Suffocating Fish

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Suffocating Fish

Tropheus come from waters that have a super high content of o2....

[wesleydnunder]

Re: Suffocating Fish

Tropheus come from waters that have a super high content of o2....

Super high? With an elevation of roughly 2,500 feet and figuring a temp of 75 F in the littoral zone with a salinity of 10 ppt, oxygen saturation is at 7.269 mg/l, no higher than lakes with comparable conditions and less than sea level lakes of the same temp and salinity.

But we're drifting away from CF's original question.

Since it sounds like his problem began to resolve with the introduction of the sponge filter, I think your original idea that higher temp coupled with low turnover at the surface caused the depletion. I also think that the daily fluctuations in temperatue are stressing his fish some.

Mark

[CichlidFan]

Re: Suffocating Fish

Well, as it was mentioned earlier, we may never know the exact reason for this occurance, but it is my gut feeling that it was partly due to room temp and lack of circulation of the air in the house. Plus a remote possibility of having a smoker in the house may have added to the problem.

CF

[wesleydnunder]

Re: Suffocating Fish

CF, if it were me, I'd keep an airstone running in the tank, or powerheads directed toward the surface of the water, to allow maximum turnover at the surface and better gaseous exchange.

Mark

[CichlidFan]

Re: Suffocating Fish

I plan on doing both.....thanks... :)

I should have known better, my dubs in the den have both air sponges and power heads in their 125, and they are doing very well.

CF

[Bogdan]

Re: Suffocating Fish

wesleydnunder,
Thank you for your input. You did not elucidate the cause of CF problems but you confirmed that laws of physics still exist even though some people ignore them. That is very comforting. I find HFB a wonderful source of aquaristic knowledge, please keep up the good work.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Suffocating Fish

Very good info there Mark.

Its nice to see that people still do their research especially when it comes the fish keeping culture.....sometimes you get the feeling that most just buy fish cause they like to look at them and only look into keeping them healthy when a problem arises.

You sir are an asset to this community.

[imagirlgeek]

Re: Suffocating Fish

Actually EK, you were correct about the O2 levels in Lake Tanganyika.  

According to Aqualog: African Cichlids II: Tanganyika I: Tropheus --  "The oxygen content of the upper levels of the lake is very high due to good circulation."

There is a page worth of information on the values of the Lake water, but I really didn't want to type it all up.  :)  But in some areas of the lake, the oxygen content is so high that the fish who live there have adapted to the extra oxygen over time.  Example - Goby Cichlids.  I just thought that was interesting and wanted to share.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Suffocating Fish

Yes that is true, I have that book and have read it countless times in various documentaries online but just wanted to give Mark some credit for actually taking the time to research the info he posted.

[wesleydnunder]

Re: Suffocating Fish

The O2 Sat calculation took elevation, salinity and temperature into account. Ordinarily, this gives the maximum amount of oxygen that water with a given set of parameters can hold in solution. Imagirlgeek, could you link to that site for me, please? I'd love to read about that info. I love to learn more about our passion (it's way past "hobby" for a lot of us) and welcome the chance to expel any myths that surround it, including my own.

Mark

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Suffocating Fish

If you google around you will find that the high oxygen levels are produced by the surge areas which the high surges exchange any carbon for oxygen.

[wesleydnunder]

Re: Suffocating Fish

Yeah ek, I tried to find that site Imagirlgeek was referring to and don't think I found the right one. I'll hit the research sites in the meantime. I'd like to find some actual levels posted. "High" can be a relative term comparing the O2 levels at the surge zones to the deeper parts of the lake. Typically, the bodies of water highest in O2 are the cold, fast-moving streams coming out of mountainous areas. Thanks, dude.

Mark

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Suffocating Fish

I had found actual parameters/nutrients/minerals listed for Lake Tanganyika once...I'll try and find it again.

[imagirlgeek]

Re: Suffocating Fish

Hi Mark,

I googled 'oxygen level lake tanganyika' and found a few sites that talk a bit about the water conditions.  But the quote I had in my post is out of a book I have.  I agree though, 'high' could very well be a relative term.  I'll be interested to hear about what you find as well.  I'm a research junkie.  :)

[Mzungu]

Re: Suffocating Fish

Aqualog puts out some wonderful stuff.  8)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3936027382