Hydrogen Sulphide

[Maxi581]

Hi everyone,

First time posting on here as I’ve recently just joined!

A little bit about me I have been in the aquarium hobby for almost 3 years now, but have recently started cultivating a planted aquarium.

I have recently encountered the dreaded problem of hydrogen sulphide build up underneath my aquarium sand substrate. I tried releasing some of the gas stupidly yesterday, by raking a load of the gas pockets. This resulted in some of my fish unfortunately dying due to the toxicity.

My aquarium substrate is a couple of inches thick and currently just have some grass planted (I don’t know the specific name). I have attached some photos.

I went to my local aquatics store and they reccommended oxygenating the substrate with a few buried air stones attached to an air pump.

Another recommendation alongside this was to poke small holes into the substrate with your little finger or slowly disturbing the substrate with a pair of tweezers.

They emphasised to do this section by section as to not release too much of the gas at once. They said the fish in the tank will be fine so long as the water is properly aerated alongside a water change.

I’m looking for any advice or methods of how to safely dissipate the Hydrogen Sulphide gas without endangering anymore of my fish. I am open to any suggestions or advice

Many thanks!

 

[dean]

Use a gravel syphon suck that gas straight out of the tank
Dont think you will find many members here just use sand
Its usually used as a cap


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[_Maq_]

I went to my local aquatics store and they reccommended oxygenating the substrate with a few buried air stones attached to an air pump.

Don't.

Dont think you will find many members here just use sand

It has nothing to do with sand. Quite the contrary, sand is the least likely to to create hydrogen sulfide as it contains no sulfur in itself (unlike aquasoils). (Admittedly, some aquasoils contain trivalent iron which prevents forming hydrogen sulfide, as it readily reacts with iron to form iron sulfide - that black colour you can see in your sand as well. Iron sulfide is harmless in itself.)

Hydrogen sulfide evolves in suboxic zones of the sediment. This is quite normal. The trick is (1) not to allow evolving too much of it, and (2) not to allow it to reach water column.

Remedy: You've been obviously feeding too much and neglecting maintenance, namely water changes. Quit feeding your fish for a week, and then proceed with much less food than you've been used to.
Apply some kind of aeration. A good and cheap way is an internal pump with venturi.

Warning: Most likely, there's a huge hydrogen sulfide pocket under that plastic decoration of yours.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Welcome to UKAPS.

My aquarium substrate is a couple of inches thick and currently just have some grass planted (I don’t know the specific name). I have attached some photos.

The plant looks like Vallisneria <"Vallisneria spiralis ‘Tiger’ - Tropica Aquarium Plants">.

It has nothing to do with sand.

Agreed, I'm a <"sand user as well">.

Having said that, I'd like a few plants with <"chunky roots"> to <"spread through the sand">. Traditional Amazon Sword (<"https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Echinodorusgrisebachii'Bleherae'(071BDT)/4513">) is a good one.

I have <"Malaysian Trumpet Snails"> (Melanoides tuberculata) in my tanks, but I'm not sure whether your (very nice) Dwarf Chain Loach (Ambastaia sidthimunki) would eat them (they aren't a fish I've ever kept).

Most likely, there's a huge hydrogen sulfide pocket under that plastic decoration of yours.

There could well be. I don't mind it but you might be able to replace it with some wood? This time of year is a good time to find <"PYO wood under Oak trees"> etc.

cheers Darrel

 

[Maxi581]

Remedy: You've been obviously feeding too much and neglecting maintenance, namely water changes. Quit feeding your fish for a week, and then proceed with much less food than you've been used to.

Apply some kind of aeration. A good and cheap way is an internal pump with

Is there anyway to slowly displays the existing gas pockets, section by section? I just don’t want to have a ticking time bomb!

You mentioned to not use an air stone is this because it will kick up too much gas at once?

I currently have a wave maker distorting the surface of the water as well as two aerators connected to an air pump.

I’m just not sure how to get the oxygen to penetrate the deeper substrate if it isn’t disturbed at all.

Many thanks, Max


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[Maxi581]

Hi all,
Welcome to UKAPS.

The plant looks like Vallisneria I]Vallisneria spiralis ‘Tiger’ - Tropica Aquarium Plants">.

Agreed, I'm a /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/caribsea-samurai-soil.70685/#post-707383']sand user as well[/URL]">.

Having said that, I'd like a few plants with /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/is-it-legit.59245/#post-583859']chunky roots[/URL]"> to /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/how-deep-does-the-dissolved-oxygen-penetrate.69966/#post-698992']spread through the sand[/URL]">. Traditional Amazon Sword (/tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Echinodorusgrisebachii%27Bleherae%27(071BDT)/4513']- Tropica Aquarium Plants">) is a good one.

There could well be. I don't mind it but you might be able to replace it with some wood? This time of year is a good time to find /www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/now-is-a-good-time-to-find-pyo-oak-branches-for-aquascaping.68617/']PYO wood under Oak trees[/URL]"> etc.

cheers Darrel

Hi Darrell,

Really insightful! Would you say the answer is more plants with chunkier roots to penetrate the substrate?

Also just out of curiosity how would the wood help?

Many thanks, Max


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[dw1305]

Hi all,

Another recommendation alongside this was to poke small holes into the substrate with your little finger or slowly disturbing the substrate with a pair of tweezers.

They emphasised to do this section by section as to not release too much of the gas at once. They said the fish in the tank will be fine so long as the water is properly aerated alongside a water change.

That should work.

I currently have a wave maker distorting the surface of the water as well as two aerators connected to an air pump.

Do you have an external filter as well? and If you do? What is in it?

Would you say the answer is more plants with chunkier roots to penetrate the substrate?

Yes. I'll be honest my answer to nearly all problems is usually <"more plants">.

Also just out of curiosity how would the wood help?

It just wouldn't have as bigger footprint as the Amphitheatre, allowing oxygen diffusion more easily.

cheers Darrel

 

[G H Nelson]

You could add crushed Lava rock or gravel.....adding over a period of a few weeks.
Purchase some Sagattaria Subulata or Helanthium bolivianum "quadricostatus"...these are really fast-growing and will help stabilise the substrate.

Remove any waste vegetation do regular water changes and clean the filter!

 

[G H Nelson]

I would ditch the Colosseum.....and send it to Luke Donald the European Ryder Cup Captain 😉

 

[Maxi581]

Remedy: You've been obviously feeding too much and neglecting maintenance, namely water changes. Quit feeding your fish for a week, and then proceed with much less food than you've been used to.

Apply some kind of aeration. A good and cheap way is an internal pump with venturi.

Thanks for the pointers! Sorry still getting the hang of using this platform hence the duplicate post!

Is there anyway to slowly displays the existing gas pockets, section by section? I just don’t want to have a ticking time bomb!

You mentioned to not use an air stone is this because it will kick up too much gas at once?

I currently have a wave maker distorting the surface of the water as well as two aerators connected to an air pump.

I’m just not sure how to get the oxygen to penetrate the deeper substrate if it isn’t disturbed at all.

Many thanks, Max


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[_Maq_]

You mentioned to not use an air stone is this because it will kick up too much gas at once?

I meant not to bury the airstone in the sand. Airstone placed above the bottom will do.

Is there anyway to slowly displays the existing gas pockets, section by section? I just don’t want to have a ticking time bomb!

Push iron (pure iron!) nails into the substrate. Don't fear of iron, it's not toxic. The parts buried in the substrate will react with hydrogen sulfide - as I've described above. They'll develop black coating (iron sulfide), and in time they'll get thinner. It works - tested personally.

 

[Maxi581]

Push iron (pure iron!) nails into the substrate. Don't fear of iron, it's not toxic. The parts buried in the substrate will react with hydrogen sulfide - as I've described above. They'll develop black coating (iron sulfide), and in time they'll get thinner. It works - tested personally.

My tank is 180 litres and has a substrate depth of 3 inches. How many nails would you recommend to cover the tank?


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[LMuhlen]

I liked the suggestion given above of using one of those siphons with a cup. It should be able to shuffle all the sand and capture all the gas it releases.

Of course that would mix the substrate, so it would "reset" the zones created. Considering that they seem to have developed in an undesirable way, this reset could be positive as well, but I'm sure some could see it as a bad thing.

All in all, the opaque whiteish water in the pictures suggests to me that maintenance is behind schedule. I'd reevaluate how it is done.

 

[_Maq_]

How many nails would you recommend to cover the tank?

Wherever you suspect high H2S.

 

[Maxi581]

Wherever you suspect high H2S.

Thank you so much!


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[Maxi581]

All in all, the opaque whiteish water in the pictures suggests to me that maintenance is behind schedule. I'd reevaluate how it is done.

Would you recommend more than weekly water changes whilst dealing with this problem?


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[G H Nelson]

Would you recommend more than weekly water changes whilst dealing with this problem?

Twice weekly if possible would be ideal.
The temperature gauge looks a tad high.....