goldiegirl

I bought a package of more than one air wand/curtain, whatever it's called, and I also have a package of stones. I'm not sure why they come in packages, because I can't see why it would stop working. Does anyone know how long these things typically last before dying (if ever), and how I will know when I need to replace it? So far mine's still going strong, and I kind of regret buying replacements. Thanks!

bubblynutter

air wands & curtains get gunk built up over a few weeks. It depends on how dirty your tank is.

Mine last 3-4 weeks before I need to pull them out, soak in hot water for about 10 minutes and then give a light brush before putting them back in.

One of the wands I have in at the moment has been with me in varying degrees of use for over 4 years....

Shawnie

I notice my wands/curtains do NOT last as long as my stones do..and mine are about a month as well...but my stones seem to last forever...of course the stronger the air pump is , the longer they all last as well

ilikefish

If you keep them under the gravel algae can't clog them and neither can debris. I have an air wand thats 9 years old (looks like but runs like a champ). And same thing goes for the airstones.

Now if their above the substrate micro algae can grow in their pores and give you issues.

goldiegirl

Wow, good to know! I actually wanted to put mine under the gravel (it's on top of it right now), but I didn't think it would actually be powerful enough to still work under there. I guess I'll do that, then!

rae64

Maybe they are in mutiple packs so you could have more than one going at once? Idk, just a thought

trailblazer295

I recently added a pump and air stone, I was advised getting one with a plastic frame because they tend to be brittle and can break if you hit it with your siphon.

goldiegirl

One more question about air stones... do they introduce oxygen in the tank directly through the bubbles or is it just by providing surface disturbance? I ask this because I have a 55 gallon tank, and my wand is on the bottom. It produces a lot of bubbles, but by the time they reach the surface they really don't do much up there. It looks to me like there would be a lot of oxygen in the tank from the amount of bubbles coming out, but when I read about surface disturbance I get worried, because they barely even reach the surface enough to make it move. Thanks!

David C

It's through the surface disturbance. The disturbance increases the rate of gaseous exchange.

Dave