nexAir works closely with many different industries, including one that may come as a surprise – the agriculture industry. Each industry requires different gases to successfully complete each unique project or task. For example, oxygen is just as critical to fish health as it is to human life. Dissolved oxygen is required in ample amounts to ensure a well-running pond or aquarium. Whether you are dealing with an outdoor pond or keeping an aquarium running, oxygen will always be needed in constant and consistent supply. Here’s our take and applied KnowHow on maintaining a healthy aquarium. 

What is dissolved oxygen? 

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) can be defined simply as what it reads – oxygen gas that has been dissolved in water. It is an important factor contributing to the quality of water and has a high influence on the health of the organisms living within that body of water. The amount of oxygen that is dissolved in whatever stream of water you may be dealing with, can tell us a lot about the quality of water. Fish actually absorb the DO directly through the water into their bloodstream through their gills and require sufficient levels to live. 

How to Maintain Proper Levels

Keeping a high level of oxygen in your tanks is critical to the growth and overall health of your fish, but consistently monitoring your levels can ensure that you are reaching your stocks fullest growth potential. Previous studies have shown that maintaining DO levels as close to 100% as possible, provides your fish with optimum appetite levels, therefore contributing to the growth of your stock. There are a variety of kits out on the market to help you measure levels of oxygen in your tank. However, if there are no kits available or if you just want to get a general idea on the health of your stock, as well as the quality of your water, you can look at these factors to determine whether or not there is an oxygen depletion:

• Fish gulping for air near the top of water
• Suddenly stop feeding
• Rapid change in water color to brown, black or grey
• Odor coming from the water

In these cases, aeration can be applied to encourage oxygen levels to go back to the optimal levels. Specifically, in an aquarium, a system can be installed that consists of a pump, air tubing and air stone. This can help circulate the water and break the surface tension of the water to increase the rate of diffusion. Plants can also be placed within the tank as they produce oxygen through photosynthesis, a process where plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. 

There are many critical reasons as to why oxygen is critical in not only the fish industry, but the agriculture industry as a whole. At nexAir, it is important for us to continue to educate our customers on the uses of each gas that we offer. Please reach out to us with any questions you may have in regards to nexAir gases, we’d love to chat!