Bubbling substrate?

[Col1in]

Hi guys,

I've got small bubbles coming from my substrate. Not a lot but its definitely happening.

I've got a fairly thin layer of white coarse substrate which was a bad move as it has now turned green.

Is it possible for algae to pearl? I've got some of my plants pearling which is good but I didn't think algae would do it.

As soon as it started happening I was worried it was dead spots giving off nasty gas so I gave the substrate a good vac but a few days later and the bubbles started again. There's no smell or anything, fish seem happy.

It's a new 400l tank, it's been running since the end of November, low tech, dirt islands with some white sand round them.

Cheers,

Col

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Is it possible for algae to pearl?

Yes, it pearls like mad. Any photosynthetic organism can pearl in the right conditions, even Cyanobacteria will pearl.

This is how the blanket algae, that you get in ponds, makes its way to the surface in the spring (from the pond bottom where it has over-wintered). As light increases photosynthesis evolves oxygen, which gets caught in the filaments of algae and acts as a float raising the whole mass to the waters surface, where light and CO2 are more abundant.

Have a look at <"my algae is pearling">, this is the updated link to <"SAPS - Algal Balls">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Col1in]

Hi all,Yes, it pearls like mad. Any photosynthetic organism can pearl in the right conditions, even Cyanobacteria will pearl.

This is how the blanket algae, that you get in ponds, makes its way to the surface in the spring (from the pond bottom where it has over-wintered). As light increases photosynthesis evolves oxygen, which gets caught in the filaments of algae and acts as a float raising the whole mass to the waters surface, where light and CO2 are more abundant.

Have a look at <"my algae is pearling">, this is the updated link to <"SAPS - Algal Balls">.

cheers Darrel

Well that's a relief! I was worried something unpleasant was happening...

I've also got a small internal filter running, I put it in there when I set it up to help polish the water and to add a bit of flow as I haven't got round to buying a wave maker yet. Every now and then I see bubbles coming out it. Its completely submerged, no ventri, no way for air to get in. And it's been in from the beginning...

Any ideas what could be causing that?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I've also got a small internal filter running, I put it in there when I set it up to help polish the water and to add a bit of flow as I haven't got round to buying a wave maker yet. Every now and then I see bubbles coming out it. Its completely submerged, no ventri, no way for air to get in. And it's been in from the beginning...

Any ideas what could be causing that?

It is probably just the water warming up in the impeller housing, warmer water holds less dissolved gas and the "excess" gas comes out as a bubble.

If you look at a heating kettle you can see the bubbles of gas coming off the element as the water warms.

cheers Darrel

 

[Col1in]

Ah I see, that makes sense. Maybe my impeller needs a bit of clean then?