How to Oxygenate the Water in a Fish Tank

Every single fish tank should have some type of filtration system or air pump attached to it. This will help oxygenate the water in the fish tank and keep your pets healthy. If for any reason you air pump or filtration system stops working, your fish will still survive in the water for some time. It isn't healthy for your fish to swim around in water that isn't being oxygenated, and once you see them swimming to the top of the tank gasping for air, it's definitely time to oxygenate the water yourself. It is rather simple to manually do this.

Things You'll Need

  • Pitcher
  • Ceramic plate
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Instructions

    • 1

      Dip your pitcher into the fish tank and fill it with water. Don't take so much water that your fish can't swim any more.

    • 2

      Place a ceramic plate on the bottom of your tank to cover any gravel or crud you have down there. If you only have water in your fish tank, you can skip this step. But if you have crud on the bottom of your tank, you will have to cover it so you don't mix it around once you complete the next steps.

    • 3

      Hold the pitcher about five inches above the fish tank.

    • 4

      Dump the water back into the fish tank onto the ceramic dish. The higher you hold the water above the fish tank while pouring it in, the more oxygen will flow through the water.

    • 5

      Repeat the process at least a few times. The more you do this, the more oxygen will be generated. The amount of time you choose to do this will entirely depend on the size of your fish tank. Make sure to do this a few times a day. A good rule is to do it once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once before you go to sleep. You should also be working on getting your filtration or air pump working as soon as possible.

    • 6

      Remove the ceramic plate from the fish tank.