# Sand Stirring



## drthsideous (Apr 12, 2010)

So I have read a lot of places, including here, that sand in cichlid aquariums needs to be stirred ocasionally to avoid pockets of noxious gas forming. Why is it that I've never heard of this in saltwater set-ups? Is it unique to freshwater or does it only matter to us cause cichlids dig a lot.
thanks
Jeff


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I've never had it in a way that was a problem. Theory seems to be that it can pack down and the type of bacteria which does not use O2 can cause gas toxic gas bubbles to form under the sand. At some point they then burst through and poison the fish. To me it seems a stretch for my sand to pack so tight that gas would not pass through but I do stir any part that seems to have a crust on top when I vac. On a scale of 1-10 for things to watch-- it's way down.


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

It's anaerobic bacteria in the sand, makeing pockets of gass as they are releasing nitrogen gas (N2).

It's happening in a reef tank too, but from what I have read (I never had a reef tank) it's a important part of the nitrogen cycle in a reef tank.

In freshwater the nitrogen gas in large amounts can raise the NO3 levels in your tank to toxic levels and kill your fish, it's desolved into the water as it raises and mixes with oxygen. Might be it desolves easyer into freshwater compared to saltwater, but try to google it or maybe someone with more knowledge about it the me might awnser.

There is natural twice as much N present in seawater (0.5 ppm) then river water (0.25 ppm) but river water concentrations vary strongly. So maybe thats one of the reasons it's not a problem in reef tanks, but I don't know.

Anyway hope it helps


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

I stir up my sand with my hand and fingers once a month. I just do this to avoid the potential of this issue of gas build up.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

I stir mine up with pretty much every water change, because the pool filter sand is heavy enough to not get sucked up by my syphon


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Wow really Chubbs? If I get too close to my pool filtered sand it gets sucked right up in the tube


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Mine gets into the tube but it falls back down - I vacuum it like it was gravel - it just falls back down into the tank


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Raise the outlet end of your vac tube and it will reduce the water velocity to the point the sand is not sucked up if it is a bother to you. I just lose a bit of sand now and then and figure it's cheap.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Gotcha thanks :thumb:


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## fox (Jun 11, 2009)

Dj823cichild said:


> I stir up my sand with my hand and fingers once a month. I just do this to avoid the potential of this issue of gas build up.


Not easy with a 30" tall tank :wink:

We get pockets of gass released in our sand substrate. Not too bad in the larger tank as the fossies like to sift thru it pretty rigorously throught out the day. Still in one spot or another there always seems to be "stuff" that gets buried down and into the sand and when we vac there bubbles are usually present.


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## SoDakJeep (Mar 21, 2009)

I wouldnt worry about it. I had a ten gallon with 3 inches of sand and would get the buildup of gas. When I would stir the sand the bubbles would rise to the surface. The sand would turn black and you could see it buildup. Never affected the shrimp i had in it so I dont really think it would be a big deal. In my 46 gal with 3-4 inches of sand i get no build up at all. I think it has to do with the water. If you change your water once a month you shouldnt have a problem at all. This has worked for me and my tank has been set up for over a year. You can stir if you want to but I dont think it you need to.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

This whole "death gas" pockets thing, is another Urban Legend.
Sure it has some basis in fact, but the chances of your tank getting struck by a meteorite are better than having a hydrogen sulfide die off.
Can it happen, sure, if you neglect your tank for an extended time.
Put this with tanks crashing through upper floors, glass bottoms being shattered by rocks Ã¢â‚¬Å"pressure pointsÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

I pretty much agree with KaiserSousay on this one. The only time I had a serious problem with hydrogen sulfide formation in anaerobic pockets was in a 5G shelldweller setup where I used play sand as substrate. Wherever the shellies didn't dig, the sand clumped together and the stench when stirring it up was overwhelming. It never seemed to bother the fish, and there definitely was no 'die off', but the smell was disgusting, and my wife wasn't a happy camper. The whole issue resolved itself as soon as a switched the tank over to pool filter sand, which is coarser and doesn't clump.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Stinky Stinky Stinky! :lol:


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Hefty Hefty Hefty! :lol: Sorry that commercial just came into my mind when I read that.


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

Wimpy Wimpy Wimpy! :lol:


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