noni
01/05/2003, 07:46 PM
Understanding the importance of proper lighting and the 24 hour photo period in your refugium:
Oxygen in water comes from two sources: photosynthesis and diffusion from the air. The most important source is photosynthesis, which is the process plants use for manufacturing food. In the presence of sunlight, plants (especially algae) add oxygen to water as a by-product of photosynthesis. At night, no oxygen is produced, but respiration of algae, fish and bacteria continues to remove oxygen from the water. Most of the time there is a desirable balance between how much oxygen is produced and how much is used, but under some conditions, the balance can be upset, and the oxygen concentration becomes low enough to stress or kill fish.
The amount of oxygen in tank water can vary considerably from hour to hour. Typically, however, oxygen concentrations are lowest at dawn and highest during late afternoon. The amount of oxygen water can hold is dependent upon atmospheric pressure, salinity and temperature. Water can hold less oxygen as altitude increases. However, this is usually of little importance in the Southeast. The most important factor is water temperature. As temperature increases, water can hold less oxygen.
Oxygen in water comes from two sources: photosynthesis and diffusion from the air. The most important source is photosynthesis, which is the process plants use for manufacturing food. In the presence of sunlight, plants (especially algae) add oxygen to water as a by-product of photosynthesis. At night, no oxygen is produced, but respiration of algae, fish and bacteria continues to remove oxygen from the water. Most of the time there is a desirable balance between how much oxygen is produced and how much is used, but under some conditions, the balance can be upset, and the oxygen concentration becomes low enough to stress or kill fish.
The amount of oxygen in tank water can vary considerably from hour to hour. Typically, however, oxygen concentrations are lowest at dawn and highest during late afternoon. The amount of oxygen water can hold is dependent upon atmospheric pressure, salinity and temperature. Water can hold less oxygen as altitude increases. However, this is usually of little importance in the Southeast. The most important factor is water temperature. As temperature increases, water can hold less oxygen.