decreased surface area = rays breathing hard!

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keepinfish

keepinfish

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Jun 29, 2007
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I think i figured out why my new tank was a little cloudy and my rays were breathin hard.

i though maybe the 2 fx5's full of pot scrubbers were just not enough bio.. Boy i was wrong, my tank is crystal clear and rays seem to be doing real good now.

what i did was i purchased an acrylic tank, and after my first water change i filled the water real full, as i just put on my new canopy. i filled it up so full that the surface area was gone... what had me stumped is right after water change everything started breathing better, then a few hours later they were breathing heavy again...the top of the water was completly sealed off with the acrylic tops, which left it with no surface area. After i did another water change thinking, what is going on? i did not fill it so full 1/4-1/2" from the lids, everything was doing well.
Lesson learned, do not overfill you tank...
 
yes gas exchange is important
 
very important, and i would have never thought. the tank was cloudy, and everything was breathing hard. i added an additional bubbler and it did not help, because the bubbles were popping on the acylic and not the surface of the water.

i am so use to overflow aquariums, that have very good gas exchange, and was not thinking when i overfilled this tank that is not equipped with overflows.
 
Good catch!
 
good thing u figured it out.

keep power heads pointed at the top also to keep it moving.
 
that makes sense.

since the fx5s are canister filters, there really isn't any place for oxygenate your water but the top surface.
 
iwiied;3668030; said:
that makes sense.

since the fx5s are canister filters, there really isn't any place for oxygenate your water but the top surface.
Click to expand...

+1 for sumps with overflows. Rays use a lot of oxygen. More oxygen = clear water.

When I turn my return pump off it is amazing how fast the tank will cloud up. I have to set a timer to remember to turn it on within an hour or the rays begin to really stress.
 
iwiied;3668030; said:
that makes sense.

since the fx5s are canister filters, there really isn't any place for oxygenate your water but the top surface.
Click to expand...


Im king od jumping in this...
So if the tank is filled up to the top and you have air stones it is not enough?
 
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