Change In Plants

[andybon]

Many of my fish seem to be spending a lot of time at the water surface as if gasping for air (not just my labrynthine fish) I have recently changed from real plants to artificial. Could this have anything to do with it?

 

[mattlee]

what are your water stats? tank size? fish in tank?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Do you have a lot of water agitation at the surface?

Plants take the Co2 in the water and use the carbon and release the oxygen, so, if you had live plants, they would contribute to adding (or making available) some more oxygen in the water.

So yes, I would believe that removing live plants and adding fake ones, that would lower the oxygen level in the water as the excess Co2 in the water is not being used up by the plants, therefore the potential oxygen is not being made available to the fish.

This is what to do:
-Increase aeration in the tank, mainly done by an aerator. This will increase water surface agitation,(as oxygen enters when there is surface agitation).
-Maybe try to setup the return from the filter so that is makes some more surface agitation.

This should help.

-FHM

 

[andybon]

what are your water stats? tank size? fish in tank?

Tank is RIO 125l Fish are: 1 Red tail shark, 3 clown loach, 2 ram, 1 gourami, 5 neons, 2 mollies, 4 amrican flag ciclids, 3 dwarf corys

 

[andybon]

Do you have a lot of water agitation at the surface?

Plants take the Co2 in the water and use the carbon and release the oxygen, so, if you had live plants, they would contribute to adding (or making available) some more oxygen in the water.

So yes, I would believe that removing live plants and adding fake ones, that would lower the oxygen level in the water as the excess Co2 in the water is not being used up by the plants, therefore the potential oxygen is not being made available to the fish.

This is what to do:
-Increase aeration in the tank, mainly done by an aerator. This will increase water surface agitation,(as oxygen enters when there is surface agitation).
-Maybe try to setup the return from the filter so that is makes some more surface agitation.

This should help.

-FHM

FHM

Thanks for that. I will try it.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Great, let us know what the outcome is!

-FHM

 

[andybon]

Great, let us know what the outcome is!

-FHM

FHM. Thanks for your help. I've added an air defuser to the filter return tube and my fish are happy now.

AB

 

[fatheadminnow]

Very good! Glad to hear your fish are doing better!

-FHM