Oxygen - The Essential Ingredient To A Healthy Aquarium

8/18/2020 Oxygen: The Essential Ingredient to a Healthy Aquarium
BLOG REVIEWS ALGAE DISEASE
Oxygen: The Essential Ingredient to a

Healthy Aquarium
Last Updated on January 18, 2020 by Ian Sterling — 25 Comments
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You might not be able to see it, but it’s actually one of the most important parts of
your aquarium.
No, I’m not talking about the canister filter hidden away underneath your
aquarium.
I’m talking about oxygen.
https://fishlab.com/aquarium-oxygen/ 1/33
It’s funny – one of the only times you will think about the oxygen in your aquarium
is when it isn’t there.
And by then it’s too late.
So sit back as I teach you everything you need to know about this important
aquarium ingredient.
Contents
1. Where does the oxygen in your aquarium come from?
2. How much oxygen does your aquarium need?
3. How do you know if your aquarium is low on oxygen?
4. What causes low oxygen in aquariums?
5. How do you test the oxygen levels of your aquarium?
6. How do you increase the oxygen levels in your aquarium?
7. What do you do in an oxygen emergency?
8. Too much oxygen in the aquarium
Where does the oxygen in your

aquarium come from?
Even though H2O (Water) is part oxygen, it is bonded with hydrogen – essentially
locked together, thus making it inseparable.
Your fish can’t breath this.
So if that’s the case, then where does the oxygen that your fish breath come
from?
Believe it or not, plants and fish actually breath the exact same oxygen as you
and I.
In order for your fish to “breath” oxygen, it needs to get inside the water. And how
it gets there is actually very interesting…
The surface of your aquarium is always in contact with the air. And it is here, at
the surface, that oxygen enters the water through a process known as gas
exchange.
The reason it is called gas exchange is because the air and water do a trade. The
water in your aquarium swaps carbon dioxide (CO2) for the oxygen (O2) in the
air.
I find that a diagram makes it much easier to understand…
Pretty simple, huh?
Since fish breath in this oxygen and give off carbon dioxide, this exchange is a
continuous process.
It is also worth mentioning that the larger the surface area of the water, the more
efficient the gas exchange.
So a larger tank is much easier to oxygenate than a small one.
Once the oxygen entersBLOG

the water,REVIEWS
it is referredALGAE
to as dissolved oxygen.
DISEASE
When discussed online, dissolved oxygen is often shortened to DO.
Now you may be wondering:
How much oxygen does your fish

tank need?
Unfortunately, this is a difficult question without a clear answer…
Especially given that there are different factors contributing to how much oxygen
can actually dissolve in your fish tank, including:
1. Water temperature – As the water temperature increases, the amount of

oxygen that water can hold decreases. Tropical fish have less oxygen in their
water than cold water fish.
2. Salinity – To put it simply, salinity is the measure of the amount of dissolved

salts in your water. The saltier your water, the less oxygen it can hold. You can
test the salinity of your aquarium with a refractometer.
3. Atmospheric pressure – The lower the air pressure, the less oxygen the
water can hold. It may surprise you to learn that, all thing being equal, water in
Miami (altitude 6 feet) can hold more oxygen than water in Denver (altitude 1
mile).[1]
Then there’s the fish…
Generally speaking, larger fish need more oxygen than smaller fish, while slower
moving fish need less oxygen than fast swimmers.[2]
So, as you can see – the answer to how much oxygen your aquarium needs isn’t
exactly clear cut.
That said, there are recommendations as to the ideal oxygen levels for certain
aquariums, measured in Parts Per Million (PPM).[3]
Freshwater Fish 8.3 PPM
Marine Fish Between 7.0 and 6.4 PPM
Please note that these are only loose guidelines and the previous factors I listed
will impact just how much oxygen can dissolve in your tank.
But if your fish are behaving normally, and are not gasping for air at the surface of
your aquarium, then it is a good sign that there is enough oxygen in your
aquarium.
In fact, fish behavior and oxygen levels go hand in hand.
Which brings me to my next point…
How do you know if your aquarium is

low on oxygen?
Above, you can see a picture of water that is high in oxygen.
The next picture shows water with dangerously low levels of oxygen…
Look closely…
Notice anything different?
I would hope not!
I don’t care how good your eyesight is, it is practically impossible to determine if
water has an oxygen shortage just by looking at it.
While you could test your water for dissolved oxygen, which I will get to in a
moment, there is one other way to determine if your aquarium has low oxygen
levels…
By looking at your fish.
Your fish will behave differently according to just how much oxygen is in the tank.
The first sign that you have an oxygen problem is slower movement. At the first
sign of low oxygen levels, fish will slow down and swim less. This is particularly
noticeable in active fish.

As oxygen levels continue to drop, you will notice that your fish has trouble
“breathing.”
Fish Fact: When oxygen levels in an aquarium or pond are too low, this is
referred to as hypoxia.
If you look closely at the gills, you will notice them moving rapidly as your fish
desperately attempts to get enough oxygen by passing more water than usual
through their gills.
If the oxygen levels are drastically low, then the symptoms become obvious –
your fish will gasp for air at the top of your aquarium.
Your fish will look noticeably distressed as they attempt to draw oxygen from the
most oxygen-rich location in your aquarium, the surface layer.
If your tank is home to many different types of fish, you may notice that only a few
gasp at the surface for air.
You should still be concerned, as those that are not gasping for air are probably
stronger or require less oxygen – they too will eventually be affected by low
oxygen levels if the problem is not corrected.
Fish show these obvious signs of stress when the oxygen content of water drops
below 4 PPM. If the oxygen drops below 2 PPM, death will soon follow.
Fish like bettas, gouramis and paradise fish often take a gulp of air from the
surface. This is normal behavior and should not be confused with fish that
remain at the surface gasping for air with their mouths wide open.
So now that you know how to identify the problem, it’s time to determine the
cause…
What causes low oxygen in

aquariums?
1. Overstocking
By far the most common cause of low oxygen levels in aquariums is overstocking
– keeping more fish than is appropriate for your tank.
Each fish that you add to your tank needs oxygen to breath. And once you add
too many fish, the oxygen in the water will be consumed at a faster rate than it
can be replenished.
And the consequence is that there isn’t enough oxygen in the tank for your fish to
breath.
Fortunately, the solution to overstocking is simple:
There are calculators available online that can help assist you with how many fish
you should stock in your tank.[4]
Compared to overstocking a fish tank, the remaining contributors to declining

oxygen are quite minor. However, when combined with an overstocked aquarium,
these factors can be dangerous.
2. Plants
I know, it seems like a funny one…
Living plants use carbon dioxide (CO2) and give off oxygen – so how can they
contribute to lower oxygen levels?
Well, here’s the thing:
Plants only give off oxygen when exposed to light, whether that’s natural daylight
or the light from your LED setup.
When night falls, and the tank turns dark, the opposite happens – plants
consume oxygen and give off CO2.
If your planted aquarium has reduced or no light for an extended period of time,
the plants could deplete enough oxygen to affect your fish, especially in an
overstocked tank!
Note: Algae is also a plant, and this problem can also occur in tanks with a heavy
algae bloom.
3. High Water Temperature

As I touched on earlier in this article, warm water cannot hold as much oxygen as
cool water.
In summer, the water temperature of your aquarium can spike – especially if it

sits in direct sunlight, like near a window!
And when this happens, there is going to be less oxygen in the water for your
fish.
If you notice that your aquarium temperature is higher, then you have a few
options available:
Shade the aquarium from sunlight

Perform a water change with cooler water
Turn off the heaters until temperature returns to normal
Use a fan or aquarium chiller to blow cool air over the surface
Float a zip-close bag with ice cubes inside in your aquarium
4. Excess waste
Okay, so excess waste isn’t directly responsible for a lack of oxygen in your
aquarium…
But it does kick off a chain of events that can lead to low oxygen levels, so I felt
that it should be included in this list.
Fish poop, plants decay and uneaten fish food will rot…
Bacteria that feed on these waste products also require oxygen, further depleting
the oxygen levels in your tank.
Excess waste can also lead to an algae bloom, which can also lead to oxygen
loss.
Oh, and if that’s not enough, too much ammonia from waste can irritate your
fish’s gills, making it more difficult to draw oxygen out of the water.
Long story short – don’t let waste build up in your tank!

5. Chemicals
Certain medications for fish disease and chemicals like water conditioners can
have a direct impact on the oxygen-carrying ability of the water in your tank.
When using chemical additives, it is recommended you always read the

instructions to determine if they will cause any negative effect, like lower oxygen
levels.
How do you test the oxygen levels of

your aquarium?
For hobbyists, there are two common devices used to measure the amount of
dissolved oxygen in an aquarium[5]
Let’s start with the cheapest option…
1. Dissolved Oxygen Test Kit
CHECK THE PRICE
If you have ever tested the pH of your aquarium, you will be all too familiar with
colorimetric tests.
Well, aquarium test kits work in a similar way, and can even be used to check the
oxygen levels in your aquarium.
Simply add the drops to a sample of your aquarium water and compare the color
to the chart to determine the amount of dissolved oxygen in your tank.
Generally speaking, the more expensive the test kit, the more accurate the
reading will be. That said, being precise isn’t too important to hobbyists, who will
generally only need a rough idea of their dissolved oxygen levels.
Each dissolved oxygen test kit is capable of performing multiple tests. The
Salifert test, pictured above, is capable of performing over 40 tests.
2. Dissolved Oxygen
BLOG
Meter/Probe
REVIEWS ALGAE DISEASE
CHECK THE PRICE
If you have the cash to spare, a dissolved oxygen meter precisely measures your
aquarium in just a few seconds.
Stick the probe in your aquarium and the amount of oxygen in your aquarium will
be displayed on the LCD screen.
While a dissolved oxygen meter may be more accurate than a test kit, it also
requires continual maintenance to ensure the results remain accurate.
Membranes and batteries must be replaced and the meter must be calibrated
regularly.
But if you want the most accurate measurement possible, You can’t go past a
dissolved oxygen meter.
How to increase the oxygen levels in BLOG REVIEWS ALGAE DISEASE
your aquarium
An airstone agitating the surface water.
Well, the first thing you want to do is remove all the contributing factors to oxygen
depletion that I mentioned earlier, namely overstocking your tank.
With that out of the way, there is actually a clever trick you can use to increase
the amount of oxygen in your tank.
I mentioned earlier how a larger tank exchanges gas more efficiently than a
smaller tank due to the larger surface area of the water.
Well, there is actually a way you can “artificially” increase the surface area of your
aquarium.
And that method is surface agitation.
To put it simply, water movement on the surface of your aquarium increases its
surface area, allowing more oxygen to dissolve and more carbon dioxide to
escape.
Any product that helps produce water flow is perfect for agitating the surface of
your aquarium, including:
Aquarium bubbler (like an airstone)

HOB filter, or point your filter return at the surface
Powerhead
Wavemaker
Spray bar
Lily pipe
By agitating the surface water in your aquarium, you can potentially stock more
fish than you otherwise would have been able to without it.
How to increase oxygen levels in an

emergency
So you have just come to discover that panicked fish are gasping for air at the
surface of the tank.
There is no time to look for the cause of the problem, you can do that when your
fish are safe.
Right now, your priority is saving your fish.
The easiest and quickest way to get oxygen into your aquarium is to immediately
perform a large water change – as much as 50%.
The new water will bring with it dissolved oxygen that should keep your fish
happy in the short term.
This will buy you some time so that you can hunt for the cause of the depleted
oxygen.
Too much oxygen in an aquarium…

A reader actually asked a rather interesting question, one that I thought would
make a great addition to this guide…
What happens if there is too much oxygen in an aquarium?
Water can only hold so much oxygen before it reaches saturation.
And once saturation is achieved, no more oxygen is going to dissolve in the

water.
Your fish will happily breath in water that is saturated with oxygen – it’s harmless.
But the problem comes when water is supersaturated with oxygen.
And I must stress that this isn’t common in an aquarium environment.[6]
One way that tank water can become oversaturated is from a leaking water pipe
or cavitating pumps that increase pressure, resulting in excess oxygen to
dissolve in the water.
The other way is through rapid heating of your aquarium. Because cold water can
contain more oxygen than warm water, the oxygen gets trapped due to the
extremely fast temperature change.
When your fish breaths in the over-oxygenated water, the oxygen leaches out of
your fish’s blood stream and forms bubbles in the tissues.
This is known as gas bubble disease and it isn’t pretty…
Photo: Jay Hemdal
Visible bubbles can form in the gills, fins and eyes of the fish. Gas bubbles can
also build up in your fish’s heart, leading to death.
Conclusion
It may be invisible, but there is no denying that oxygen plays a hugely important
role in your aquarium.
Do you regularly test the oxygen levels in your aquarium? Let me know in
the comments below!
Related posts:
The best water Beginners guide to The danger of Beginners Guide to

conditioner to make aquarium carbonate NITRITES (and the Aquarium
your tap water safe! hardness (KH) how to get rid of Nitrogen Cycle
them!)
What Is pH and The Beginner’s

How to Easily Test Guide to Aquarium
It in Your Test Kits (And
Aquarium? which is best!)
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Ian Sterling
I've been keeping fish for over 30 years and currently have 4
different aquariums – it's an addiction. I'm here to teach you
everything there is to know about fishkeeping.
I also use this site as an excuse to spend lots of money on testing and
reviewing different aquarium products! You can find my reviews here.
Comments
Frank says
April 14, 2020 at 1:58 pm
Hi , i have a 4ft planted tank and now i added amazon frogbit , my

question is can i have to much oxygen which is bad for fish from
overstocking plants ? Thanks
Reply
Ian Sterling says

April 16, 2020 at 4:40 am
Hi Frank,
Great question. Even in a heavily planted tank, your fish will be fine.
Reply
Nguyen Chien Thang says

September 13, 2019 at 12:10 pm
Hi Ian Sterling,
I use ventura that create oxygen dissolving water. Is that cause too much
oxygen for aquarium tank?
Reply
Ian Sterling says

September 14, 2019 at 4:23 am
Hi Nguyen,
Are you talking about a venturi? No, this will certainly not produce
too much oxygen.
Reply
Leila Dorado says

August 25, 2019 at 4:38 am
My step son has a 30 gal. freshwater tank. We got it all set up and let the
water circulate for about 5 days. It gradually turned cloudy. ( There are
artificial plants and no fish ).
Even though it was still cloudy, he decided to try 10 or so little fish in the
tank. By next morning they were all dead. He took those out and the
where he got them replaced them so he put the new fish in around 10:00
P.M. By 2:30 P.M. The fish started showing signs of weakness. An hour
later, there were a couple of dead fish. The other fish were right at the
surface of the water.
After reading your information, I’m convinced there is a lack of oxygen.
My step son wants to empty the tank and fill it wit distilled water, but from
what I’ve read, it will still have to go through the process of making good
Bactria and will still go through a cloudy period of time. My question is:
what and how should he get more oxygen into his tank?
Reply
Ian Sterling says

August 26, 2019 at 5:18 am
Hi Keila,
It’s highly unlikely that this is an oxygen issue, unless he overstocked

the tank. Read up on cycling an aquarium – your step son needs to
get his head around understanding the nitrogen cycle and how to
test for it. Adding nothing but distilled water will kill all the fish, unless
it is remineralized first. Dechlorinated tap water will work fine for
most locations.
I have a guide on cycling with fish here, I highly recommend reading

this or any other cycling guide, otherwise your step son is going to
continue to kill fish.
Reply
Christopher says
June 28, 2019 at 6:33 am
Hi, I have a 20 gallon tank with 14 guppies in it, I have pretty excellent
canister filtration and two air stones and one small jawa moss plant. So
my question is whether my tank is overstocked or not? I read somewhere
that its supposed to be one gallon per fish but considering the
decorations, gravel etc, is my tank overstocked?
Reply
Ian Sterling says

June 28, 2019 at 7:15 am
Hi Christopher,
The 1 gallons per inch of fish is a terrible rule. With so many different
types of fish, it’s impossible to track down. A single gold fish, for
example, could need 30 gallons.
Assuming it’s a 20 gallon long rather than a 20 gallon high, your tank
is definitely at max, maybe a little overstocked, but only just. If your
water parameters are normal and you have good oxygenation and
maintaining your tank properly, I would say there isn’t anything to
worry about here. But because your tank is overstocked, you can’t
slip on the maintenance!
Reply
Kitty says
June 22, 2019 at 12:50 am
I have a 20 gallon tank for last 8 years. Never had a problem. It’s acrylic
and the top has a light as well as space for the exterior filter and more
uncovered space. Only in the last year I had to cover it with sponges or
paper towels as the water from the air stone causes it to leak down the
side. I just replaced the filter it’s working fine and three days after the
water started again. What do u recommend
Reply
Ian Sterling says

June 22, 2019 at 4:04 am
Hi Kitty,
Are you sure the tank doesn’t have an incredibly tiny crack and that
water is escaping over the top? I only ask as 20 years is a long time
for an acryllic tank.
If it’s the filter responsible, can you move the filter outlet so it’s just
below the water, or weaken the rate at which the outflow hits the
water? This will stop tiny drops splashing out, which add up over
time and possibly the cause for the “leak”
Reply
Holly says
February 12, 2019 at 3:01 pm
Hello I have just started a fresh water 55 gallon tank with 5 gold fish to
begin the bacteria growth (I do not want to harm any fish) I have 2
powerheads 30’s which also connects to the undergravel filter and also
the back waterfall filter system up to a 70 gallon (both Auqa clear)
wanted to provide enough circulation and filtration to hopefully not be
cleaning more than actually needed. Do I need a air stone or should the
powerheads work for that purpose? Thank you
Reply
Ian Sterling says

Hi Holly,
If anything it sounds like your filtration will produce quite a lot of

current. Also, it’s easier and less dangerous to fish if you use a
fishless cycle to kickstart bacteria growth. It’s going to be quite
turbulent as it is, you won’t need any more water movement. Just be
mindful that many fish prefer slower moving currents.
Generally speaking, your filter should turn over 4 – 6 x the amount of

water your aquarium holds in an hour. If you can do this, you can get
away with weekly water changes. Extra filtration won’t really get
away from performing maintenance.
Reply
Deb says
February 10, 2019 at 3:41 am
I was told by my local fish store–not a national chain — that I didn’t need
an airstone. So I assumed that the motion of water falling out of the HOB
filters I use was sufficient. Should I be buying air stones and pumps for
various size tanks?
I turn the filter flow down low for my betta tanks….one is in a 5-gallon
quarantine and will be going in a community 20-gallon. The other betta
tank is a 5.5 gallon also.
Your web site is very informative! Thank you!
Reply
Ian Sterling says


Hi Deb,
It sounds like you received some good advice. If your filter is sized
correctly, the outflow should agitate the surface enough for a
correctly stocked tank. If you see water churning and moving (even
slowly) around your tank, then it will likely be enough.
Reply
Mark says
On the same subject, will it hurt the fish or water quality if I

added a piece of air furniture?
Reply
Ian Sterling says

Hi Mark,
No, air furniture will not affect water quality. However, it may
stress some fish. Betta for instance, prefer slow moving to
still water. Air driven ornaments and similar cause water to
move around the tank which can stress out these sensitive
fish. However, that depends on what you are stocking in
your tank.
Reply
yana rudiana says

Hi,
I want to ask you about the relation between oxygen and carbon dioxide.
What happen if we turn on a bubbler after we previously injected co2 into
the water? Does the O2 will get rid the co2 or they both will be in the
water at the same time?
Thank you
Reply
Ian Sterling says

Hi Yana,
The the surface agitation can release co2 from the water. It’s kind of
a balancing act. Ideally you would want enough flow that your water
is moving to all corners of your tank and a film isn’t forming on the
surface. It can take some trial and error, but you should eventually
figure out the right amount for your tank so you are not of gassing
too much Co2
Reply
Emily says BLOG REVIEWS ALGAE DISEASE
January 29, 2019 at 9:50 am
I’m having a big problem with the nitrates in my tank. It’s a new tank(2
months old). It has been cycled, I have tried using products to eliminate
it. I’ve done water changes and gravel vacing once a week( I started out
a every 2 weeks but it was recommended to me to go to every week). Its
a 10 gallon tank with only 3 fish. Do you think that I cant get it under
control because I don’t have something to make bubbles? Can low
oxygen levels mess with the nitrates/nitrites?
Reply
Ian Sterling says

January 29, 2019 at 2:14 pm
Hi Emily,
Nitrates are removed through water changes. For most freshwater

tanks, it’s the only way to remove them. If they have built up to
ridiculous levels, you may need to perform multiple or larger water
changes. Once under control, you might need to switch to more than
once per week – depending on which 3 fish you have, it may be too
many for the tank which can cause them to build up quicker than
usual.
Reply
Becky says
December 31, 2018 at 2:57 pm
I believe my tank is very well oxygenated, and all my water parameters

BLOG
are good, but my PH tests high, REVIEWS ALGAE
on the “Low PH” DISEASE
chart out of the faucet,
and when I test a few minutes before my weekly water change from my
tank, the PH is reading in the center areas on the “High PH” chart. The
fish seem fine, but I have read that the high oxygen is what is driving up
my PH, and wondered which is worse, high oxygen, or high PH. I have a
46 gal. basic freshwater tropical fish, one anubius and one Java plant
and about a 2.5′ piece of driftwood. Things seem fine, but I am just
wondering if I should make any changes. Thanks
Reply
Ian Sterling says

January 1, 2019 at 6:13 am
Hi Becky,
High oxygen is quite uncommon and typically only seen in heavily

planted tanks – pearling plants is a sign. I’d be doubtful that your
tank has excessive O2 levels.
You should only make changes if your fish can handle that level of
pH of the pH is rapidly fluctuating. In each case, both can stress your
fish to the point of disease or death.
It’s possible something is increasing the KH of your water which then

causing the pH to rise. You’ll need a KH test kit to confirm this. For
more information, check out this KH guide.
Whether it’s O2 or KH you will only be sure if you test.
Reply
Kat says BLOG REVIEWS ALGAE DISEASE
October 22, 2018 at 3:32 am
We have just had a tank set up from a friend and we set it up 24 hours
ago. We had 16 fish and then today we lost half of our fish. We had our
oxygen levels tested and they were really poor. We also swapped the
tank for one roughly half the size so I’m wondering if overcrowding
contribited to the low oxygen issue. Anyway, we have gutted the whole
tank so all of the water is fresh now and we have given the filter a
thorough clean as it was full of allsorts. (We had been told not to clean
the filter because of the beneficial bacteria that’s in it for the fish). We
have also installed an airstone and have positioned the filter so that it
acts as a powerhead. There are loads of bubbles in the tank now. I’m still
worried about transferring the fish we have left back into the tank. I don’t
want any more of them to die.
Reply
Ian Sterling says

October 22, 2018 at 6:07 am
Hi Kat,
Depending on the fish, it’s possible that halving the size of the tank
contributed to the deaths of your fish – half the tank, half the oxygen.
You can rinse your biomedia and it shouldn’t cause your cycle to
crash. I’d recommend rinsing half one week and half the next as a
precaution. And of course, rinse it in fresh water, chlorine will kill
beneficial bacteria.
Reply

Sandie says
March 10, 2018 at 6:33 pm
I added to much air and had fish try to leap out of the tank hitting the lid
and causing death. Bring your oxygen up slowly, is what I have found.
Reply
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8/18/2020 Oxygen: The Essential Ingredient to a Healthy Aquarium

BLOG REVIEWS ALGAE DISEASE