Hello all.
I'd just like some feedback or suggestions for taking care of a problem with anaerobic substrate. I had a large die off of MTS in the gravel (probably lack of food) which has resulted in about half the fluorite turning anaerobic. I noticed this when one of my bronze cories got sick and seemed half-paralyzed. He must have dug himself into an anaerobic pocket and the effect of the hydrogen sulphide has messed him up.
The tank is 50 gallon and I've been vacuuming out 10 percent of the water for the last 3 days and replacing it with fresh. Also turning the gravel with the vacuum, but being careful not to let any of the released crap get away from the siphon. The fluorite being turned up is black but 24 hours later it returns to it's original color. Is it safe to say that the fluorite changing back to normal color means the anaerobic bacteria are dieing off when exposed? Do you think that a few more days of this routine and I might be out of trouble?
The tank is about 1/3 full of plants, but due to lazy pruning and maintenance, the majority of the plants are floating. The area around a huge swordplant has no discoloring, so I assume that it's roots are providing oxygen to the surrounding fluorite.
The water above the tank smells fine, but the stuff I'm vacuuming out of the gravel absolutely reaks. Anybody know how long it will take before I can successfully eliminate the anaerobic bacteria and replace with aerobic ones?
Incidentally, there must be something right because I've notice several pygmy cory babies swimming in the tank over the last few days (which I'm thrilled about)!
Water params are all normal, but the nitrates are probably zero because I haven't been dosing any ferts lately.
Thanks for any suggestions or input.
I'd just like some feedback or suggestions for taking care of a problem with anaerobic substrate. I had a large die off of MTS in the gravel (probably lack of food) which has resulted in about half the fluorite turning anaerobic. I noticed this when one of my bronze cories got sick and seemed half-paralyzed. He must have dug himself into an anaerobic pocket and the effect of the hydrogen sulphide has messed him up.
The tank is 50 gallon and I've been vacuuming out 10 percent of the water for the last 3 days and replacing it with fresh. Also turning the gravel with the vacuum, but being careful not to let any of the released crap get away from the siphon. The fluorite being turned up is black but 24 hours later it returns to it's original color. Is it safe to say that the fluorite changing back to normal color means the anaerobic bacteria are dieing off when exposed? Do you think that a few more days of this routine and I might be out of trouble?
The tank is about 1/3 full of plants, but due to lazy pruning and maintenance, the majority of the plants are floating. The area around a huge swordplant has no discoloring, so I assume that it's roots are providing oxygen to the surrounding fluorite.
The water above the tank smells fine, but the stuff I'm vacuuming out of the gravel absolutely reaks. Anybody know how long it will take before I can successfully eliminate the anaerobic bacteria and replace with aerobic ones?
Incidentally, there must be something right because I've notice several pygmy cory babies swimming in the tank over the last few days (which I'm thrilled about)!
Water params are all normal, but the nitrates are probably zero because I haven't been dosing any ferts lately.
Thanks for any suggestions or input.
noobydoo
