What is exactly surface agitation and breaking the surface?

Gas exchange is all about surface area and the amount/speed of water moving at the boundrys of said surface area. There is a few ways to do this, one of hte most common is just a spray bar splashing into the water (breaking the surface). This increases both the surface area and the amount of water flowing by that surface area to exchange gases (O2 and CO2 mainly). Another way is to have a powerhead that pushes water towards the surface, making ripples in the water (surface agitation). This is particularly effective when moving water from the bottom of the tank to the surface (or vice versa). There are many outflow attachments that will also help in this regard, lily pipes are popular around here, you just raise it a little to get that ripple effect or even some bubbles (both agitation and breakage). BTW agitation could be viewed as breaking the surface, all it means is that you "briskly stir or disturb something"



Hope that helps

we posted same minute lol

that typically refers to laminar upwelling, the type of agitation that comes from airstones in the aquarium or in the case of lake science its uplift riser columns that do the same things.

the breaking of the surface is literal gas exchange between co2 and 02 and its also surface area maximization because flat surface water has less exposed surface area at the top than lake water that is in heavy winds and churning, or being bubbled from underneath.

breaking the surface is simply maximizing gas exchange.

its hard to break the surface with a powerhead, whereas a bubbler always does. this is why giant powerheads are not used to destratify (break up gas boundary layers) in lakes. they use giant airstones to manage lakes containting 50 billion gallons of water, just a big ole airstone. surface agitation helps that much. I use just an airstone to run my entire reef aquarium it works so well.

Great! Thank you very much. If I refer this same question to the use of co2, it will be the same answer? Reason I'm asking is in the sense of not degassing co2 in my planted tank


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Radical MT said:

Great! Thank you very much. If I refer this same question to the use of co2, it will be the same answer? Reason I'm asking is in the sense of not degassing co2 in my planted tank


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Well a lot of us have CO2 on a solenoid and run it during the day, then at night turn it off and run a spray bar or lift you out pipe to make some agitation and allow O2 into the system. Then push it back down during the day. Help to keep CO2 higher and still get the necessary O2

Thanks. Gladly appreciate it


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