Oxygen for fish

[tunedis95]

So I know fish need need oxygen. I just have a canister filter running. That's not enough to keep the fish happy right? The outlet tube is like 3 ft long and 2 inches under water so it's not making actual bubbles. Pump is rated at 530gph an hr so it circulating well but restricted too. I should still put the hanging filter on the back?

[Mzungu]

Do you find that your fish are hanging out at the surface, or seem to be gasping for breath?

If so, you can always move the outlet (or spraybar, it sounds like) more towards the top of the water in order to agitate the surface a bit more and allow more gas exchange.

If your stocking level is really high, or the tank is cycling, I would advise doing this. But if your fish seem happy, then you're good with what you've got!

[Darbex]

+1 on what MB said but also what size tank is it on? One canister is fine depending on size of tank and stocking.

[tunedis95]

It's a 55 gallon and the pump is so quiet. It is a 2 gallon DIY filter with the pump rated at 530gph. Using 4 types of media. Also has dual intake tubes with one on each side of the tank and one spray bar about 3 ft long. Can't even hear the aquarium anymore. Guess I'll just keep my eyes on them all day with the spray bar under water. They use to swim in circles against the glass. Now they are just swimming through the rocks and are acting like civalized fish. Lol

[Darbex]

You will be fine as a comparison an Eheim 2260 is 502gph

[cichlid1409]

i wanna see pics of this DIY canister. If you would, make a thread about it in the DIY section. :)

[PhishPhreek]

Oxygen in your Aquarium

Unless you are pumping pure Oxygen into you aquarium, the Aquarium is limited to the amount of O2 it can get from the air. Air is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen 1% Argon, .03% CO2 and a lot of trace elements. The maximum amount of Oxygen that your aquarium water can hold is relative to water temperature and salinity. From a high of 9 ppm (mg/l) at 64f for fresh water to a low of 6 ppm at 85f for saltwater. From this maximum amount you can add for plants during day light but subtract for plants at night. Early morning O2 levels are usually the lowest of the day. Also delete for all the fish in your tank. Delete for Snails & bacteria that break down organic wastes.
All this causes the O2 level at the bottom of your aquarium to be much lower than at the top where the water picks up O2 from the air.

Five ppm O2 is good for your fish, more is better.
Four ppm O2 will cause stress. (fish hovering at surface gasping for air)
Two ppm O2 will cause death.

To help raise the O2 level in you aquarium closer to it’s maximum you can do the following.

Remove some of the fish.
Remove some of the snails.
Remove some of the organic wastes (water Changes).
Leave the light on 24/7.
Circulate the water so that the water on the bottom comes into contact with air. (wet dry filters splash water, air stones lift water & power heads circulate water)

[paranoid1123]

Re: Oxygen for fish

They use to swim in circles against the glass. Now they are just swimming through the rocks and are acting like civalized fish. Lol

I've been told the swimming up and down the glass is a bad sign.

[myjohnson]

Best way to add oxygen to the water is getting a bubble maker.

I would get like 8 of them and put them all along the back side of the tank.

Maybe put a treasure chest, truck, and scuba diver too. Make sure you are getting the one that can be hooked up to a bubble maker.

[paranoid1123]

Re: Oxygen for fish

Best way to add oxygen to the water is getting a bubble maker.

I would get like 8 of them and put them all along the back side of the tank.

Maybe put a treasure chest, truck, and scuba diver too. Make sure you are getting the one that can be hooked up to a bubble maker.

+1
also add the dragon that has bubbles as fire

[wesleydnunder]

Do you find that your fish are hanging out at the surface, or seem to be gasping for breath?

If so, you can always move the outlet (or spraybar, it sounds like) more towards the top of the water in order to agitate the surface a bit more and allow more gas exchange.

If your stocking level is really high, or the tank is cycling, I would advise doing this. But if your fish seem happy, then you're good with what you've got!

I'd follow her advise AND add the HOB, simply because I like having multiple filters on tanks in case one fails.

Mark