the role oxygen in a planted tank

[krandall at world_std.com]

>Do plants suffer at night when the O2 drops?
>Are the plants'  resources being used up to rebuild the O2 level in the
>morning?
>Should I look at trickle filters or H2O2-oxygenators?
>Do I have enough O2 in my tank as it heats up in the summer (82+ deg F)?
>Am I anal retentive? :-) 

I'm not going to touch the last question.<g>  On the others, I'll relate
what actually happens in my own tanks.  During the photoperiod, the O2
levels quickly climb to about 11 mg/l... well over saturation.  At night
the levels only drop to 8 mg/l. (measured just before lights on)  I do not
use a trickle filter, and I avoid surface agitation, although there are
powerheads down low to increase wawter circulation.  I find it hard to
believe that O2 levels could be better with a trickle filter.

Now let me end with the caveat that these are highly lit, CO2 supplemented
tanks with low-moderate fish load.  If you have a lower plant growth rate
and/or a higher fish load, there is certainly a possibility that your tank
will become O2 deprived during the night.

Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association

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