How Can You Tell If There Is Enough Dissolved Oxygen?

[eelman]

Hi, i have a 55 gallon tank with 9 gold barbs, 5 giant danios, 6 congo tetras, 3 boesmani rainbows, 6 australian rainbows, and a fire eel. After recently adding some fish i decided to add an airstone. i figured that it probably wasnt necessary but it couldnt hurt.

well now i cant sleep with the noise so i want to find out if i really need it or not. is there any way to tell is there is enough air in the water? i could have it go only during the day, if that would help. The fish do use more oxygen during the day (except for the nocturnal eel, of course)

i was thinking that my airstone is not necessary. can anyone confirm/deny this?

thanks for your help.

 

[Bignose]

How much surface movement is there? Most specifically, is the filter return above the surface or below?

It is incredibly unlikely that there is not enough oxygen. In most cases, the fish themselves would tell you, since they would be rapidly breathing at or near the surface. If they behave the same with and without the airstone, then you are fine. Lack of oxygen reallly only becomes an issue if the temperature gets too high, there are medications in the water, or if you use CO2 for plants when the lights are out.

 

[SamUK]

i was thinking that my airstone is not necessary. can anyone confirm/deny this?

thanks for your help.

an airstone only helps by making more surface movement.

the actual bubbles from the airstone rise to quickly to be absorbed in the water.


its where surface movement occurs that the oxygen gets in the water.


soooo basically, if your filters causing plenty of surface movement (ripples) then you should be fine without it.

aslong as your fish arent gasping or breathing fast then your fine.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yup move your filter output so it's causing ripples on the surface of the water then your fine to turn the airstone off all day if you like, or just turn it off at night if you like how it looks

 

[eelman]

ok thanks everyone. when i first added my eel he was breathing visibly, but now with the airstone he still his. i guess that a big fish like that has to inhale a lot if its not moving.

thanks again.