Disregarding cost, in a power failure, would an oxygen tank with medical grade oxygen be ok to use in an aquarium ? Is there a risk of having too much oxygen in the tank ?
Oxygen tank
- Thread starter qguy
- Start date
I don't know how easily one could regulate the diffusion of O2, battery powered airpumps are a life saver for external filters and fish alike. I don't think it's easy to oversaturate oxygen in water in aquarium conditions though.
Yes. I have this on my first fish room as back up. I have two big airpumps feeding a central airline which runs sponge filters to 160 tanks. If one air pump fails, the other pump still feeds air but noticably less volume. The oxygen cylinder has a pressure regulator set for very slow flow then a "normally closed solenoid valve". When the power fails, the solenoid also fails and opens allowing oxygen into the central airline. I don't use medical grade oxygen, industrial grade is fine.
I have oxygen cylinders for shipping fish so they are dual purpose.
My second fish room has back up power but the oxygen is a good low tech option. The very best safeguard is to have a low stocking rate on your prized fish. This would last for weeks without power.
I have oxygen cylinders for shipping fish so they are dual purpose.
My second fish room has back up power but the oxygen is a good low tech option. The very best safeguard is to have a low stocking rate on your prized fish. This would last for weeks without power.
Agree with this, and besides the air issue, if your filters stop running because of an outage the buildup of ammonia can soar, because the only working population is the one in the substrate.
With a low stocking levels the substrate may be able to handle the glut of ammonia, but with over stocking that beneficial bacterial population could easily be overwhelmed.
There really isn't a risk. I have an oxygen concentrator and dissolved oxygen meter and have had my fish at over 300% saturation for extended periods.
Medical grade O2 requires a prescription in the US (I'm sure Canada is just as strict) but industrial grade doesn't.
It only takes ~15 minutes for my 5 L/min oxygen concentrator to take my 40 gal tank up to >300% saturation.
You can do the same thing with an air compressor with pressure tank, as water circulation will oxygenate sufficiently. It doesnt have to be oxugen. Exactly the same method - but in my case, the compressor took up too much space, noisy when filling, wasn't dual purpose and I would have to buy it. For a smaller fish room, it would be fit for purpose.
An additional solar powered DC pump is an easy cheap backup option. Only good in daytime but you would be home at might if the power fails.
An additional solar powered DC pump is an easy cheap backup option. Only good in daytime but you would be home at might if the power fails.
I actually saw a $20 battery powered air pump for emergencies at my LFS a few months ago and got one! Power went out once since then and it was a life saver!