Why does warm aquarium water have low oxygen & how to fix this problem?

Fish have a high metabolic rate and activity level when water gets warmer in summers. In such circumstances they need more oxygen. But at warmer temperatures, water has a shortage of oxygen. Double trouble, right? Fish need more oxygen in hot weather but oxygen in the water is less as heat increases, so fish can be observed gasping at the water surface & breathing air. Aquarists use heaters to warm water in the winters but many of them don’t know how to cool water in summers. There are many ways to cool aquarium water during hot summers such as you can use chillers, a cooling fan or keep your aquarium in a cool place in your home. Outside temperature is hot in summers but indoor temperatures are comparatively cooler so you can place your fish tank indoors. Also, if you place your aquarium in an air-conditioned room, then the aquarium water temperature will be around the ambient temperature of the room. It must be observed that usually aquarium water temperature is warmer than the ambient temperature of the home because of the tank lights that heat water for most part of the day. So, if you don’t have live plants in your aquarium then you can simply turn off the lights to lower water temperature.


Why does warm aquarium water have low oxygen?
Why does warm aquarium water have low oxygen?

How does a ceiling fan cool aquarium water in hot weather?

The best & simplest way to cool your aquarium water is by placing your aquarium beneath a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans can cool water temperature due to a phase change of water from liquid to vapor. During the phase change, heat energy is released after evaporation of water from the surface. Higher evaporation can cool water quickly, & drops the water temperature. Many aquarists cover their fish tanks with a lid to avoid fish from jumping outside. So, it is recommended to either lower the water level & remove the lid or use a mesh lid that has holes. Mesh lid allows air produced by a ceiling fan to hit the water surface that causes evaporation. Water from the surface has high evaporation if the aquarium lid is removed or if the lid has holes.

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