o2 deficiency why???

FishyMatty

FishyMatty

FishKiller
Jan 30, 2007
876
0
0
46
Milford,CT
My 38g and my 20g have little to no aeration and I inject co2 and the fish are always breathing normal but in my 45tall I have the lilly pie raised to create a good amount of surface agitation but the fish are always breathing heavy. All my tanks have the same water, get dosed and co2 accordingly and were all recently replanted.
Is there something I could do to get more o2 into the water with out losing all my co2? a good amount of the plants even visibly produce o2.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
Sound like you just need to add more plants. LOL

What size bubbles are you using? The smaller the bubble the better the gas exchange and larger the surface area. i.e. 1000 small bubbles have greater surface area than 100 medium bubbles which have more surface area than 10 large bubbles with the amount of air flow being equal.
 
well I don't use a bubbler in the tank I have a ceramic diffuser built in to my DIY inline heater. It turns that on at night only for a few hours.
More plants is not possible. every inch is planted. I just waiting for the glosso and HC to grow in completely.
 
Is it possible you have too much CO2? Dangerously high levels of CO2 can cause the same reaction as low O2.

If CO2 isn't the factor, how much water current is in your tank? If you don't have a strong current, add a powerhead to increase it.
 
I have a drop checker that reads high co2 during the day but slightly labored breathing doesn't change from aeration at night to co2 injection during the day. I keep my co2 at 30ppm+ during the day. A power head is out of the question due to the fish I keep. Baby discus and Apistos. I just made a new out flow pipe that may help but It won't be done till tonight so I'll let you know.
 
I would guess that the tall tank has less surface area for mixing to occur.

it is a problem in tanks like hex tanks..tall with less surface area. for the amount of water they hold.

cut the CO2 back a bit and see how it goes.you prob need less co2 in the water for the same reason.
 
I figured that was the problem but I couldn't find any info about tall tanks verses short when it comes to o2.
 
it's all aobut gas exchange..volume to surface ratios.

tall tanks have smaller surface compared to the same volume in a std set up.

tall tanks may actually have a better absorption od CO2 if you figure comparatively to the same std tank.(since the CO2 asorption is respective to the amount of time the bubble is exposed to the water while either the water or bubble is moving.)
with less surface and added CO2 you may have some issues with gas exchange.

so bump the bubbles count down a bit and check it out.

also are you turning the CO2 off at night?
 
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