What kind of airline should I use?

[GrowFAQ]

Regular aquarium airline tubing will work fine for attaching your airstone to your airpump for use in bubblers. Some people have claimed that this clear airline tubing acts like a fiberoptic line allowing light into the reservoir. While I have had no trouble with algae growth while using clear airline tubing,the possibility remains that it could eventually become a problem. There is also the bluish tinted airline which can be purchased at most aquarium/pet shops. This could be of some help in regulating light entering the reservoir,however recently I have started using 1/4" drip irrigation tubing purchased for $5.00 per 50 feet. The drip line is all black and will not allow any light penetration at all. Another plus is that this tubing is made from premium resins and is highly flexible and is very hard to kink. With standard clear airline tubing,kinking can be a problem if not handled carefully. A strong kink in the line could stop all the air/oxygen from ever making it to the airstone which could result in a drowned dead plant. With the flexible drip tubing,there is never a need to worry about it kinking. In addition,this tubing is made to be very durable under any type of weather condition,which is an added bonus in any growroom. If you have any worries at all about light making its way into your reservoir or about airlines kinking up,I highly recommend using the black 1/4" drip irrigation tubing with your bubblers.