How To Keep My Tank Oxygen Rich But Good Levels Of Co2

[Zikofski]

okay i bought some fish yesterday and adding them into the tank proved difficult I've never ad this problem before but for some reason these fish instantly started bobbing along the surface, my tank is planted and the plants are growing well and medium to fast growth, i have co2 injected thats lime green on the drop checker, so i lowered my water level and allowing my spray bar to spray onto the water surface from above this the fish are now fine and have survived the night. but how can i keep these high levels of oxygen and sustain good levels of co2 as well as now my co2 is blue due to the huge amounts of surface movement? is it possible?

 

[DrRob]

In theory it shouldn't be a big problem, as the CO2 will drive plant metabolism, which in turn produces oxygen.
 
It does fall apart a bit at high temperatures, but then so do the CO2 levels.
 
Was there a marked shift in TDS between the conditions that they were kept in to your tank conditions. I've found heavily planted tanks can stabilise at quite low TDS's.

 

[Zikofski]

hmm my TDS is around 250, i didn't check the TDS of the water they came in my tank temp is around 24/25c they are all fine now, I'm just wondering for future reference as the fish i want in the future requires high Oxygenated water

 

[elmo666]

I had a similar problem to yourself but the fish were discus and had been in the tank for a while. Every now and then, maybe once a month, they would hang at the top with fast resps. Altering the surface agitation always rectified the situation. Now, I never really got to the bottom of it, and it was only ever the discus affected. Drop checker always looked fine, it is a heavily planted tank and I had never changed anything. One time I did find my ph had had plummeted to 5, which in turn has an impact on the nitrifying bacteria, so maybe that resulted in decreased oxygen levels. Since then I've been using a kh buffer, as at the time my kh was almost none existent. All fine since.
I'll stop waffling now. My point would be that these fish of yours may have come from an oxygen rich tank with no co2 injection, and it may simply have been the sudden change that triggered their reaction and not necessarily anything amiss in your tank.

 

[Byron]

You might want to mention the fish species you acquired.
 
Fish respirating rapidly and at the surface can occur from several issues, not just low oxygen.  Though I would agree that this may well be the issue here, from the information we have.  I have seen this even in my planted tanks that have no added CO2.  Increasing surface disturbance helped.
 
I hope the CO2 is turned off at night, as if not, you will certainly have trouble.
 
Byron.

 

[Zikofski]

okay thanks, yea my co2 is turned off at night 2 he before lights out to be precise, the fish in question was copper harlequin rasbora, i also put neon tetra in at the sametime they where fine tho no isses this morning or thos evening i have removed the spray bar and added the stock outlt from my filter and adding more surfacr agitation along with it
i did a quick check of ammonia nitrite and nitrate ans they are 0,0,20 ppm as predicteted

 

[Byron]

May possibly have been the difference in water between store (bag) and tank, as another member mentioned.  The copper harlequin, presumably Trigonostigma hengeli, is a delicate and sensitive fish when it comes to changing parameters.  I've had a group of these for many years, my favourite of the four "harlequin" species.  If they are more settled now, should be OK.  Were they slowly acclimated?
 
Byron.

 

[Zikofski]

yea most likely, the acclimitisation was rushed a tad so that was most likely the reason why so what would have caused them to gasp the high co2 or was it less oxygen? than what was in the bag?

 

[Byron]

More likely differing parameters.  One used to frequently read of "pH shock" when fish were moved from bag water to tank water, but we now know this is actually not pH shock but TDS shock.  The total dissolved solids in the store water are probably going to be very high, given the tank conditions in most stores.  As the fish respirates in the bag on the way home, it is worsening.  Oxygen is being used, CO2 is being created, ammonia is accumulating, pheromones and allomones are being released raising TDS further.  External noises add shock.  Slowly adding tank water to the bag water is the best way to deal with this, and then net the fish out of the bag into the tank and discard all water.  Some use a pail and drip, I just repeatedly add tank water to the floating bag.
 
The greater the difference in parameters, being temperature, pH, and TDS which includes GH and KH, the more it affects the physiology of the fish.
 
Byron.