Aeration and waterflow

This has really been the bane of my existence. I'm trying hard to achieve a delicate balance between aerating the tank, and minimizing current. It is a battle I do not appear to be winning.

My filter is an Aquaclear power filter, one of those hanging waterfall types. Even on the lowest setting the filter created too much disturbance unmodified, so I cut a waterbottle in half and taped it on top, such that it loops around and almost fully encases the water output. A little gets out the bottom and a bit more out the sides, but the water then flows down the glass and gently enters the water. At least, it does on the lowest setting. At the highest it is a bit more powerful. Regardless, it does disturb the top of the water somewhat, but closer to a zen garden than the whirlpools I assume are bad. Is water movement at all completely anathema to axolotls? I even bought a rock high enough to break the surface of the water to act as a breakwater!

Sorry, that was a bit of a tangent, this has just been quite frustrating for me. Anyways, I quickly discovered the tank needs to be well aerated or the poor little guy will suffocate (or start using pulmonary respiration, but I don't want to encourage any bad habits). So I turned the filter up somewhat and, yay, bubbles. But then that stressed him out. So I figured I'd get an airstone.

Well, I really don't know what kinds of airstones you guys are using, but I got a pump for one half my tank size, to minimize disturbance, and it still kicked up a storm. Plus my, er, special little guy kept trying to eat the bubbles, and would quickly be pushed to the surface of the water. Anyways, the whole ordeal seems to either stress him out, or suffocate him.

So please, please tell me how to keep the water oxygenated without freaking him out. And it would also really help me out if someone explained what too much current is. I'm also somewhat unhappy with the idea that I may have just bought a completely useless pump... :nono:

Does the filter still stress him with your modification? A little surface disturbance doesn't stress my guys. I read somewhere that if the plants in your tank are moving, then it's too much.

As for the airstone, you can put an airflow valve on the line and control the air flow that way. I use a small round airstone and have the line folded and tied off to control the flow - not pretty but it works.

I was actually thinking of bending and tying the tube, but I was worried that might damage the pump. I was also thinking of sticking it in the corner with the tall rock, then getting another of similar size and kind of quarantining it off so he can't get to it, because it seems he is not learning.

At the lowest setting it doesn't seem to be stressing him, but I'm having a hard time telling. He's actually an A. andersoni, not axolotl, and his gills always kinda seem forward turned somewhat. I can tell when he's really stressed, though, because the turn way more, but it's hard to get a level, "normal" standard when all the picture are of axies. Also his tail, right now, is straight, and often it is. But sometimes it curls so... yeah.

As for the plants, they move very, very slightly at the lowest setting, and the roots of the java fern, which I usually go by, currently aren't moving at all. But one of the leaves is, a little. So, hm. One thing to keep in mind is the rock sort of redirects the current of half of the waterfall along on of the sides, creating a sort of windtunnel (water tunnel?) At the highest setting he struggles to swim up that passage (but never struggles to swim or stand anywhere else, of course.) The java fern happens to be positioned in this tunnel.

Also, I really, really wish he would just avoid going in the tunnel of despair or near the bubbles of pain. But no, he never learns. Which is why he keeps trying to swim through glass and sits on top of his coconut house instead of inside. Which is why I'm trying to be a bit more proactive.

An airstone shouldn't be necessary. With a filter circulating the water oxygen will be picked up at the surface. An airstone does not put any more oxygen in the water than the filter does. The oxygen is picked up at the surface not by the bubbles going through the water. It doesn't make sense to slow the turbulence of the filter and then add turbulence with an airstone. Just find a setting on the filter where the whole tank isn't turbulent. I've baffled cascade style filters by putting a plastic plant, plastic rock, or strapping a filter cartridge to the outflow.

I was hoping an airstone would be more efficient at aerating the tank, seeing as how it's made for it. I thought maybe the filter on low would, well, filter, and the airstone on low would aerate. It seemed to make sense in my head!

I looped and pinched the cord with a clothespin, so only a few bubbles come out now, and the filter is on low and redirected and obstructed enough that it barely moves the water. I am hoping that this will be the least stressful, most filtrated, and most aerated arrangement I can set up. Otherwise I just wasted money on a pump, arg.

I was under the impression that the air stone was useful in helping to keep the tank cooler. Certainly increases the evaporation rate in my tank.

Beware of undissolved gases in the water. An airstone can cause problems. I learned this with my newts, too much aeration is bad.

I usually go with canister filters.

Zoomed 501 with a spraybar is very mellow and doesn't stir up much of a current. Eheim ecco pro 80 gallon is a good choice too. I'm using both on my 60-gallon long.