Oxygen

[sinner's girl]

Okay, I can't find the thread about airstones...
This is a problem with my fw tank, but ya'll should be able to help.. How do I increase Oxgyen in the tank? Fw board told me to add airstones...I was thinking a ph or running another fliter would be better.
So airstone or ph?
And do plants take oxygen out of the water or add it? (So wishing I had paid attention in class)...
Thanks...(my 55gl had fw fish...we're having issues right now, and I'm trying to narrow them down and fix them.)

 

[javatech]

Do you have a Skimmer running in you tank if you do that should be all you need
air stone in a salt tank just make a mess
get a oxygen test kit to make sure you even have a problem, you can get it tested at your lfs but you must get it tested fast within a few mins of taking it out of the tank

 

[sinner's girl]

this is a fresh water tank...no skimmer...just one hob filter... I wanted to know if an airstone would do any good or if I could add a ph or run another filter (i'm having nitrate issues and may be running a second filter anyway...) (the other forum is slow...I was hoping for a fast answer here...rather than waiting till tomorrow or later tonight)
In sw I know (think) water movement does whatever and gets ox in the water...
The fw board was telling me to add airstones, but I thought I remembered a thread on here that said they don't really do anything but make bubbles (however, the fish appear to like playing in the bubble).
LFS and walmart don't carry ox test...it'll be a few days before I can get to ***** or else where, so I'm trying out different things even if that's not the problem...till I can figure out the problem.

 

[omgsaltwat]

Originally Posted by Sinner's Girl
Okay, I can't find the thread about airstones...
This is a problem with my fw tank, but ya'll should be able to help.. How do I increase Oxgyen in the tank? Fw board told me to add airstones...I was thinking a ph or running another fliter would be better.
So airstone or ph?
And do plants take oxygen out of the water or add it? (So wishing I had paid attention in class)...
Thanks...(my 55gl had fw fish...we're having issues right now, and I'm trying to narrow them down and fix them.)
Plants add oxygen to fw, what kind of fish you have?

 

[wlong336]

Any surface agitation increases the gas exchange whether it comes from a airstone, ph, filter, and it is mostly preference as to which one to use. Air pumps are generally loud and airstones can clog.
Plants increase oxygen with the right lighting, and they will reduce nitrates.

 

[moby]

You could lower the water temp a little. As long as it doesn't get too cold.
Cold water holds more dissolved O2 then warm water.
Moby

 

[phixer]

Does this tank have plants? if so the plants will help to remove CO2 in exchange for O2. If your water is accumulating CO2 faster than it is being exchanged. Try this simple test to find out.
Remove 1/2 gallon of water and aerate it vigorously overnight. After 24hrs of aeration, check the pH of the sample and then check the pH of the tank at the same time. The time you conduct the test is very important becase of the effect photosynthesis has on the pH make sure you test both the tank and the sample at the same time. If the pH of the tank is more than 0.2 units below that of the aerated sample then carbon dioxide is accumulating, a water change and the addition of an extra powerhead should provide a long term solution. I remember reading something about not using airstones also but havent found anything to support that claim.
You might want to try this before making any chemical alterations.

 

[dogstar]

A power head forceing surface water across and then downward is the best way to get oxygenated water to deeper areas of the tank. Or lowering the water level. The gas exchange happens at the surface by pressure and the current will carry it thruout. As said, plants help with photosynthesis but strong lighting is needed.

 

[ray28576]

Air stones will add more Oxygen to the tank. Oxygen is a gas (Duh) and when the bubbles are smaller, it can dissolve into the water better. A PH will cause Circulation and movement at the top of the water and will add more oxygen just not as much as a air stone. I personally like airstones in a FW tank.

 

[sinner's girl]

i have two plants, and just added bulbs for most last week
You could lower the water temp a little. As long as it doesn't get too cold.
Cold water holds more dissolved O2 then warm water.
I'm attempting too...my 55gl is in the living room, it's hard to control temp. A few years ago, someone told me how, but since my fish were dead it didn't matter. But now I can't find that thread. Temp is 80 at 9:30pm (not sure how high in the day) (I lost my sw fish to high temp in this same tank, in the same spot, sinner said goldfish could take the heat).
Air pumps are generally loud and airstones can clog.
Ditto on the airstone, but I had one so I'm using for the moment.
What's the right light? I have a moon (blue) light now...the real lights burned the carpet an buy, buy they went. Two plants grew from bulbs, I added some more bulbs last week.
Remove 1/2 gallon of water and aerate it vigorously overnight. After 24hrs of aeration, check the pH of the sample and then check the pH of the tank at the same time.
Cool, I can't find the instrustions for our ph test...it's saltwater master Liquid Test Kit, would that work on fresh water?
Plants add oxygen to fw, what kind of fish you have?
The kind that swim and live in fresh water? :happyfish Fancy tale gold fish...I'll attach a pic. This is from last year, the fancy one is the one who's having trouble right now. Nitrates are 20...I've done water changes....we've lost two small fish...temp's 80, ph fine (whatever that means...)
(disclaimer, fw fish was Sinner's idea...not mine, he got the fish, not me. I just take care of the tank...I'm learning a few things)
Thanks!
(no longer have the black fish, he died a long time ago)

 

[elitephoto]

do all 3 an airstone, live plants and a powerhead. I ran multiples of of all 3 in my old 240gal freshwater tank. live plants add o2., airstone adds oxgen and the power head will also add oxy.

 

[sinner's girl]

I don't like the airstone, but if the fish like it, I may leave it...
I'm going to run the other filter if I can get it to work, and add a ph if I have a ox problem...

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by Sinner's Girl
I don't like the airstone, but if the fish like it, I may leave it...
I'm going to run the other filter if I can get it to work, and add a ph if I have a ox problem...
Airstone will take care of that problem. I run air stones in all 3 of my fw tanks. The airstones at walmart does a pretty good job, I've been running them for over a year and a half now. It hasn't clogged up on me yet, but those tube ones, don't use those!!! They will clog up, it didn't take long for it to clog up either....I'll stick with wally world's airstone... :happyfish

 

[wlong336]

What's the right light? I have a moon (blue) light now...the real lights burned the carpet an buy, buy they went. Two plants grew from bulbs, I added some more bulbs last week.
It all depends like corals plants have different lighting needs, I had plants ranging from low to high light needs and I used a pc 2*65 with 10K daylight bulbs and the plants took over the tank at a mind blowing speed. One neat thing about plants is that if you catch them at the right time you can see the bubbles (very small) of o2 they are releasing.
Also if your tank is newer you should add supplements to the water to give the plants enough food. If you tank is older than I woud add it twice a month. With that said don't skimp on the the supplements as the better they are the less likey an alge explosion will occur.