# DIY Oxygenator



## NotoriousSway (Dec 20, 2005)

I was trying to find a way to create oxygen without having to pay alot of $$$ for a oxygen tank to put oxygen in to fish bag when I ship them. I googled it and found a artical that uses Common Household 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and lead to make a cemical reaction to create oxygen and had a few questions:

Has anyone tried this?
Is this safe?
Any good ideas on capturing the oxygen in a tank? (balloon)
Any good ideas on how to improve on this?

Link: http://www.coloradoaquarium.org/pics/oxy.html


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Actually you are better off using a tiny platinum wire or a small clay pellet with a thin platinum coating instead of lead as your catalyst. No point in lead poisoning yourself or your fish. I have a few of them set up with platinum, complete with a bottle to fill with hydrogen peroxide, a cap for the bottle with a pinhole in it and a stand to hold the bottle underwater and the catalytic reaction takes place. The oxygen produces a bubble in the bottle that displaces the constantly weakening H2O2 solution into the surrounding water. How you would get the oxygen bubble out of the bottle into a plastic bag I have not tried. I only do this in a tank with an algae problem since it will kill the algae and any anaerobic (bad) bacteria without harming fish, most plants, or your biological filter. Jungle bag buddies do something similar on a small scale. Maybe you could DIY something that would work in the bag too (without swishing any patent laws).


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## NotoriousSway (Dec 20, 2005)

yeah, was worried about the lead. Where could I get platinum wire or clay pellet with a thin platinum coating inexpensively?


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

NotoriousSway said:


> yeah, was worried about the lead. Where could I get platinum wire or clay pellet with a thin platinum coating inexpensively?


Platinum is rarer than gold, so inexpensive does not fit in the same paragraph. However you only need a tiny bit of it. CRScientific sells a platinum wire loop for under $20. It's attached to a glass handle which I would not remove. Might make it handy to silicone in place inside your reactor. SÃ¶chting (Germany) makes the clay pellets. I have a few I'm keeping. Marine Depot used to carry the German oxygenators in the US. Maybe they have parts still.


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## NotoriousSway (Dec 20, 2005)

In the artical it says that silver, lead, copper, chromium, mercury, and iron oxide rust will work too. would there be and ill effects from silver?


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## whytepizza (Jul 18, 2008)

Mcdaphnia said:


> Actually you are better off using a tiny platinum wire or a small clay pellet with a thin platinum coating instead of lead as your catalyst. No point in lead poisoning yourself or your fish. I have a few of them set up with platinum, complete with a bottle to fill with hydrogen peroxide, a cap for the bottle with a pinhole in it and a stand to hold the bottle underwater and the catalytic reaction takes place. The oxygen produces a bubble in the bottle that displaces the constantly weakening H2O2 solution into the surrounding water. How you would get the oxygen bubble out of the bottle into a plastic bag I have not tried. I only do this in a tank with an algae problem since it will kill the algae and any anaerobic (bad) bacteria without harming fish, most plants, or your biological filter. Jungle bag buddies do something similar on a small scale. Maybe you could DIY something that would work in the bag too (without swishing any patent laws).


Ok, so question on what you just said... First, i would assume the water would then by drinkable if using platinum instead of lead, or even silver instead of lead. Second, i know this will kill algae and bacteria... I don't want alge and bacteria gumming up some of my piping (pvc) and i will not use any bleach mixture because i don't want to harm my animals. Will this platinum kill the bacteria and 'sludge' as well?
PS. if you're good with computers but can remove some components and take some silver, gold, or platinum from there that they use for conduction.


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## whytepizza (Jul 18, 2008)

Mcdaphnia said:


> Actually you are better off using a tiny platinum wire or a small clay pellet with a thin platinum coating instead of lead as your catalyst. No point in lead poisoning yourself or your fish. I have a few of them set up with platinum, complete with a bottle to fill with hydrogen peroxide, a cap for the bottle with a pinhole in it and a stand to hold the bottle underwater and the catalytic reaction takes place. The oxygen produces a bubble in the bottle that displaces the constantly weakening H2O2 solution into the surrounding water. How you would get the oxygen bubble out of the bottle into a plastic bag I have not tried. I only do this in a tank with an algae problem since it will kill the algae and any anaerobic (bad) bacteria without harming fish, most plants, or your biological filter. Jungle bag buddies do something similar on a small scale. Maybe you could DIY something that would work in the bag too (without swishing any patent laws).


Ok, so question on what you just said... First, i would assume the water would then by drinkable if using platinum instead of lead, or even silver instead of lead. Second, i know this will kill algae and bacteria... I don't want alge and bacteria gumming up some of my piping (pvc) and i will not use any bleach mixture because i don't want to harm my animals. Will this platinum kill the bacteria and 'sludge' as well?
PS. if you're good with computers but can remove some components and take some silver, gold, or platinum from there that they use for conduction.


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## whytepizza (Jul 18, 2008)

sorry for the abuldance of messages, the server keeps freezing and submitting it over and over...


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## NotoriousSway (Dec 20, 2005)

> PS. if you're good with computers but can remove some components and take some silver, gold, or platinum from there that they use for conduction.


great idea I didnt think of that I have so old computer and computer parts laying around! but gold is not on the list, will it work?
where is there platinum on a computer?


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## whytepizza (Jul 18, 2008)

NotoriousSway said:


> > PS. if you're good with computers but can remove some components and take some silver, gold, or platinum from there that they use for conduction.
> 
> 
> great idea I didnt think of that I have so old computer and computer parts laying around! but gold is not on the list, will it work?
> where is there platinum on a computer?


Platinum is only on newer computers. The leads leading to the processor on SOME computers are made of platinum. But silver is much more common in computers, especially the older ones. NEarly every lead is made up primarily of silver. Some, depending how old the computer is, is a silver/lead mixture which is nearly the same material as a solder. If you search up the specs of the certain computer online it will tell you what material it is made out of and will save you some money.
Another option would be to get a silver coin (like the somes in those stupid commercials). It will oxidize, but you only bought it for that anyway, right? So $20 for a LARGE piece of .999 silver coin. You can also get bulk silver materials from coputer stores (in form of wire) or telecommunication places (home depot will sell it too). You could also go to a place that does jewelry repair. Tell them what you need it for and say you are low on cash and was looking for an alternative that would save you money. They should have some stuff that would work well for you. If you get a bunch of shavings take them to another place and have it all melted together, that way there is no risk of impactation.
Just some money saving ideas but it all depends on what works best, and is most cost efficient for you!
b.t.w. in case you couldn't tell, i am by no means a silver or platinum expert.


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## Stickzula (Sep 14, 2007)

Couldn't you just use solder? I know that it is not pure silver and some of it has lead in it, but you can get lead free solder from HD for sweating water pipes. It's pretty much dirt cheap, but like I said it is not pure silver. Just a thought.


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## NotoriousSway (Dec 20, 2005)

good thoughts, any other ideas on what metal to use and places to economically find it


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

NotoriousSway said:


> good thoughts, any other ideas on what metal to use and places to economically find it


CRScientific sells a platinum wire loop for under $20. It's attached to a glass handle which I would not remove. Might make it handy to silicone in place inside your reactor. SÃ¶chting (Germany) makes the clay pellets. I have a few I'm keeping. Marine Depot used to carry the German oxygenators in the US. Maybe they have parts still. The platinum wire should produce a faster reaction if you want to collect the gas. The clay pellets that are intended for a slow production rate of oxygen. It is not the metal involved that kills undesirable anaerobic bacteria, sludge, and algae. It is the abundance of oxygen that does the trick.


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## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

I seem to remember that there was a commercially available oxygenator for aquariums in the last '80s.

I had a couple and they were basically a ~2" x 4" green rectangular container with a stopper and a small hole. You filled it with hydrogen peroxide and you added some sort of pellet. It all came as a kit and you could buy more pellets and hydrogen peroxide.

It worked great and I used them in my big tanks.

Anyone else remember them?


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

dogofwar said:


> I seem to remember that there was a commercially available oxygenator for aquariums in the last '80s.
> 
> I had a couple and they were basically a ~2" x 4" green rectangular container with a stopper and a small hole. You filled it with hydrogen peroxide and you added some sort of pellet. It all came as a kit and you could buy more pellets and hydrogen peroxide.
> 
> ...


 Yes Meridian made them. They worked great. There were other sizes than the one you mentioned and they all had a reaction chamber surrounding the hole so fish and plants did not come into direct contact with the peroxide. SÃ-CHTING (Germany) still makes them. I'm not sure there is a current US distributor.


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

http://www.aquaristikshop.com/e_Produkt ... tor-FT.htm

They claim worldwide delivery.


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_searchIte ... g&parsed=1


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