[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Water storage
Hello Robert,
It is NOT the visible bubbles that harm fish! It is the water, stored
under pressue, supersaturated with both oxygen and nitrogen, which, upon
standing -- at atmospheric pressure -- slowly releases the excess
nitrogen gas (haemoglobin takes care of the oxygen), either in the
gills, or other parts of the body, possibly causing embolism.
In people (divers) it is called "the bends".
That does NOT mean that using water directly from the tap will always
give your fish the bends! Using stood-up water, which is in equilibrium
with the atmosphere, removes another source of possible stress. Adding
the fresh water slowly -- even through an air line -- also removes a
possible source of stress -- _rapidly_ changing the water chemistry. I
think that stress (and infection) is what kills most aquarium fish.
Best,
George
> I must be missing something but I never heard of bubbles causing harm > to fish...I use water straight from the tap, (I'm in San Jose, about a > half hour from Fremont), and I have no problem adjusting the temp by > touch to be pretty darn close to the tank temp before putting it in > the tank...I just hook up my python and I am all set. Most of the > people I know use bottled or storage water because their tap is too > hard, and they want soft water, not because they are afraid of some > bubbles..