Are You Pumping Enough Oxygen For Your Fish?

Fish breathe through their gills. The gills extract oxygen that is necessary for their bodily functions from the water. The oxygen that is absorbed into their bodies undergoes biological processing, gets converted into carbon dioxide and is then discharged back into the water.

For fish to stay healthy there must be sufficient oxygen in the water for them to breathe. This means that “gas exchange”, the process whereby carbon dioxide is replaced by oxygen, must take place.

In order for gas exchange to occur, a good aeration system is necessary in an aquarium. Aeration is the process of creating turbulence in the water to break the surface of the water, to allow oxygen to be introduced into the water.

1 – Aeration Systems

Aeration can be effected through several methods. Many aquariums are aerated through the turbulence created by the pumping action of a power filter or canister filter, and by the effect of water falling back into the aquarium.

Others use a power-head with an under-gravel filter to pump water across the surface of the aquarium. Such a system consists of plates covered with gravel, and one or more upright tubes. The filter is powered by an air pump via an air stone in the upright tube. As air bubbles move up the tube, water is drawn through the under-gravel filter bed, up the tube and towards the water surface.

2 – Air Stones

Air stones are an important part of creating a good aquarium aeration system. They can be used without an under-gravel filter to supplement the aeration provided by a canister or power filter.

This is how an air stone works: Air from the air pump passes through a submerged block of porous material. This breaks up the airflow and creates tiny bubbles which rise to the water surface and break its surface tension.

Air stones should be routinely cleaned and changed. An air stone that is clogged with debris will create back-pressure, shortening the life of the air pump.

3 – Selecting An Air Pump

When selecting an air pump, the two primary considerations are size and power.

The size required depends on how much air needs to be produced for the aquarium. For instance, if additional air outlets are required for action ornaments, bubble walls or decorative air stones, a larger air pump would be more effective.

Deeper tanks also require larger, stronger pumps. The deeper the water, the higher the pressure, and the harder the air pump has to work to force air through the air stone and into the water.

Conclusion

So before you go shopping for some filtration systems for your aquarium tank, it is wise to keep the above points in mind. Not only will you save time and money, you also enhance the life span of your fish.

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