[Mettle]

I'm running a 10 gallon at the moment and have a couple of fancy goldfish in there. One, I think is an oranda. Not sure what the other is. I'm really not up to par on my goldfish knowledge...

Regardless, I noticed them gasping a lot at the top for air. So I grabbed an air stone out of my misc. aquarium junk box, hooked it up, and stuck it in. That was earlier today. Since that point I haven't seen them at the top at all.

Obviously it's helping... But I was just wondering by what process? I realize it makes bubbles. But to me it looks like the bubbles are just rushing towards the top. Does this actually put more oxygen into the water and if so, how? Maybe I'm looking for an explanation that's too scientific. But yeah... Curious me wouldn't mind knowing if someone can explain it. Or if someone has a link to a site that explains it.

 

[elTwitcho]

It brings water up with the rising bubbles, thereby circulating the water in the tank and bringing the unoxygenated (bottom) water to mix with the top water which is more rich in oxygen. It's not a very efficient way of doing things, but it helps a little bit

 

[User]

Helps aerate the water, some people like the look of airstones and bubble walls.

 

[Fido]

Also some fish like to play in it

 

[Mettle]

It's not a very efficient way of doing things, but it helps a little bit

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Then what's a more efficient way of doing things?

 

[elTwitcho]

Then what's a more efficient way of doing things?

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A powerhead circulating water along the surface or pointing upwards from the bottom to mix water from the lower levels with water from the upper level. Even a power filter that draws water from the bottom and drops it on top of the surface is a pretty good method.

 

[piranha45]

water-surface movement allows for much greater gas exchange, allowing O2 to be introduced from the atmosphere into the water. Bubbles can do this, but anything else that creates water-surface movement, notably filters/powerheads, also do this role, and more efficiently so as twitcho already said

 

[Burf]

and lots of small bubbles have a very large surface area, speeding up diffusion