I don't monitor mine, I just try to make sure there is enough. FWIW, there's been plenty for me with these options.
Obviously water temps, but you have that handled. Good. (Another mention for LED lighting, keeping temps down easier, thus water temps too.)
First option is air discs instead of stones. More bubbles doesn't mean more air in the water, but the additional surface action generated from significantly more bubbles (even though they are smaller) means more surface action. I prefer the discs over the traditional cylinder stone. However, a cylinder stone is going to cost a tick less. Either way, they're a per grow replaceable item. They work, and are the most convenient way to add more air.
There is a slightly more expensive option for a disc, and you won't have to replace them every grow (with proper care and cleaning in-between) like a generic stone. Check out the KeepAlive low pressure diffuser. Their site is keepalive(dot)net, for reference.
I don't use these (yet) in my rdwc, but I do use them in my livewells. They work, and better than a typical stone by a pretty good margin. From my other use, I'm guessing a replacement cycle of about 3 grows. It may go more, but that's a pretty safe estimate. They're typically about $50/ea, and compared to a typical disc, would be a little more per grow than a $10 stone disc. If you could get 4+ grows from one, you'd be in good shape.
I will say that using those over stones, the fish in my livewells have been in much better shape. They were ok before, but now are definitely more perky by days end.
Second is... venturi's.
My pump has a venturi option, and I use it. Tons of DO produced from this, and nothing extra needed to make it work.
Another place for a venturi (and I'm adding one of these during this update for mine) is the supply to a bucket.
Come into the bucket, hit an elbow and a little more pipe, and you can make a venturi there pretty easily. Need a drill bit and some air tubing.
I'd love to not need stones, but the risk of not having them is too great for me. Even if I could get 3 or 4 venturi's going, and some other stuff, I'd still run stones. Better safe than sorry.
My (current) complete air setup is this:
a) Danner AP-8, 4 outlet, air pump (1 line/bucket, super quiet) with (1) 4" air disc per bucket
b) waterfall effect from supply line to each bucket
c) venturi option on main pump
d) rio plus 50 aqua pump (w/venturi, runs in the res, 5w/)
e) Eheim PHL207184 air pump (single outlet, quiet AF, runs to res)
I will continue the above, but will be changing 3 of the buckets to more of a spray bar supply internally, and the 4th bucket will get the elbow venturi since its supply will actually be let loose underneath the surface and closer to the bottom. Sounds weird, but this is the bucket that overflows to the res, so input low, output high.
I know some think you need a gigantic, loud AF air pump. I'd rather run a smaller and almost silent unit and run one of those per bucket. The danner does well for a 4-outlet, and it's pretty damn quiet. More than 5 or 6 feet away and you don't notice it. Some of those bigger ones, not so much. They add a ton of air, sure, but who wants to be stuck awake at night because you can hear your air pump from your bedroom when the house is completely quiet in the middle of the night?
Combined with my other pieces, the danner is great and plenty of additional air.
Eheim makes stupid quiet air pumps too. Well worth it, If you go digging into air pumps, look around reef tank forums. Reefers are all over these pumps for amount of air/DO, and noise.
Obviously water temps, but you have that handled. Good. (Another mention for LED lighting, keeping temps down easier, thus water temps too.)
First option is air discs instead of stones. More bubbles doesn't mean more air in the water, but the additional surface action generated from significantly more bubbles (even though they are smaller) means more surface action. I prefer the discs over the traditional cylinder stone. However, a cylinder stone is going to cost a tick less. Either way, they're a per grow replaceable item. They work, and are the most convenient way to add more air.
There is a slightly more expensive option for a disc, and you won't have to replace them every grow (with proper care and cleaning in-between) like a generic stone. Check out the KeepAlive low pressure diffuser. Their site is keepalive(dot)net, for reference.
I don't use these (yet) in my rdwc, but I do use them in my livewells. They work, and better than a typical stone by a pretty good margin. From my other use, I'm guessing a replacement cycle of about 3 grows. It may go more, but that's a pretty safe estimate. They're typically about $50/ea, and compared to a typical disc, would be a little more per grow than a $10 stone disc. If you could get 4+ grows from one, you'd be in good shape.
I will say that using those over stones, the fish in my livewells have been in much better shape. They were ok before, but now are definitely more perky by days end.
Second is... venturi's.
My pump has a venturi option, and I use it. Tons of DO produced from this, and nothing extra needed to make it work.
Another place for a venturi (and I'm adding one of these during this update for mine) is the supply to a bucket.
Come into the bucket, hit an elbow and a little more pipe, and you can make a venturi there pretty easily. Need a drill bit and some air tubing.
I'd love to not need stones, but the risk of not having them is too great for me. Even if I could get 3 or 4 venturi's going, and some other stuff, I'd still run stones. Better safe than sorry.
My (current) complete air setup is this:
a) Danner AP-8, 4 outlet, air pump (1 line/bucket, super quiet) with (1) 4" air disc per bucket
b) waterfall effect from supply line to each bucket
c) venturi option on main pump
d) rio plus 50 aqua pump (w/venturi, runs in the res, 5w/)
e) Eheim PHL207184 air pump (single outlet, quiet AF, runs to res)
I will continue the above, but will be changing 3 of the buckets to more of a spray bar supply internally, and the 4th bucket will get the elbow venturi since its supply will actually be let loose underneath the surface and closer to the bottom. Sounds weird, but this is the bucket that overflows to the res, so input low, output high.
I know some think you need a gigantic, loud AF air pump. I'd rather run a smaller and almost silent unit and run one of those per bucket. The danner does well for a 4-outlet, and it's pretty damn quiet. More than 5 or 6 feet away and you don't notice it. Some of those bigger ones, not so much. They add a ton of air, sure, but who wants to be stuck awake at night because you can hear your air pump from your bedroom when the house is completely quiet in the middle of the night?
Combined with my other pieces, the danner is great and plenty of additional air.
Eheim makes stupid quiet air pumps too. Well worth it, If you go digging into air pumps, look around reef tank forums. Reefers are all over these pumps for amount of air/DO, and noise.
