O2 Saturation

[jim.m257]

Hi All!

I'm currently running a 250 L/h internal filter in my 7g tank with a sprinkler arm aimed perpendicular to the water to encourage airation. I've previously had the sprinkler pointed directly at the water surface and believe this doesn't provide enough airation considering the fact I have no air stones in the tank at the moment, so chose to aim it up a bit.

I'm quite sure my O2 levels would be nearing saturation as I can observe air bubbles about the size of half a grain of sand throughout my tank driven by the sprinkler fitting.

My question is:

I know bubbles this size are bad for daphnia as they can become lodged in the carapace and cause death. But are they 'overdoing' it for my Kribensis? Does this kind of airation harm my fish? I.E is it making the water to hard to breathe?

Cheers all,

Jim.

 

[neilanh]

The bubbles in your tank are likley not due to oversaturation, unless you have a very highly planted tank actually creating a ton of oxygen. More likely, you have an air leak in your filtration somewhere that is allowing the bubbles to blow into the tank, and they just don't have enough time to dissolve before reaching the surface.

 

[jim.m257]

Thanks Neilan! The sprinkler fitter is the thing making the bubbles, I've got it spraying water down at the surface water to create a disturbance and enhance airation. The spray is pushing the bubbles down and around the tank so I've got a tank full of tiny bubbles. Should I stop the sprinkler from making so many bubbles?

 

[neilanh]

I've heard of fish ingesting the bubbles and having problems, but I don't know if that's true or not. I know I get bubbles in my heavily planted tank at the end of the day when the water does saturate, and it's caused me no issues.

 

[Purrbox]

As long as you're getting a good surface ripple there should be plenty of oxygen. No need to get it so aggitated that it's generating bubbles.

 

[jim.m257]

Thanks Purbox! I'll tone it down a touch