Tank Oxygen Levels

[orandas]

In the past i notice(tall tank), that a few of the fishes, occaisionally during the day, go up to the surface, gulping air, and i had 2 spray bars from my external cannisters on, which took bubbles three quarters of a way down the tank.

So i did a tetra oxygen test - midway results 5-8mg/L. Then i embarked on mini pond water pumps, powerheads,wave makers,air wands etc but none of it improved the oxygen test results i e all the same.

Does anyone have > 8mg/L on these tests?

Just wondered how to increase oxygen for them? Do i need to?

Thanks.

 

[cynic]

Worrying about nothing i think. I haven't got spraybars, powerheads, nothing. Just some surface rippling and all the fish are just fine.

It is a mildly planted tank which helps i suppose, some fish do gulp air as part of normal life, cory's for example gourami's too i believe.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Typical hobby oxygen level liquid test kits are not that highly rated, in part at least because of all the shaking of the tank water with the test kit chemicals in the test tube will artificially raise the oxygen levels detected. Potential oxygen saturation levels are very dependent upon water temperature and if memory serves me correctly, 8mg/l is only possible at temps less than 24C. Some time ago when I tested the water in my 5x2x2 at 22C (with a FX5 22mm elbow joint "mod" and an APS2000EF set just above the water level), my Tetra oxygen test gave an 8mg/l result, but I did not take the reading as gospel after discovering the fake results.

 

[fluttermoth]

A lot of fish do seem to gulp air; my angel does it all the time, for absolutely no reason that I can discern!

I wouldn't worry about oxygen levels; unless the weather is very, very hot, the tank is overstocked or severely underfiltered, with no surface movement at all, or with the use of some medications, it's vanishingly rare for tanks to be low in oxygen.

 

[orandas]

Thanks all. Good to know i'm not depriving them of oxygen.