Aneirobic Substrate

[aaronnorth]

My playsand substrate has gone aneirobic is there anthing i can do? I have ordered some MTS to ty and help.

Thanks, aaron

 

[Colin_T]

gravel clean it more often and reduce the food going into the tank and settling on the bottom. MTS will help but they often breed out of control and will eat fish eggs, which could be a problem if you want to breed fish.

 

[aaronnorth]

i have endlers
ottos but they are hard to breed
RCS - they dont touch them lol.

I move it around once a week, will it eventually go?

 

[Colin_T]

nope it is always going to be there. Unfortunately the sand compacts really well and prevents oxygen rich water from penetrating into it. This causes the anaerobic conditions that turn the sand black. A thinner layer (10mm) of sand will have less problems but it won't be deep enough to grow plants in.
The snails won't be a problem to the endlers and will help but not prevent it completely. Spiny nose eels and any fish that digs or buries itself in the sand will help too. Unfortunately eels will eat the endler fry.
You could try stirring it up each day with the end (handle) of a net.

 

[TylerFerretLord]

There's no harm in substrate gas pockets; It's all just blown out of proportions. The bubbles are likely just nitrogen, which the anaerobic bacteria are breaking down nitrate to create. Basically, they're lowering your nitrate levels.

If it is hydrogen sulfide bubbles, it's still harmless(well, in water, anyway). THe gas breaks down when exposed to oxygenated water.

Just stir the sand and get the snails.

 

[backtotropical]

I agree with TylerFerretLord. Hydrogen sulfide, whilst actually pretty deadly, is de-toxified pretty much immediately upon contact with water, so its no real threat.

The only real problem is aesthetic and is the black patches which appear on the substrate. Just stir it up more to get rid of them and they will eventually disappear.

BTT

 

[aaronnorth]

Thanks, i cant tell if they are lowering NO3 as someone switched off the whole tank and my bacteria had died (3days) I have put a sponge in from my other tank to help. The black sand is an eyesore, i am just going to keep stirring it up and see what happens thanks.