Increasing oxygen in tank

[nmotz]

A few questions regarding oxygenation of a saltwater tank. I'm aware that it's important to take into account the surface area of the water surface where gas exchange will occur. So a 20L may have greater gas exchange than a 40 gallon hexagonal tank because it has a bigger "footprint."

- For a closed top aquarium (think plastic hood with a simple T5 setup), is an HOB skimmer sufficient to oxygenate the tank? What about a HOB filter like the Penguin 200 that cascades newly filtered water into the tank?

- Is an airstone useful in oxygenating a tank or just a useless gimmick?

Thanks for any replies/suggestions.

 

[loui]

Air stone is a bad idea for a saltwater tank, do you have a sump? I always keep my return lines a couple of inches above the water line, it is noisy though. If you have a good venture skimmer or something like it a lot of oxygen is generated by it. I have never used HOB if I where to use it I would not put media in it, I would use filter floss though just remember to replace it 1-2 times a week. IMO surface area isn't what gets the tank oxygen splashing water is what gets the tank oxygen.

 

[disc1]

IMO surface area isn't what gets the tank oxygen splashing water is what gets the tank oxygen.

But that can only happen at the surface.

 

[nmotz]

Loui,

I do not have a sump. My skimmer will be the Aquamaxx XC HOB. It is rated for 120 gallons and my tank will only be a 40 gallon breeder. I'll have two small pwerheads (Hydor Korallia 240s) and at least one of them will be pointed up at the surface to cause further agitation.

In your opinion, why should you not put filter media in an HOB filter? Does it decrease the force with which the water disrupts the surface?

What are the signs that the tank is not properly oxygenated?

 

[igadget56]

Air stone is a bad idea for a saltwater tank, do you have a sump? I always keep my return lines a couple of inches above the water line, it is noisy though. If you have a good venture skimmer or something like it a lot of oxygen is generated by it. I have never used HOB if I where to use it I would not put media in it, I would use filter floss though just remember to replace it 1-2 times a week. IMO surface area isn't what gets the tank oxygen splashing water is what gets the tank oxygen.

Absolutely not correct. I and many hobbyists do not have splashing water.
Splashing water will make a mess. What you need is water movement and surface a agitation.

 

[Panta rhei]

One of the signs is cyanobacteria

 

[StartrTank]

Air stone is a bad idea for a saltwater tank, do you have a sump?

I was unaware of this, does this hold true for QT too? I currenly have one in my QT to help with increasing oxygen since I only have a small HOB sponge filter and a powerhead. I had only the filter and powerhead for the first day of my new clown being in QT and he seemed kind of docile, wasn't really swimming around a lot. Last night I unplugged my powerhead thinking it was too much for the 10g tank and instead put in an air stone to help with the oxygen levels in the tank.

Should I have not done this, or are things different for a QT since there is no sump/return lines to aid keeping the oxygen levels high enough?

 

[nmotz]

One of the signs is cyanobacteria

What does cyanobacteria look like? Is that the red stuff?

Ok, so no airstone, just plenty of surface agitation and I'll be fine? Even in a closed top aquarium?

 

[kentwo]

One of the signs is cyanobacteria

This is a sign of poor oxygenation?

 

[oh207]

Surface agitation with a powerhead is ideal. I wouldn't say an airstone is useless, but it is less useful than surface agitation. Is the tank connected to a sump?

 

[Aussieiniowa]

An air stone comes in handy when you lose power ....... I have a battery pump when it happens again......

 

[StartrTank]

I was unaware of this, does this hold true for QT too? I currenly have one in my QT to help with increasing oxygen since I only have a small HOB sponge filter and a powerhead. I had only the filter and powerhead for the first day of my new clown being in QT and he seemed kind of docile, wasn't really swimming around a lot. Last night I unplugged my powerhead thinking it was too much for the 10g tank and instead put in an air stone to help with the oxygen levels in the tank.

Should I have not done this, or are things different for a QT since there is no sump/return lines to aid keeping the oxygen levels high enough?

Not to highjack the thread but can someone address this for me?

 

[nmotz]

Surface agitation with a powerhead is ideal. I wouldn't say an airstone is useless, but it is less useful than surface agitation. Is the tank connected to a sump?

No there's no sump, but I can create quite a bit of surface agitation with both a HOB filter and skimmer and two powerheads. I really am interested in learning how to identify low oxygen levels though. One poster said cyanobacteria, but I thought that was more due to high nitrates. Thoughts?

 

[oh207]

No there's no sump, but I can create quite a bit of surface agitation with both a HOB filter and skimmer and two powerheads. I really am interested in learning how to identify low oxygen levels though. One poster said cyanobacteria, but I thought that was more due to high nitrates. Thoughts?

I don't know if there is a way to identify or measure low oxygen level. But I do know that with more flow, or proper flow, oxygen level should be high. IMO, cyano has more to do with nutrients and flow (low flow to be exact). I don't think that there is a correlation between low oxygen and cyano. But there is definitely one between low flow and cyano.

 

[NJAB]

I have a similar set up like you described HOB skimmer and HOB filter I do run media (chemi pure-elite) in it, some reefers like media others don't so you'll get lots of opinions on that one. As far as oxygen levels go if your really interested Salifert makes a dissolved oxygen test, I have never used it but I know they make one. I was also having issues with oxygen levels as when they get low in your tank your pH also begins to drop usually because the room that they tank is in has lower oxygen levels then outside (stuffy feeling) so what I did which helped was to run my air line from the protein skimmer to the window nearby and just squeezed it between the window (I live in an apartment so dont really have the best ventilation) and my pH went from 7.8 to 8.0 within a day.

 

[nmotz]

I have a similar set up like you described HOB skimmer and HOB filter I do run media (chemi pure-elite) in it, some reefers like media others don't so you'll get lots of opinions on that one. As far as oxygen levels go if your really interested Salifert makes a dissolved oxygen test, I have never used it but I know they make one. I was also having issues with oxygen levels as when they get low in your tank your pH also begins to drop usually because the room that they tank is in has lower oxygen levels then outside (stuffy feeling) so what I did which helped was to run my air line from the protein skimmer to the window nearby and just squeezed it between the window (I live in an apartment so dont really have the best ventilation) and my pH went from 7.8 to 8.0 within a day.

This helps a lot because I want to put my tank in a room that has that same "stuffiness about it. Thanks!

 

[snorvich]

Lower temperature also means higher dissolved oxygen.

 

[nmotz]

Lower temperature also means higher dissolved oxygen.

So a tank with lower temperature can accept a higher concentration of oxygen?

 

[disc1]

So a tank with lower temperature can accept a higher concentration of oxygen?

Yes.

 

[disc1]

I was unaware of this, does this hold true for QT too? I currenly have one in my QT to help with increasing oxygen since I only have a small HOB sponge filter and a powerhead. I had only the filter and powerhead for the first day of my new clown being in QT and he seemed kind of docile, wasn't really swimming around a lot. Last night I unplugged my powerhead thinking it was too much for the 10g tank and instead put in an air stone to help with the oxygen levels in the tank.

Should I have not done this, or are things different for a QT since there is no sump/return lines to aid keeping the oxygen levels high enough?

Not to highjack the thread but can someone address this for me?

It's not going to hurt anything, but it doesn't really help much either. The bubbles are way too big to efficiently add much oxygen to the water.

But it's certainly doing you no harm as long as it isn't causing a bunch of salt creep.