Co2 producing chemical for fish acclimation

J

Jackc

New member
I am looking for a chemical that most LA wholesaler use in the acclimation of there fish. This chemical creates CO2 when in the presence of H2O. The CO2 in return then lowers the PH of the water. After several hours the CO2 exchanges with Oxygen through normal aeration (filtration) and causes the PH to rise slowly.

If anyone knows the name of this chemical please let me know. I use to remember the name of it, some things just slip the mind though.

Thanks
 
Hmmmm, it just seems as though that would be a good way to kill a lot of fish, unless perhaps a tiny quantity of alkaseltzer is used. I mean, one would think that would drive off O2.
 
I am fairly certain they just use CO2 supplied from compressed air tanks.

Chris, they do this to match the pH of the shipping water in the bags to minimize stress and also to convert the ammonia in the shipping water to its less harmful ammonium form. Once enough of the shipping water (and the ammonia in it) has been diluted/discarded, the pH is allowed to come back up to normal levels.
 
Ok, that makes more sense I suppose. I mean, I understand the desire to reduce the ammonia concentration (convert it to ammonium), but I was envisioning dropping in a tab of alkaseltzer, dropping the pH way low, and driving off most of the O2. That, to say the least, would be a bad idea ;) With just a bit of CO2 to lower the pH just a bit that makes perfect sense though.

One would think pH should already be quite depressed due to CO2 from respiration though. Hmmmm, perhaps folks need to do shipping trials and actually test the water chemistry before and after shipping so we can get some kind of handle on what is happening inside those bags.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11759716#post11759716 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MCsaxmaster
I was envisioning dropping in a tab of alkaseltzer, dropping the pH way low, and driving off most of the O2. That, to say the least, would be a bad idea ;)
Click to expand...
I have actually heard of that exact thing, but described as a way to euthanize a fish. :eek1:
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11759748#post11759748 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Steven Pro
I have actually heard of that exact thing, but described as a way to euthanize a fish. :eek1:
Click to expand...

Yeah--actually that's the way that the folks in the fish labs here do it. Take a fish, put it in a small volume of water, drop in a tab of alkaseltzer, wait a few minutes. The fish asphixiates due to the build-up of CO2 in the blood, konks out, and that's that.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11759777#post11759777 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MCsaxmaster
Gracias for the link :D
Click to expand...
Now we just need to find some interested grad student to do a study for marine fishes. ;)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11759817#post11759817 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Steven Pro
Now we just need to find some interested grad student to do a study for marine fishes. ;)
Click to expand...

I hope you're not suggesting me. Fish...bah! :lol:

Seriously though, that needs to be investigated.
 
Chemical Name

Chemical Name

The name of the chemical that I have been looking for is Sodium Bisulfite or Sodium Bisulphite. This chemical produces sulfur dioxide when in contact with H2O. I am not exactly sure on the dosing ration for this chemical (mg/l). If anyone is familiar with this chemical please let me know. I was thinking of using this chemical in conjunction with a dosing pump connected to a Ph controller and a Programmable Logic Controller. So that when I receive fish that have been transshipped. I can match the Ph of my aquarium water to that of the shipping water they are currently in. Then using the Programmable Logic Controller rise the Ph slowly .01 PPM every hour.

Think this might work?

Found this link, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_Bisulphite
 
Last edited:
It might work, but it is probably much more conservative than you need to be. I wouldn't bat an eye at a 0.5 pH change per hour, assuming you are flushing away the shipping water. I don't see a good reason to take more than an hour to acclimate the fish though, regardless of the water they arrive in, and you will very likely be receiving water with a pH much lower than 0.1 below normal

Also, just a note, pH units are unitless therefore you just report the value (or folks often say "pH units" by convention). Recall that pH = -log(H+), pH is equivalent to the opposite of the log of the activity of hydrogen ion. Alternatively, (H+) = 10^(-pH), the hydrogen ion activity is equal to ten raised to the pH value.

Chris
 
Never measured everything in the water but on my last transship the ph with a big lineatus was ~ 6.6. Got tank water, matched ph/temp and transferred him there so I wouldn't have ammonia problems. Then dripped for >4 hours to bring ph up slowly. Prior to this I had issues losing transshipped fish a couple days later. Even using Prime etc to try and de toxify the ammonia.
 
Just to make it clear I meant to put a ? after that statement. I wasn't really being serious, just making speculation and giving a bump.
 
Lowering the PH

Lowering the PH

Some one here is going to have to let me know if this is correct.

Sodium Metabisulfite is chemically inter-changeable with Sodium Bisulfite. When Sodium meta-Bisulfite is hydrated, it is immediately converted to Sodium Bisulfite.

Na2S2O5 + H2O ========== 2 Na H SO3

From a solution these products are inter-changeable.
Diffusing SO2 in a liquid lowers it's Ph.

This non chemically bonded SO2 is then slowly dispersed out of solution using aeration. Causing the Ph of the liquid to slowly rise.

If Sodium Metabisulfite is mixed into solution containing no H ions. No chemical reaction would take place. It then could be used through a dosing pump to lower the Ph of a system containing H ions (H2O). I am having trouble locating a solution to suspend Sodium Metabisulfite. So that it can run through a dosing pump. Any ideas on what I can use.

Can't run a dry chemical though a dosing pump very well.
 
IME, if u want to slowly acclimatize your fish after a long shipping time in the bag, where PH is low and ammonium is high....

why not just put some Amquel into the shipping bag and just "slow" drip your tank/sump/quarantine water into the shipping bag for the PH/temperature/salinity to balance out. Amquel will bind whatever thats being converted back into deadly form as PH risese.

once well diluted with your tank/sump/quarantine water, u can discard the bag water and intro the fish into your tank/sump/quarantine...

cheers
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Tamara Marshall
Comprehensive Article About Acclimating Fish, Inverts, and Corals- Manta Systems Article
Replies
0
Views
692
Tamara Marshall
Tamara Marshall
R
some random questions
Replies
1
Views
219
SantaMonica
S
F
Cannot raise PH levels, aquarium with Calcium Reactor
Replies
1
Views
778
Vinny Kreyling
Vinny Kreyling
S
Fish slime: An answer to antibiotic resistance?
Replies
6
Views
1K
Subsea
S
R
Ph Control Set Up
Replies
0
Views
1K
rdavidw
R
Back
Top