Wooden air stones

[frisbee]

How long do these generally last? (replacing)

 

[DaveK]

First off, what are you trying to use them for? Generally they are used in skimmers that use wood airstone to create bubbles. These sort of skimmers are just about obsolete now.

To answer your specific question, when I used them, I got about 8 weeks out of one if it was used with just air. If used with ozone, about 3 to 4 weeks.

By the way, you can get ceramic airstones that give a similar size bubble to wood airstones, and will last longer, but in time they will still clog and need to be replaced.

 

[frisbee]

The pump on my skimmer broke awhile back. I replaced the pump but it was EXTREMELY loud. I sent it back and got another one but it was the same story all over again. Anyways, I decided to modify the skimmer with an Aquaclear 402 PH and and air pump. (wooden airstone) This thing works even better now to tell you the truth. I was just curios how long these things last. They used to be real cheap at the LFS, but now they've gotten kind of expensive if I can find them at all locally.

Two months though huh? I'm at about that mark now and it still working, but I was just wondering if I should stock up or not. Thank you for the reply.

 

[DaveK]

You may get more or less. I would stock up. When I used them I always kept a suppy on hand.

Wood, being it's a natural product, can have some issues like not producing bubbles along the whole airstone or having large and small bubbles.

 

[frisbee]

More or less?

Can you just take the airstone out after awhile, let it dry out, and then just sand it down on all sides? Would this give them more "life" so to say"?

 

[DaveK]

The limitation of wood airstones is that they rot and clog. Just consider them a consumable supply. You can try other methods to try to extend their life. I never had much success. It comes down to spending one minute to replace it verses 15 minutes or more to work on it.

 

[frisbee]

Thanks Dave.

 

[reefwiser]

have used and made Bass wood airstones for years. Bass wood is a very fine grain wood.It produces super small air bubbles. It does take a serious air pump to run a skimmer with them. I use a piston pump to produce enough air pressure to get the small bubbles kicking in the skimmer. You can by Bass wood at a good wood working supply store and make your own. By making 1 inch square by 3 inch long pieces then drill a 1/4 hole down thru the center about 1 1/2 inch and insert a plastic ridged air line tubing.

 

[DaveK]

have used and made Bass wood airstones for years. Bass wood is a very fine grain wood.It produces super small air bubbles. It does take a serious air pump to run a skimmer with them. I use a piston pump to produce enough air pressure to get the small bubbles kicking in the skimmer. You can by Bass wood at a good wood working supply store and make your own. By making 1 inch square by 3 inch long pieces then drill a 1/4 hole down thru the center about 1 1/2 inch and insert a plastic ridged air line tubing.

This is a good point, It is quite possible to make your own wood airstones. I would add that the wood and the hole you drill must be precisely cut. It helps if you have a table saw and drill press.