How much oxygen do tropical fish need?

Answer 1

With proper filtration come oxygenation. An airpump and airwand couldn't hurt and can be attractive. Aerating your tank not only promotes healthier fish and water it also helps decrease some types of algae with the extra water movement.

Answer 2

Over oxygenating a fishes water can kill the fish. There is never any need to give fish "EXTRA" Oxygen. Like us they can only use what they need and so all one can do is make sure they get sufficient oxygen. The only way to do this is to ensure their conditions are perfect and their water is pure and unadulterated. The basic way aquarists do this is to know what are a fishes minimum requirements and then give them better than minimum. The basic rule is "1 inch of fish needs 1 gallon of water". This is the minimum requirement. A responsible aquarist now takes this equation then doubles or tripples the amount of water and adds a cycled filter, heater thermostat, substrate, plants and lights. Then he/she does a minimum of 50% water change weekly.

Answer 3

Oxygenation takes place at the surface of the water where there is an exchange of gasses (O in and CO2 out). Plants growing in the tank also put out oxygen and use up carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis. The most important thing though is to have a cycled filter to biologically convert deadly poisonous Ammonia (the unavoidable bi product of aquatic life) first into poisonous NitrIte and then into relatively harmless NitrAte.

Answer 4

Most Tropical Fish will be fine as long as your have an air pump and bubble stone in your tank.

Answer 5

If oxygen is not added to the water, the fish would use up all the oxygen in the water and die.