Do you have a fish tank and want to make sure that you’re doing everything possible to keep your fish healthy and safe?
If so, it’s important to be aware of the signs of too much CO2 in aquariums. Too much CO2 can be harmful to fish, so it’s important to be able to spot the warning signs.
Thankfully, there are some common symptoms that you can watch for, which will help you determine if your tank has too high levels of carbon dioxide.
In this post, we’ll take a look at what those signs are and how you can reduce CO2 levels in your tank if needed.
What is Carbon-Di-oxide (CO2)?
Carbon dioxide (chemical formula CO2) is a colorless gas with a faint odor. It is a minor component of Earth’s atmosphere, currently constituting about 0.04% of the atmosphere by volume.
Carbon dioxide is produced by all animals when they breathe and is exhaled from the lungs. It is also produced by volcanoes and in hot springs.
From Where Does the CO2 Come in Aquarium?
Aquarium fish, plants produce CO2 during respiration. Besides feed waste and fish faces create CO2 naturally in the aquarium. To answer this question, we must understand how aquarium plants photosynthesize and what is the main factor that contributes to it.
Aquarium plant’s photosynthesis depends on many factors such as light, water temperature, and dissolved CO2 in water.
The fish tank CO2 level is determined by the fish tank water temperature, plants photosynthesis activity, and plants respiration rate.
What are the Signs of too Much CO2 in Aquarium?
If your fish show any of these symptoms, your tank may be experiencing too much CO2.
-Abnormal or excess mucus, loss of coloration, and growths on the gills and can cause major problems with respiration.
-Fungus on the gills and fins, cloudy eyes, gasping for breath at the surface, and erratic behavior.
-Fish are hiding in the plants or other decorations.
-Fish seem lethargic and aren’t eating well.
-Fish start to die off one by one without any known cause for their death.
-Small white spots form on the surface of your water where bacteria have begun to grow because nitrates are present in abundance.
-Fish have large scales sticking out from their skin.
If the levels of CO2 are too high, you may experience the following fish’s environmental problems,
-The water is murky and cloudy.
-The pH level is too high or too low.
-There’s a lot of green algae on the rocks, walls, and glass surfaces.
-You’re getting bubbles coming out of your filter system when it should be running smoothly.
-When you open up your lid, everything smells really bad.
-The colors of water look faded.
-There’s a slimy film developing over everything in your tank.
-You’ve got brown sludge building up around your bottom screen.
What is the best way to prevent too much CO2 in aquariums?
If you have an air stone, turning it off can help reduce your CO2 levels by replacing gaseous carbon dioxide with oxygen from the air.
You should also do regular water changes and ensure that you don’t overstock the tank.
Make sure that your aquarium is using a reverse osmosis water filter or deionizer in order to remove any trace minerals such as calcium and magnesium from your tap water which may lead to algae blooms and high co2 levels in the aquarium.
How do I fix (get rid of) this problem?
It’s crucial to reduce the amount of CO2 in your tank. You can do this by reducing feeding, increasing water flow, or adding more air stones to increase the levels of oxygen.
If you don’t address the issue right away, it can have serious consequences for your fish.
This can be done by adding less baking soda/sugar, but if you want it lower than that, then the only way is to add more water.
The easiest way is to mix the two together before adding them to your tank. This requires precise measurements, but generally, 1 tsp of baking soda and 2 tbsp sugar per gallon of water is a safe bet.
FAQs
How much CO2 can fish tolerate?
You should aim for about 4ppm of carbon dioxide, but the fish can handle up to 15ppm before there are any symptoms.
Does too much CO2 causes algae bloom?
No. If the plants are growing too well, this may be due to excess CO2 in aquarium, but it won’t be caused by the CO2 itself.
Do all fish have the same tolerance level?
No, different fish have varying tolerances to carbon dioxide. Goldfish, for example, are particularly sensitive to high CO2 levels in aquariums.
On the other hand, this doesn’t mean that raising your CO2 levels above 4ppm will kill goldfish, just that it may cause them to have higher mortality rates.
How much CO2 can fish tolerate?
You should aim for about 4ppm of carbon dioxide, but the fish can handle up to 15ppm before there are any symptoms.
Do all fish have the same tolerance level?
No, different fish have varying tolerances to carbon dioxide. Goldfish, for example, are particularly sensitive to high CO2 levels in aquariums.
On the other hand, this doesn’t mean that raising your CO2 levels above 4ppm will kill goldfish, just that it may cause them to have higher mortality rates.
Does CO2 cause disease?
No. If your fish are suffering from disease, it’s not likely to be due to too much carbon dioxide.
As mentioned before, if your plants are growing too well, this may be due to excess CO2 in the aquarium. If you see brown patches of algae forming on your leaves, this is often a sign of high CO2 levels.
Why does CO2 cause fish to dart around the tank?
Fish will behave erratically if they’re struggling for breath, often darting around the tank in an attempt to find more oxygen.
What is a high CO2 level in an aquarium dangerous for fish?
If the levels are allowed to continue unchecked, it will lead to suffocation which can cause problems ranging from increased mortality rates to glass-like appearance and death.
How to increase CO2 in aquarium?
You can do this by either buying a pressurized co2 tank (the easiest option) or by mixing baking soda with sugar and adding it to the tank.
How to balance CO2 and oxygen in aquarium?
The tank with the most CO2 will have the least oxygen. But if you want to control this, you need a measuring tool called an oxygen meter.
How to lower CO2 in aquarium?
You can do this by adding less baking soda/sugar or adding more water. The lower the co2 is, the better.
How do you add CO2 to a fish tank?
The easiest way is to buy a pressurized co2 tank and hook it up to your fish tank. DIY means mixing baking soda and sugar, but this always has the potential for disaster.
How long does it take CO2 to go into an aquarium?
Once you add the CO2, it won’t take long to enter your tank. Generally, you should see results within seconds.