Hydrogen water aquarium (100% of hydrogen water)

[NickD]

This is just a thought currently but I’ve been converting filtered water into hydrogen water to drink everyday. Based on what I’ve learned it’s very beneficial for the human body. I know aquarium fish are not mammals but it can’t to try. I have a 10 gallon that I’m thinking of putting 10 gallons of hydrogen water with a glass lid on top of the aquarium, so the hydrogen gas does not go through. I would aquascape the aquarium as usual and maybe put guppies as they are good experimental fish in my experience. Any thoughts?

Edited January 20 by NickD

[Fish Folk]

I would not personally try this. I'll explain why, with some caveats. But I do not mean to be negative or discouraging. Hopefully as you read, you'll understand that I appreciate your enthusiasm for scientific experimentation...

(1) H20 + H2 = "hydrogen water." It appears that this does not occur in nature very frequently. H2 is a stable gas that can be infused, to some degree, into H20. Here is a quick look at one simple analysis of its tendency in water. However, H2 is lighter than the normal composition of "air" (typically ca. 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen) resulting, I suspect, in a simple gas-off. When ingested into the human body through drinking fluids, however, H2 _may_ have some beneficial anti-oxidant effects. There is a lot of hype... studies are in the earliest stages... hard to say. But it appears that H2 is produced largely through industrial means rather than by nature.

(2) While it is true that all innovations result from some sort of untried processes, it is more certain that proven techniques result in proven results more reliably. Right now, there is more than a century of research and innovation that has already gone into aquaculture. The motivations behind this research has been a passionate and frenzied fuel for study -- from financial success, to highly specialized breeding programs, to academic clout -- all of which is to say, honestly, there are very few genuinely new innovations to make versus old innovations to perfect, rediscover, adapt, etc. For example, I am interested in Aquaponics. I have just dipped my toe in (you can see a tiny journal here) but I have also uploaded a massive study done on aquaponics farming here. I could spend most of the rest of my life just scratching the surface of what has already been discovered by way of proven practice there. All of which is to say: no one who is without serious data is going to shout you down [please know -- that is _not_ what I am trying to do here], but at the same time it is wise to investigate things that have already been shown to be beneficial to aquatic life. In general terms, I recommend increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen (O2) in water via air-stones, sponge filters, spray-bars, or HOB filters breaking the water surface as a best practice for increasing fish health.

(3) The pet-keeper / fish-breeder in me remains nervous about experimentation. I really don't like to risk animal life without a clear objective. But the wanna-be scientist in me says "GO FOR IT!" I am however reminded of the "Oxygen Destroyer" in the original Godzilla movie down in Dr. Serizawa's lab, where all of the fish in his tank were executed to prove the efficacy of what he'd been working on. It turned into an effective way to deal with the MUTO in the ocean, but it certainly was not conducive for propagating life in an aquarium...

 

[NickD]

@Fish Folkso through reading and analyzing this are you saying it hasn’t been proved to further help fish? Therefore, I should not do it?

Edited January 21 by NickD

[Fish Folk]

On 1/20/2024 at 11:37 PM, NickD said:

@Fish Folkso through reading and analyzing this are you saying it hasn’t been proved to further help fish? Therefore, I should not do it?

Just speaking personally… not saying anything one way or the other to you…

Because there are already many more tested, proven aquaculture methods to adopt into my hobby, I don’t worry about testing new ideas very often.

But if you do… I hope that you take excellent notes, and share your complete research results! 

[mynameisnobody]

Interesting, but what benefits are you trying to achieve that regular water can’t achieve? 

[Dr_Alex_Morgan]

Hi Nick,

Your idea of using hydrogen water for an aquarium is intriguing! While hydrogen water is beneficial for humans, it’s important to consider the specific needs and sensitivities of fish. I’d recommend consulting with an aquatic veterinarian or a specialist in fish care before proceeding, as the effects on fish might differ significantly from those on humans. Best of luck with your experiment!

Edited June 13 by Dr_Alex_Morgan
to add more detail.

[daggaz]

We have a chemical engineering research lab that works solely with hydrogen and I happen to be the safety manager for it...   Gotta say, this is the first I've ever heard of infusing water with H2 and then drinking it, and I would be extremely cautious.  H2 is very reactive and will attack all sorts of materials that one normally uses in lab settings because they are assumedly non-reactive...  stuff like plastic, rubber, metal, it all gets broken down unless you use special materials that are specifically resistant to hydrogen bonding.  The same thing is going to be happening inside of you.  

I would assume that, because nobody is outright dying yet, the concentration of dissolved hydrogen is too low to have any immediate negative effects.  If it interacts with your mucous layers in your digestive tract, you arent necessarily going to feel it but that could affect nutrient uptake, membrane irritation and protection, and its almost certainly going to nuke a good percentage of your gut flora.   Maybe the net effect of all that is positive?  I don't know, but I would be very cautious until careful studies have been done.  A quick net search looks like a lot of this is new and not well documented, plenty of anecdotal claims and such.   I dont even want to think about the fact that H2 will escape through pretty much any solid material (like a steel cannister) over time, so it is absolutely going to be passing into your bloodstream, too.  

I would point out that it is generally not advisable to spend long hours in a 100% oxygen tent, and doing so can damage lung tissue and even your eyes, and eventually will kill you through oversaturation.  Dissolved hydrogen is going to be way lower concentration of course, but then again, our bodies have evolved substantial mechanisms to deal with molecular oxygen.  Molecular hydrogen?  Much less so I believe.  

I just wouldn't do this, not with my health at risk.   

Edited June 13 by daggaz

[Jennet]

I would not recommend these types of experiments on animals. Studies about the benefits of hydrogen water on animals are still limited, but some research shows it's actually beneficial. I am personally using a hydrogen water bottle, and it's actually good and beneficial. If you want to see a change in your pet's health, buy one of these instead of experimenting on them.