How to Hook Up a Bubbling Fish Tank Decoration

Bubbling fish tank decorations come in many styles.  Some classic ones are deep sea divers, opening clam shells, and pirate treasure chests.  These bubbling aquarium decor items can add visual interest to your fish tank.  This article describes how to hook them up, and the benefits they bring to your aquarium.

Types of Bubbling Fish Tank Decorations

Bubbling fish tank decorations come in two main types: air stone decorations and bubbling decorations with moving parts.  The types with moving parts gather air from the air hose under a lid of some sort, like the top clam shell or the treasure chest lid.  Then, when the air pressure builds enough, the lid opens and lets out a large bubble.

Air stones are fixtures for the ends of the aquarium air hose.  They can be manmade or natural pumice stone.  They break up the stream of air and thus turn large bubbles into smaller bubbles.  Air stone bubbling decorations do the same thing, but in a decorative way.  They could be faux coral formations, miniature castles, or small ‘No Fishing’ signs.

How to Hook Up the Bubbling Fish Tank Decoration

Every bubbling fish tank decoration needs an air pump and air hose to work.  An aquarium air pump is a small rectangle set on the outside of the fish tank.  A long tube runs from it, into the water, and is attached to the bubbling fish tank decoration.

The air hose can be affixed to the glass of the aquarium if desired.  The bubbling decoration can be displayed on the gravel at the bottom of the fish tank.  It is easier to do this when the fish tank is not yet full of water.

Bubbling Decoration Fish Tank Benefits

Bubbling fish tank decorations provide three major benefits.  The first is purely decorative.  Some fish tank enthusiasts enjoy having these items in their tank.  The bubbles will catch the light and add a sparkling quality to the aquarium.

These decorations also serve two practical purposes.  Fish breathe oxygen dissolved in the water.  Most of the oxygen comes into the water at the surface.  By introducing extra air into the water, a bubbling fish tank decoration can increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.

Also, they disturb the surface of the water, thus increasing its surface area.  This facilitates further gas exchanges and helps to rid the fish tank of carbon dioxide, chlorine from water changes, and ammonia excreted by fish.

Bubbling fish tank decorations serve both ornamental and practical purposes.