It's common practice in marine setups to purposly create a 'dead' area in the sand to allow anaerobic bateria to grow. These bacteria take nitrAtes from the water which they consume and give off nitrogen gas as a waste product thus helping to keep nitrAtes in the tank as low as possible.
In a sand-based freshwater tank, it's easy to develop pockets of anaerobic bactria and gas bubbles if the sand is not frequently stirred and we're given to understand that these pockets are a bad thing.
My question is, do the freshwater anaerobes not do the same as the saltwater and convert nitrAtes to nitrogen gas? Are they really such a bad thing in a freshwater tank?
Anaerobic bacteria gas bubbles in a freshwater sand based tank:
In a sand-based freshwater tank, it's easy to develop pockets of anaerobic bactria and gas bubbles if the sand is not frequently stirred and we're given to understand that these pockets are a bad thing.
My question is, do the freshwater anaerobes not do the same as the saltwater and convert nitrAtes to nitrogen gas? Are they really such a bad thing in a freshwater tank?
Anaerobic bacteria gas bubbles in a freshwater sand based tank: