Anaerobic bacteria question - Aquarium Advice

Sicklid · 08-30-2006, 02:07 AM

Okay, so I made my wonderful, excellent, great new DIY styrofoam background and siliconed it in place. Then I filled the tank. Then I looked behind the styrofoam, and I see that water has gotten past my silicone bead. I really don't care, but I am wondering if anaerobic pockets will form here, and if so is that neccessarily a bad thing? I hear they perform neccessary functions on some level, and I dont think gas will be released into the water column in a "burp" or anything because the silcone bead is containing it. What do you think?

mr funktastic · 08-30-2006, 02:14 AM

i think if it is sealed of tight enough the only place for the gas to go is up. in that case it will pop at the top and nothing to worry about but maybe a little smell. but also it wont be anerobic gas if it isnt exposed to debris and other fish "stuff"

jbarr · 08-31-2006, 02:50 AM

It'd be neat to see some pics of that. If you dont mind?

Otherwise, good luck with that.

Sicklid · 08-31-2006, 08:56 PM

Quote:

It'd be neat to see some pics of that. If you dont mind?

Pics of the front or the back where the silicone is? If the front is what you wanted, I have a thread under DIY, titled "Another DIY Background" w/ photos there.

Quote:

but also it wont be anerobic gas if it isnt exposed to debris and other fish "stuff"

Do you mean if it isn't in the "flow" of a filter that sucks up fish poop? The whole water column will have fish "stuff" in it, no? I thought these pockets form anywhere where there is insufficient oxygen?

7Enigma · 09-01-2006, 10:24 AM

There needs to be a constant supply of food, so if water is in there (even if it has fish waste in it) the bacteria will eventually exhaust the food supply and die. Now if there is exchange of fluid between this space (say for instance during a water change where the level will drop and then fill back up) you might be in for some trouble....

Anyway you can get a hose or something back in that space to suck that water out FIRST during a water change so as little as possible gets into the main area of the tank?

Sicklid · 09-01-2006, 07:16 PM

No, it is totally sealed by a bead of silicone, I think the water just creeps in there from the porosity of the cement itself, which is why I am not afraid of it too much, unless it can grow mildew back there or something. The level doesnt drop because the water change is too rapid for that. By the time it could seep back out, I will have already replaced the H2O.

7Enigma · 09-01-2006, 07:40 PM

As long as it doesn't go down with water changes you should be fine.

08-30-2006, 02:07 AM	#1
Sicklid Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tarpon Springs FL Posts: 658 Images: 4	Anaerobic bacteria question Okay, so I made my wonderful, excellent, great new DIY styrofoam background and siliconed it in place. Then I filled the tank. Then I looked behind the styrofoam, and I see that water has gotten past my silicone bead. I really don't care, but I am wondering if anaerobic pockets will form here, and if so is that neccessarily a bad thing? I hear they perform neccessary functions on some level, and I dont think gas will be released into the water column in a "burp" or anything because the silcone bead is containing it. What do you think?

09-01-2006, 10:24 AM	#5
7Enigma Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Havertown, PA Posts: 2,624 Images: 5	There needs to be a constant supply of food, so if water is in there (even if it has fish waste in it) the bacteria will eventually exhaust the food supply and die. Now if there is exchange of fluid between this space (say for instance during a water change where the level will drop and then fill back up) you might be in for some trouble.... Anyway you can get a hose or something back in that space to suck that water out FIRST during a water change so as little as possible gets into the main area of the tank? __________________ 20G High -Currently in tank: 1 checkered barb, 1 cory, 1 BN pleco, MTS, variety of platy (fry, juvi, adult), lots of plants. http://www.photolocker.net/images/7Enigma/milfoil2.jpg

09-01-2006, 07:40 PM	#7
7Enigma Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Havertown, PA Posts: 2,624 Images: 5	As long as it doesn't go down with water changes you should be fine. __________________ 20G High -Currently in tank: 1 checkered barb, 1 cory, 1 BN pleco, MTS, variety of platy (fry, juvi, adult), lots of plants. http://www.photolocker.net/images/7Enigma/milfoil2.jpg

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08-30-2006, 02:14 AM	#2
mr funktastic Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: alliston, ON Posts: 2,220 Images: 17	i think if it is sealed of tight enough the only place for the gas to go is up. in that case it will pop at the top and nothing to worry about but maybe a little smell. but also it wont be anerobic gas if it isnt exposed to debris and other fish "stuff"

08-31-2006, 02:50 AM	#3
jbarr Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hennepin, MN Posts: 335 Images: 9	It'd be neat to see some pics of that. If you dont mind? Otherwise, good luck with that.

09-01-2006, 07:16 PM	#6
Sicklid Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tarpon Springs FL Posts: 658 Images: 4	No, it is totally sealed by a bead of silicone, I think the water just creeps in there from the porosity of the cement itself, which is why I am not afraid of it too much, unless it can grow mildew back there or something. The level doesnt drop because the water change is too rapid for that. By the time it could seep back out, I will have already replaced the H2O.