How to Manually Put Oxygen in a Fish Tank

Aquariums and fish tanks often are aerated by an automated filtration system, but it may be necessary for the tank caretaker to manually insert oxygen into the water in some situations. The tank's water can be aerated chemically or mechanically without the use of the automated filter. Any type of manual oxygenation requires regular maintenance and the tank should be monitored whenever possible. Tanks housing species with particularly high oxygen requirements are particularly vulnerable to suffocation, but any type of fish can suffer injury from low oxygen content even if the supply isn't completely depleted.

  1. Importance

    • While automated aeration and filtration systems are more efficient and consistent than manual aeration, power outages, hardware failure and electrical problems can disable them for long periods of time on short notice. Manual aeration may be the only option in the case of a natural disaster, as aquarium stores are likely inaccessible. Most tanks with a moderate population can survive for at least a few hours before signs of oxygen deprivation begin to show.

    Water Dumping Aeration

    • One of the simplest ways to aerate a tank is to disturb the surface of the water, which allows oxygen molecules to infiltrate the surface. Gather some water directly from the tank with a container, then dump it back into the tank again from two or three feet above the water's surface. Continue to do this for several minutes. Repeat the entire procedure every few hours until the automated aeration system is working again.

    Hydrogen Peroxide

    • Adding hydrogen peroxide solution to your tank can also oxygenate the water, although it is more risky than physical aeration. It is riskier than mechanical aeration because it requires knowledge of the tank's dimensions and contents. Chemical aeration can also saturate the water with too much oxygen, which is not possible with physical aeration. The standard dose is 1 tsp. of hydrogen peroxide for every 10 gallons of water, but this number can vary significantly depending on the nature and equipment in the tank, according to Aquarium World. Starting with 1 tsp. for every 30 to 40 gallons, and observing the changes before applying more, is a safer procedure. The aeration from peroxide lasts for 10 to 14 hours.

    Preparation

    • It is recommended that fish tank and aquarium owners prepare themselves for manually aerating their tank by gathering all necessary materials and storing them near the tank. Tank owners also can mitigate the risk of power outages and equipment failures by darkening the area around the tank. This discourages fish from moving around, which lowers the tank's oxygen consumption rate.