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Oxygen Tablets for Ponds & Lakes (Are They

Safe?)
April 5, 2019

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Oxygen Tablets for Fish Ponds, Lakes &

Aquaculture – Are They Safe?

Table of Contents [ show ]

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Oxygen tablets are uncommon in the pond hobby, but

still have some bene ts when used on a small-scale.

As discussed in many of our various other articles, the importance of oxygenating

pond water cannot at all be overstated or stressed enough. Without adequate
oxygen, your sh, plants, and any other pond residents that you have will greatly
struggle to survive, while potentially undesirable organisms such as cyanobacteria
and mosquitos are more likely to thrive.

Once dissolved oxygen levels fall below approximately 6 ppm (parts per million), the
water becomes largely unhealthy and un t for habitation by most creatures and it
begins the process of “dying,” otherwise known as eutrophication. To prevent this,
there are a variety of actions that you can take.

Oxygen tablets are a fairly uncommon method of adding oxygen to water, and as
such many people are unfamiliar with them. Overall water quality and dissolved
oxygen levels are of course tied to many other things in your pond, such as nutrient
levels, temperature, pH levels, water hardness, sh stocking load, climate, and so on.

With all of this in mind, you should be careful and cautious when considering adding
anything new to your pond, as it’s a delicate ecosystem with easily in uenced
chemistry. Here we will discuss how oxygen tablets work, if they’re safe, and potential
alternatives.

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How Do Oxygen Tablets Work In

Ponds?

Hydrogen peroxide is highly reactive in water; rapidly

releasing oxygen atoms as a stream of bubbles.

The primary chemical compound in oxygen tablets is hydrogen peroxide, with various
sodium compounds being secondary. Other tablets may contain calcium peroxide or
magnesium peroxide, both of which are less water soluble and are therefore able to
release oxygen more slowly but for longer periods of time.

Essentially, the hydrogen peroxide (or a similar substitute) and sodium compounds
react with the water and produce many thousands of bubbles as the tablets dissolve.
Imagine dropping a seltzer tablet in a glass of water and the immense amount of
bubbles that it releases – while the chemical compounds are di erent from the
oxygen tablets, the reaction is similar. The reason hydrogen peroxide is typically used

in these tablets over other compounds is that it is very reactive to water; its chemical
formula is H2O2 (the same as water but with an extra oxygen atom), and its solubility
means that it readily parts with these oxygen atoms when placed in water.

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To further drive home just how many bubbles these tablets produce, they’re
frequently used to unblock clogged drains and treat septic tanks as the bubbles will
help to work through and force out obstructions. Most of the products available
mention that they only work for a few hours, though some claim to work for closer to
12 hours depending on the exact compounds that are used to make the tablets.

Are Oxygen Tablets Safe for Ponds &

Fish?

Oxygen tablets can be useful as a temp solution – such

as for transporting sh or for emergency situations.

First and foremost, oxygen tablets should never be the sole source of oxygen in your
pond – they will not be enough. Their primary purpose is to help provide oxygen to
sh temporarily as they’re being transported, or as an additional short-term oxygen
boost in aquariums and small ponds. These don’t by any means replace or fully 
replicate actual, adequate pond aeration via pumps and water features.

In terms of pros, these tablets are great for immediate, rapid oxygen release. This
means that if you’re transporting sh, your oxygen levels have suddenly dropped, or

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there’s been a power outage and your air pump won’t work, these tablets might work
for you in a pinch. They also have a virtually inde nite shelf life, so long as they’re
kept dry and at standard room temperature, so you could easily keep them on hand
for emergencies. The FDA has approved certain dosages to treat aquatic parasites,
molds, and algal overgrowth, but great caution should be used and a professional
should rst be consulted.

What Are The Dangers of Oxygen Tablets?

It is important to note that there are predictably more cons associated with this
oxygenation method than there are pros. For starters, hydrogen peroxide is a
bleaching agent, and could cause skin issues and gill damage for sh as well as
potentially bleaching any sh eggs that are present. While some brands claim that
oxygen tablets help to promote a healthy slime layer in sh, there is little current
evidence to support this.

Only a handful of known scienti c studies have been conducted on the impacts of
hydrogen peroxide to sh and overall water quality, and so the exact concentration at
which hydrogen peroxide becomes toxic to sh is largely unknown – as with most
things, the few studies that have been done have concluded that it varies greatly
depending on the sh species and overall water parameters.

Do Oxygen Tablets Work in Large Ponds & Lakes?

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Although oxygen tablets have some bene ts, you would

need dangerously high doses to bene t from them in
larger ponds.

Overall, in order to make a signi cant di erence in dissolved oxygen levels in

something relatively large (in comparison to an aquarium) like a pond, it appears that
quite a high dosage of these tablets would need to be used. This is of course not
advised, as the potential danger to sh and other organisms like frogs,
macroinvertebrates, plants, birds, and anything else that visits the pond is simply too
high as far as we can tell.

In addition, by the same means with which hydrogen peroxide is able to kill o
harmful parasites and organisms, it can also kill o bene cial ones, such as the vital
bacteria in your pond. Extreme caution should be used, as your water chemistry
could become quite altered, thus damaging your pond’s simultaneously delicate and
complex ecosystem.

To sum it up, oxygen tablets are safe…when used in the right quantities under the
exact right conditions with the right species and within the correct time frame. Thatis
to say, in most cases they shouldn’t be used as there will almost certainly be some
form of negative impact, whether minor or major. Unless you’re in some sort of
extreme circumstance in which there’s no other way you can get adequate oxygen to
your sh, it’s best to avoid using these tablets.

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What Are Alternatives to Oxygen

Tablets?

Air compressors are more e cient,

safer, and a better long-term alternative
for constant oxygenation.

There are a plethora of much safer and vastly more e ective oxygenation methods
for sh ponds, such as those listed in some of our previous articles. Plants, both
submerged and emergent, are wonderful for naturally increasing oxygen levels while
also ltering out excess nutrients and pollutants as well as creating habitat, shelter,
and food for many organisms (including your sh!).

Air compressors and pumps will add oxygen and many will also help to circulate the
water as well. Fountains and waterfalls incorporate both water movement and
oxygen as the water tumbles into the pond, trapping oxygen molecules inside of the
water droplets that then enter your pond and rise back to the surface. Healthy algae
species (and in healthy amounts) can also add oxygen to your pond.

Ensuring your pond water isn’t too warm will help to encourage adequate oxygen

levels; once water temperatures exceed approximately 85° F (29° C), dissolved oxygen
falls below 6 ppm – the point at which most sh begin to su er from hypoxia.
Incorporating several of these methods will give you the best results.

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 Advice, Aeration & Oxygenation

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 Best Pond Oxygenator Methods (Increase Dissolved Oxygen)

2 thoughts on “Oxygen Tablets for Ponds & Lakes (Are They Safe?)”

Ejambi Vialy Azaah

June 8, 2020 at 8:27 am

Wow, wow, thanks so much sir,, this work has really help me in my research
studies. I’m a nal year undergraduate student in the department of sheries
and aquatic resources management, at the University of Buea, Cameroon.
Thanks alot sir

Reply

Pond Informer (Beckie)

June 12, 2020 at 12:48 am

Hi Ejambi,

We’re so glad that this article was helpful to you! I also have a degree in
natural resources management and wildlife ecology, so I wish you the best
of luck in nishing up your studies! It’s a challenging but very rewarding eld.

Reply

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