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Does adding O2 benefit the planted aquarium?

Jaap

Jaap

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Joined
30 Sep 2011
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Nicosia
Hi,

I was thinking if adding O2 will benefit the planted aquarium in direct or indirect ways. Any thoughts?

Thanks
 
Yes a lot. In many ways. Specially at night but during the day as well by making it possible to add more co2.
 
Not really. Provided you have enough surface agitation O2 levels will be in equilibrium with the water, adding more will just gas it off.

Remember CO2 and O2 exist independently in the water, adding CO2 does not displace CO2. However monsterous levels of CO2 (over 30ppm) will overcome a fishes ability to excrete CO2, despite O2 being in the water and fish will have issues.

If worried about left over CO2 at night, put an airstone on it gas off the CO2 in minutes, probably won't affect O2 levels as no need to.
 
Hi Jaap,
As all the folks above say and also even plants need oxygen when they're not photosynthesising, so surface agitation allows de-oxygenated water to pick up fresh from the air.

I often wonder if people with tall narrow tanks have more problems with low oxygen at night low down due to poor surface/volume ratio rather than CO2 problems.
cheers phil
 
EnderUK said:
Hypoxia if you began pumping o2 i
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Hypoxia through adding O2?? Hypoxia means suffocating , O2 shortage
Adding O2 in a full functioning planted tank shouldn't be neccesary, plenty O2 is produced. Added O2 might be beneficial to filterbacteria especialy in low oxygen times aka night, or through using a "wet/dry phase"before the filter. I used a 150 cm long tube filled with bioballs as wet/dry filter before my sump.
 
I think the OP's question doesnt specify really. Adding O2 how? As a special measure e.g with an airstone? or maybe by just having surface ripple and good surface gas exchange?. Whichever way you do it is very important because:

1) You can add more CO2 and not suffocate fish.
2) Plants need it at night as well as bacteria 24/7.
3) Youll have a healthier environment over all. Amano does it at night.
4) Ive seen more pearling in the day when Ive added aeration at nigh (coincidence?, maybe).

Peoples views will differ because most people dont know how much o2 they have in their tank. Some may have a filter thats oxygenating the water while maintaining a tank without any surface movement and say its not important etc.
 
Jose said:
1) You can add more CO2 and not suffocate fish.
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Not true, mentioned already.

ian_m said:
Remember CO2 and O2 exist independently in the water, adding CO2 does not displace CO2. However monsterous levels of CO2 (over 30ppm) will overcome a fishes ability to excrete CO2, despite O2 being in the water and fish will have issues.
Click to expand...
 
ian_m said:
Not true, mentioned already.
Click to expand...

You can add more CO2 because at higher o2 levels fish can handle more co2.

So if you have 5 ppm O2 maybe you can only add 10 ppm of co2 until fish start gasping for air.. If you have 9 ppm o2 you might be able to add 50 ppm of CO2. Im not saying one displaces the other. This is about fish respiration.

Sorry if I didnt explain myself clear enough I normally dont.:arghh:
 
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This is the reason why people like Tom Barr say they can add up to 80 ppm of CO2 w/o fish problems whilst others can bearly add 20 ppm.
 
Edvet said:
Hypoxia through adding O2?? Hypoxia means suffocating , O2 shortage
Click to expand...

Sorry I meant Hyperoxia. In marine animals this increased oxygen in the water actually increases the CO2 in the blood. Biology isn't my strong point.

Jose said:
You can add more CO2 because at higher o2 levels fish can handle more co2.
Click to expand...

What I've read this is the other way around. You can add more O2 because your CO2 levels are higher.
 
EnderUK said:
What I've read this is the other way around. You can add more O2 because your CO2 levels are higher.
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Well this is way wrong.

Maybe if you said: You cshould add more O2 because your CO2 levels are higher, then it might make a bit more sense.
 
Hi all,
Jose said:
You can add more CO2 because at higher o2 levels fish can handle more co2. So if you have 5 ppm O2 maybe you can only add 10 ppm of co2 until fish start gasping for air.. If you have 9 ppm o2 you might be able to add 50 ppm of CO2. Im not saying one displaces the other. This is about fish respiration.
Click to expand...
I'm a non CO2 user, because I can find quite enough ways of accidentally killing my fish, but I would be very careful going down this route, because it won't work for all fish.

There is an explanation here: <"CO2 and ....">.

cheers Darrel
 
EnderUK said:
increased oxygen in the water actually increases the CO2
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Not sure about this, only if it means no CO2 can get bound to the haemoglobin, but most gets transported as bicarbonate anyway. Never heard about this phenomena in fresh water.
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all,
Jose said: ↑
You can add more CO2 because at higher o2 levels fish can handle more co2. So if you have 5 ppm O2 maybe you can only add 10 ppm of co2 until fish start gasping for air.. If you have 9 ppm o2 you might be able to add 50 ppm of CO2. Im not saying one displaces the other. This is about fish respiration.
I'm a non CO2 user, because I can find quite enough ways of accidentally killing my fish, but I would be very careful going down this route, because it won't work for all fish.
There is an explanation here: <"CO2 and ....">.
cheers Darrel
Click to expand...

Agree, and its specific for each fish. I think there are many more variables at play like the time the fish is exposed to CO2 etc. But there is a tendency. the more co2 you add the more o2 you need in the water. There is still going to be a limit for the co2 you can have. Thanks for the link Darrel!

The time a fish is exposed to x ppm of co2 is a very interesting factor. I think this is one of the reasons why aquascapers dont add CO2 at night. Ive been adding co2 in my tank in a continious manner for a few days non stop. CO2 levels are not climbing and should be lower than 30 ppm and more around 20ish. Fish at first are doing perfectly fine but after a few days they show some symptoms like gasping for air. I think their blood might be getting saturated after a few days? Does this make any sense? I really think CO2 is stable because pH isnt changing at all and I have good surface ripple. The ph is also higher than the ph at which they start gasping on day one, so CO2 levels shouldnt be high at all. O2 is constant as I try to keep surface agitation very stable.
 
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ronaldmcdanger said:
recent facebook post by TGM...
https://www.facebook.com/1191095047...9109504790533/917801974921278/?type=1&theater
Click to expand...

The product description made me laugh:
Air sweeper provides deodorising and disinfecting effects to aeration activity when connected to the air pump and Pollen Glass for AIR. This equipment reduces the aquarium tank odour and gives a mild fragrance around the aquarium tank. Once its fragrance effect is lost, replace the Clean Beads inside the Air Sweeper with new ones. :lol:

 
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