# Stirred Sand and Bubbles came up



## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

So I just set up my 90 gallon the other night, using pool filter sand as a substrate. Rinsed it out and after filling the tank I stirred up the sand a little today, and as I did this tons of air bubbles floated out and to the top...

Is this just from air being trapped in the sand when I put it in the tank?

Should I be concerned?

The tank is a pretty cloudy but I figure this is probably from the sand and that it should be gone in a week (using a filter from an established tank to cycle it as well as the sand from the other tank this tank is replacing and the water too).


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## jeaninel (Nov 1, 2009)

Yes, it is trapped air in the sand. Real common in newly set up tanks with sand. Just stir it a bit to release the trapped air.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Agree :wink:


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## sgwn73 (Jan 1, 2010)

Future note....as your tank establishes and waste breaks down in the sand....when you stir your sand for maintenance (I do mine about once a month) you get some more trapped bubbles released. This is actually a build up of gas (sulpher I believe) as a by product of the waste decomposition. Its important to stir your sand regurally to release this trapped gas!


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I agree with the air bubbles that are on newly placed sand having air clinging to it. No problem, there. I do have some questions about the gas in old sand. Is this gas formed from organics in the sand or water,etc. ? I have never noticed it in my tanks so maybe it is a regional thing? I have a hard time seeing a situation where sand would let food waste settle far enough to form gas that would not escape. Seems if there is room for waste to go in, there would certainly be room for a gas to come out. Just asking some questions on this as I don't understand how it's happening.


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## Guams (Aug 21, 2009)

PfunMo, it is weird... you'd think that any gas would just meander it's way through the sand and escape without building up. I could easily see gas build up in deeper sand, but with only a couple inches you would THINK it's not something that could happen. Somehow, that's not the case. I'm assuming it has to do with the granular nature of sand and it keeping itself rather compacted, especially when wet and settled. Just like it takes a little bit of effort to push your finger all the way down from the top of the sand bed... except reversed for gas (trying to come up).

I find that when I stir up my sand, bubbles come out... and this is looong after I've put the sand in. And, like sgwn73 said, it must be some sort of sulfuric gas.. because it smells like swamp farts. :lol: I've never had any problems with it... but then again, I don't let my sand go completely unstirred for more than a month.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I've read about it lots of times but never had it happen so never pay much attention to it. Maybe the fish of the moment keep the sand stirred too much. One tank has sand four inches deep in spots and bare in other spots and that's not the way I put it in.


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## Randy_G (Nov 3, 2003)

The gases are produced by organic compounds breaking down. The sulphur smell comes from Hydrogen Sulphide gas (which is a poison). You can help reduce, or eliminate it, by keeping your sand fairly shallow. Also stirring your sand once a month, not overfeeding, and removing the fish waste. It is a natural occurrence, but can be eliminated, or reduced very easily.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

So the organics are in the sand itself rather than food, etc. entering from the top? That would seem to make it much more believable as it would only require gas to be trapped until it left. Much easier to see than food getting down with no way for gas to escape.


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

As mentioned it's just air in a new tank

One have to have a really dence and thick layer of substrate (over 4") to have production of Sulphur gas (H2S), so most commonly it's nitrogen gas (N2) thats build up in unturned substrate.



> Sulfate-reducing bacteria tend to create a blackened layer in the substrate, because iron reacts with some of the the sulphide they produce to form dark-colored iron sulfide (FeS).


http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/n ... fint.shtml

So it's fairly easy to spot if there is black areas deep in the substrate it's Sulfur gasses being made, if not it's nirtogen gas.

Personaly I use MTS snails in my tanks, to keep my substrate turned + vacuming the sand. But the snails go where my vacum tube can't (under rocks ect. ect.)


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## Randy_G (Nov 3, 2003)

@ Pali thanks for that link !! :thumb: Most informative.


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