How to Make a Bubbler for Fishes Fast

Fish and invertebrates, such as sea anemones and living sponges, require oxygen to survive. Ensuring that the dissolved oxygen levels are at saturation is particularly important in tropical and marine tanks, as both warm and sea water hold less oxygen than cold water. A bubbler creates currents in an aquarium. These currents move oxygen depleted water from the lower regions of the aquarium to the surface, where oxygen from the atmosphere can replenish that which has been used. The bubbler or air stone in overstocked or overfed aquariums should deliver bubbles as quickly as possible. The aquarist can take several steps to make the bubbler work faster.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium
  • Vibrator pump
  • 3-foot long piece of air tubing, 0.75-inch diameter
  • Air stone or bubbler
  • Plastic T-piece, 0.75-inch diameter
  • Aquarium clamp
  • Toothbrush
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the bubbler from your aquarium and rinse it under warm, running tap water.

    • 2

      Use a clean toothbrush to gently remove encrusted algae growth from the bubbler, as this growth will clog its porous surface and negatively affect the amount of bubbles that it will produce.

    • 3

      Replace the bubbler with a new one if the surface has been badly clogged or damaged. This is particularly important with wooden bubblers, which are typically used in marine tanks. Wooden bubblers will not produce the optimal amount of bubbles, once they have aged.

    • 4

      Connect one end of the 3-foot long piece of transparent air tubing to the nipple on the bubbler.

    • 5

      Examine the air tube and ensure that it is not defective or torn in any way, or air will immediately leak from the tube before it reaches the bubbler.

    • 6

      Push the free end of the air tube onto the exhaust nipple of a vibrator pump. Adjust the pump so that it delivers the maximum amount of air.

    • 7

      Position the vibrator pump above the level of the water in the aquarium, to prevent tank water from running into and flooding the pump, during a power outage. Turn the pump on.

    • 8

      Cut two 3-inch long pieces of tubing from the 3-foot long piece and place one on each of the duel exhaust nipples, if your vibrator pump has a duel outlet. Push each of the two free ends onto the T-piece. Push the remainder of the 3-foot long piece of air tubing, which is attached to the bubbler, onto the third outlet on the T-piece. This allows both outlets on the vibrator pump to push air into the bubbler.