Do you like my new tank?

[Colin_T]

How does a sulfur pocket form? Sorry, I'm quite new to this hobby.

When organic matter (fish food, waste, dead fish, plant, etc) is kept in anaerobic conditions, it breaks down and hydrogen sulphide gas is formed. The gas remains trapped under the substrate until disturbed and if it is released into the water, it can kill everything in the tank.

Hydrogen sulphide gas smells of rotten egg. If you have it in the substrate and it is released from the gravel, you will notice the smell immediately. If this happens, do a huge water change and aerate the tank water.

When there is anaerobic conditions in the substrate, the gravel or sand will turn black.

Anaerobic (lacking oxygen) conditions can occur under 2 or more inches of fine substrate (sand), and under 4 inches of course substrate (aquarium gravel).

Aerobic (has oxygen) conditions occur in the water and in the top couple of inches of substrate.

Regular gravel cleaning will prevent anaerobic conditions from occurring.

 

[Essjay]

I've never thought about how they form to be honest, but yes, something or other will decay to form sulphur dioxide.
MTS won't take over unless there is enough food for a population explosion. In other words, feeding the fish too much.

 

[Colin_T]

Devil's advocate here. Malaysian trumpet snails will breed freely in an aquarium even if there is only a small amount of food being fed to the fish. They have no natural predators in the tank, and there is no way of telling how many snails are in the tank because they bury themselves in the substrate. Occasionally you see them in plants or on the surface, and when that happens, there are usually hundreds of snails in the tank.

 

[Essjay]

I have MTS in my main tank - the black variety which are "supposed" to breed more slowly - though i just got them because they look prettier than the brown type. I may well have hundreds but that doesn't matter to me

 

[PheonixKingZ]

So you pretty much get to a point of, “Ok, I now have 100 snails in my tank, who wants to die today?”, type of situation?

 

[seangee]

How does a sulfur pocket form? Sorry, I'm quite new to this hobby.

The final stage of the nitrogen cycle is the conversion of nitrates back to free nitrogen. This is usually never achieved in a tropical aquarium as it can only happen in anaerobic conditions (lack of oxygen). A by product of this process is hydrogen sulphide. This is what causes the rotten egg smell in stagnant pools. This hydrogen sulphide is very acidic so will cause an instant pH crash AND deplete the oxygen in the tank if disturbed and is usually an extinction level event.

This process happens below a depth of about 2 1/2 inches in sand. MTS will not prevent it. This so called deep sand bed used to be popular in marine setups (and for all I know may still be). I have achieved this in a tropical tank (intentionally). The downside is when I could no longer avoid decorating the room the tank was in I was so terrified of disturbing the sand bed I had to buy another tank and move the fish before tearing the tank down. (And when I did the smell was truly awful).

The simple solution is not to have sand deeper than 2 1/2 inches.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

That is exactly the reason why I have only 2 1/2 in. Of sand in my tanks. Unless I’m doing a “professional” aquascape, then I usually mount it up in the back, and also on 1 side.

 

[seangee]

there is no way of telling how many snails are in the tank because they bury themselves in the substrate. Occasionally you see them in plants or on the surface, and when that happens, there are usually hundreds of snails in the tank.

Wouldn't surprise me if my community tank has thousands
Don't care cos I never see them when the lights are on - if I do it means I'm overfeeding.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Lol, funny!

 

[Back in the fold]

Your tank is great. Why ? Because you have it. It will undergo a metamorphosis by your hand and in a short time it will be as cool as it is great. The only thing better than a new tank is another tank. I hear much mention of anacharis. Is it true that anacharis is better suited to cooler water ? I've had it before and it fell to pieces quickly.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

That is very down to the point!

I believe Anacharis is Tropical. @Byron, and @Colin_T, what is your opinion!?

 

[FishGuest5123]

You are correct and you need to run a butter knife or something through it when you clean the tank. If you only have like an inch of sand then you don’t need to worry. I got my MTS just for the purpose of keeping my sand stirred up. Yes, they multiply like rabbits unless you have fish that eat the babies. My goldfish keep them under control but my tropical tank is overrun by them

 

[FishGuest5123]

Your tank is great. Why ? Because you have it. It will undergo a metamorphosis by your hand and in a short time it will be as cool as it is great. The only thing better than a new tank is another tank. I hear much mention of anacharis. Is it true that anacharis is better suited to cooler water ? I've had it before and it fell to pieces quickly.

Are you sure it wasn’t hornwort that you had? It is a mess when it falls apart. Anacharis is great just to float on top.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I agree, you literally can’t kill Anacharis!

 

[Back in the fold]

No, it was anacharis. I have never had hornwort go south on me. If anything I have to thin it continually. Maybe I have one green thumb and one brown thumb. Probably from doing something wrong.