canister filter and oxygen levels in water

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svtcontour

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Aug 6, 2004
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Does water have to be thrashing and very turbulent for oxygen to get into the water? I've heard yes and no. On my 100 gallon I have an Eheim 2260 and I have been paranoid so I've angled the output up a little so the surface of the water becomes somewhat turbulent but I dont want it to actually start splashing and making noise either. The fish seem fine but sometimes when the temps are high outside, the indoor temps go up as well as does the water temp and I see them slightly less active and taking slightly larger breathes.... Is that just due to the temp (say around 82F). Usually I try and aim for around 74F

Should I have the water actually break the surface or is it probably fine the way I have it?

http://powerthings.com/pics/surface.jpg
http://powerthings.com/pics/surface2.jpg
 
Depends on what fish you have. People that keep discus have the temp that high anyway. Fish will be fine at that constant temp. I keep my Rummy nose, cory, and Otos at that temp. If you are worried about O2 in the tank add a air stone. I keep one for the looks and for the same reason. If you have a planted tank with CO2 then the air stone or the output angled up will cause problems because you want the CO2 during the day and to O2 at night. Terbulance at the waterline should be kept to a minimum when using CO2 other then that your fine.
 
Thanks for the fast reply :) Ok so I feel more comfortable about the higher temps in the summer. As for O2, I'd rather not use an airstone because I'm trying to keep the tank and equipment as silent as possible. The setup right now is dead silent. You wouldnt know anything is running which is nice. I guess if the fish have not been turning up dead, then most likely they are getting enough O2 huh. Their colours are still good and appetites are healthy as well. Its only when it gets hot that they get sluggish.
 
Corys dart for the surface its one of the things they do. But if your fish start to hang around the surface to get air, or if they start flashing there gills then you need to start to worry and look in to it. The gills could be many things but something to watch. Other then that you should be good.
 
You can have plenty of surface movement without actually splashing the surface, sounds to me that your setup is perfectly fine, just make sure there is lots of turbulence on the surface. Dont worry about the temp too much 82 is normal with tropical fish. I like a quiet set up too, and if you are really worried about o2 and noise, what you can do is drill a hole in the water outlet just big enough for an air hose to fit in, then run the air hose over the side of the tank from the water outlet and the sucking pressure from the water will suck air into the outlet creating bubbles without the noise. Some powerheads have this kind of devise already set up, maybe you could get one of those.
 
Aeration by powerhead or return line venturi still makes a lot of noise IME. NIMFT. None of my tanks have any surface breaks, nor do any of them suffer from low oxygen. Surface movement without breaks is an easy thing to arrange with canister returns, as is some current throughout the tank. That should be quite enough to provide good oxygen levels in the tank unless you are severely overstocked.
 
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