixture is then poured into a cold drink. Bubble tea can be found throughout Asia where it has become especially popular with younger consumers. This article outlines how to keep your bubble stone down!

The “where to place air stone in aquarium” is a question that has been asked many times. I will answer the question, and provide some tips on how to keep your bubble stone down.

It’s discouraging to see freshly placed bubble stones float up to the top all the time. This is a typical issue with light and tiny bubble stones. They continue to float on the water’s top. It’s also really inconvenient.

The issue then becomes, “How can I keep a bubble stone down?”

Installing Cup of Suctions, lowering pump pressure, anchoring with stones, and other methods may help keep bubble stones at bay. Cup of Suctions, on the other hand, are the most effective here. Unclogging them, on the other hand, is a viable option.

This is just a sampling of what you can achieve. In our essay, we provided a step-by-step guidance on how to carry them out. Now, let’s get those bubble stones down to the ground-

Is It Okay If A Bubble/Air Stone Doesn’t Sink?

The air pump’s mouth is fixed with air stones, which diffuse oxygen into the tank. It does this by releasing a large number of microscopic air bubbles. 

The airstone should ideally remain at the bottom of the tank. As a result, oxygen is dispersed throughout the tank. However, if the air stones reach the surface, the oxygen bubbles will just vanish. This prevents the whole tank from being exposed to oxygen. 

One could ask why air stones are having such a hard time getting to the surface. You’ll be relieved to learn that it’s not only air stones that have trouble staying put. Keeping the floating plants in one location is really difficult.

Why Might Air Stones Float Up Oddly?

Air stones often rise to the top rather than remaining fixed at the bottom. But why does it happen in the first place? There are four distinct reasons why an air stone may float up abnormally. Let’s take a closer look-

The air stone to tank size ratio is the first explanation. The smallest air stones are the ones that seem to float the most. The greatest example is the Pawfly 1 inch airstone. They are quite light, and once inserted, they pop up. 

Second, attaching a flexible tubing to a tiny airstone without Cup of Suctions encourages the stone to move. It will ultimately come up. 

Finally, if the air stone’s base isn’t weighted, it won’t hold them at the bottom. A thick base is seen on many little air stones, preventing them from floating.

Finally, if the Pressure in the Air in the tank is too high, the pump will experience back pressure. As a result, the associated airstone rises.

Air Stones in Aquariums: 4 Ways to Keep Them in Place

You now understand why air stones float high. What’s the next step? Let’s have a look at how to maintain a bubble stone in place. We’ve compiled a list of options to assist you in keeping them at the bottom. Let’s take a closer look-

1. Change the Pressure in the Air
2. Cup of Suctions (Mini)
3. Rock/Stone is a good way to secure it.
4. Remove the blockage from the Airstone

Which Approach Should You Take?

It’s possible that now that we’ve explained all of these approaches, you’re even more confused. It’s possible that you won’t be able to select which option is ideal for you. To that end, we’ve prepared a short comparison of various strategies’ efficacy. Let’s take a closer look-

Method 1: Change the Pressure in the Air

The Pressure in the Air from the pump can determine the number of bubbles diffusing in the tank. If the pressure is too high, lesser bubbles will be supplied. That’s because more pressure causes additional back pressure to the pump. This can cause the airstone attached to the pump to float. 

One of the ways is to install a bleed valve to decrease this excess Pressure in the Air.

Many people wonder whether the bleeding valve approach genuinely works to keep air stones down.

Yes. The way to reduce this Pressure in the Air is by installing a bleed valve instead of an inline valve. Bleed valves redirect the airflow. For that, it reduces the backpressure of the pump. This will cause a moderate amount of air bubbles to flow from the airstone which will stop it from floating. 

How to Make Homemade Bleed Valves

A bleed valve is simple to manufacture at home. You’ll need the following items for this:

What you’ll need

Cut the airline in the first of three steps.

The airline is the tube that connects the air pump to the compressor. The oxygen is transported from the air pump to the tank through the airline and the air stone. Anywhere you want to put the valve, you’ll need to create a cut.

Install the Airline T in Step 2 of 3

It’s time to install the airline T once you’ve made the cut. Simply cut the top and bottom halves of the cut using two horizontal T holes. Use a T that corresponds to your default airline.

Add Tube and Control Balve in Step 3 of 3

Place a short tube of approximately 0.5 inch in the third aperture of the T once it has been placed. After that, put one of the control valve’s two horizontal apertures into the tube’s end. That concludes the discussion. Your bleed valve is connected to your pump. 

Add an outer tube to reduce noise as a bonus tip.

This is an added benefit for you! 

If the valve’s hissing bothers you, just bring some additional tubings with you. Then connect the tube to the control valve’s opposite end. Your bleed valve’s hissing will be completely silenced.

After you have successfully made a bleed valve on your own, it’s time to make it work. Simply reduce the Pressure in the Air by turning the wheel of your control valve. This will reduce the floating tendency of your airstone.

Fishlab is the source of this information.

Method 2: Cup of Suctions (Mini)

The next method we are going to suggest is using mini Cup of Suctions to hold the tube to the wall. This is the easiest way to keep air stones from floating. All you need are two/three Cup of Suctions. So, let’s answer the most common question asked- How do I stop my aquarium bubbler from floating?

Aquarium bubblers can be stopped from floating by using Cup of Suctions. What you can do is attach two cups to the tube. One at the surface and the other at the bottom. These Cup of Suctions will then be attached to the wall. These will hold the tube at the bottom and thus keep your air stone stationary at the bottom.

Here are some suggestions on mini Cup of Suctions-

Method 3: Rock/Stone is a good way to secure it.

If you can’t afford to find Cup of Suctions near you, you can use rocks/stones to hold the air stone at the bottom. But note that, using rocks is not as effective as Cup of Suctions. You should only consider it if you don’t find Cup of Suctions near you. So, the question arises: How do you anchor an air stone in an aquarium?

One or two tiny rocks may be placed at the bottom of your tube. You’ll need to lay the tube down on your tank’s sand/gravels/stones for this. Then place a tiny pebble on top of the tube. The boulder should be hefty enough to keep the tube in place while not obstructing airflow.

Amazon is the source.

The trick here is to place the correct stone over the tube. Before placing the stone over the tube, count the number of bubbles that are ejected. Compare it after that by putting a stone over the tube. You’re fine to go if the number of bubbles doesn’t change.

Method 4: Remove the blockage from the Airstone

Now we’ll discuss airstone blockage and why it could cause your airstone to float. So, what exactly is airstone clogging, and how does it relate to airstone floating?

Millions of microscopic pores make up air stones. These little holes allow oxygen bubbles to enter the tank. However, after 4-6 weeks of usage, these airstones usually wear out. 

Bacteria, algae, dust, and calcium build up over time on them. The airstone becomes less effective as a result, and bubbles get trapped within. They can’t produce bubbles if they’re stuck within the airstone. This causes them to float on the water’s surface at times.

There are 3 ways to unclog these air stones if you are not up for replacing them at the moment. These 3 ways are Washing with bleach, soaking in hydrogen Peroxide, and lastly in vinegar-water solution. Let’s have a wider look at these processes-

Washing with bleach

When it comes to Washing with bleach, people have a lot of concerns. Many people want to know if it’ll be safe or not to use bleach.

So our biggest issue is whether or not I need bleach clean my air stone. 

Yes. Washing with bleach is an effective measure to unclog the air stone. It removes the impurities from the stone. However, if the bleach is not completely removed afterward, it can harm your fish. So make sure you remove the bleach completely. Just follow these 4 steps for Washing with bleach-

1. Wash the airstone with water and wipe away any apparent exterior layers.
2. In a pot of boiling water, soak the airstone for 10-15 minutes.
3. After drying the airstone, soak it in a bleach-water solution ( Add 3 cups water to 1 cup household bleach). For a day, soak the stone in the solution.
4. For 20 minutes, soak the airstone in clean water. Turn on the pump and let it run for a while. The bleach will be removed from the airstone as a result of this. Dry it for 24 hours after 20 minutes.

Soak in a bath of hydrogen peroxide.

Many folks are worried about how bleach may affect the aquarium’s biological organisms. This occurs when the bleach on the air stones isn’t completely gone. If you wish to prevent this, hydrogen peroxide may be used instead.

In this instance, immerse your airstone overnight in hydrogen peroxide. Put some denture cleaning pills in the water after that. Allow the air stones to soak for a night. After that, remove the hydrogen peroxide and dry the airstone using the same technique as before.

Solution of Vinegar and Water

If your airstone has formed a calcium line, you may remove it with vinegar. Calcium lines appear when your tank water has a high mineral concentration.

Soak the blocked air stones for a whole day in a vinegar solution. Then, as previously said, remove it and dry the stone. You’ll be able to get rid of clogs.

Are you still stuck? It’s time to upgrade your Air Stones.

Now, the advice we offered before are meant to assist you in keeping your air stone from drifting. You may replace your old one if you don’t have time to complete that. We’ve come up with a handful of options for replacing air stone. Furthermore, you won’t have to deal with the annoying floating issue. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got-

For aquariums, use an Anchor Air Stone.

An anchor airstone is a kind of airstone that is meant to be fixed to the tank’s bottom. It has a plastic anchor attached to it. The anchor is held at the bottom and does not rise owing to its weight.  

The anchor air stone is simple to install in your tank. To begin, connect the pump’s airline tubing to the anchor air stone. Turn off the pump. After that, place the plastic anchor in the tank’s bottom. Place a layer of gravel on top of it. The anchor air stone will no longer come to the surface if you follow these steps.

Use Air Stones that are sufficiently heavy.

The simplest technique to prevent the airstone from floating is to add weight, as we indicated previously. Some forms of air stones, on the other hand, are already extremely hefty, which slows them down. You may replace your current air stone with these. Some of the heavier air stones are listed here for your convenience-

FAQs

Is it necessary to have bubblers in aquariums?

It’s preferable if aquariums feature bubblers. They contribute significantly to the gaseous exchange inside aquariums. They produce a large number of bubbles that immediately disperse oxygen throughout the tank. 

When it comes to air stones, how long do they last?

In roughly 6 weeks, air stones lose their effectiveness. Many air stones, on the other hand, have been seen to survive for roughly 6 months. When there aren’t many minerals in the water, it lasts longer.

Are fish attracted to air bubbles?

Fish are observed aligning themselves around the airstone, which produces bubbles. They breathe readily because they can inhale the dissolved oxygen. If there are bubbles, it’s critical that they feel at ease.

Conclusion

We hope we were able to assist you in resolving your flying bubble stone issue. You’ve learned how to keep a bubble stone in place. Those stones should no longer float or come up if you followed all of our recommendations.

Thank you for sticking it out with us all the way to the finish. Please contact us if you have any further questions!

The “how to use an air stone” is a way to keep a bubble stone down in the water. The article will also include some things you should follow when using an air stone.

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