I have to disagree here. Fine air bubbles can't really blows any gases out of the water.
Gas exchange need to happen at water/air interface. What fine air bubbles really doing
for gas exchange is to move water from the bottom to the surface. In this pump mode, fine
air bubbles has little efficiency without the aid of ducting.

Any pump that move water from bottom to the water/air interface could be considered
'vastly increasing' oxygenation, in a sense that oxygenation rate is higher for
relatively oxygen poor water from the bottom as compared to water from the top. I won't
go as far as claiming airstone 'vastly increases' oxygenation. I reserve that for cooling
tower/TT.

The main reason that airstones are so popular in aerating large ponds, lakes, and sewage
treatment plants is that it's very low maintenance water pump. The only thing to maintain
is to clean the air filter. It's considered the most reliable way to aerate water. There
is nothing more besides that feature.

As for flooming, it does work. If it's good enough for sewage treatment plants, it's good
enough for our ponds.



wrote:

the fine air bubbles put into the water by good
airstones lifts the entire water column from below, it blows toxic gases out while it
vastly increases oxygenation of the water.