Soil seeping through capped subtrate?

[Aqualady40]

I have a 55g with 1.5 inch soil and 1.5 inch pool filter sand....I have been dealing with lots of tannins due to soil for a month or so and I notice I will see darkened spots on my sand as if the soil is trying to surface (idk if that is what its doing...best way to describe what I see) so I have been just placing more sand in those areas...has anyone seen this? Why is it happening? When will the tannins go away?

 

[Aqualady40]

anyone?

 

[ktomminello]

Need a little more info

What are your water parameters? What type of filters are you running? Is your tank completely cycled? Sorry about the questions, just helps with trying to figure things out.

 

[Aqualady40]

Tank been cycled....55g. .parameters 7.4, 0, 0, 5.0...we can by pass the basics...lol.....loads of surface areas for BB to grow on inside filters....

 

[ZHiTcH41]

You might not have a a deep enough cap. Also the sand being black could possibly be hydrogen sulfide. I think that's the gas produced. But that will turn sand Black I believe

 

[ZHiTcH41]

Get some Malaysian trumpet snails to aerate the substrate

 

[Aqualady40]

other suggestions besides snails please

 

[ZHiTcH41]

Those are good snails that don't eat plants just left over food.

 

[ZHiTcH41]

the only other suggestion is using that expensive Amano soil stuff so you wouldn't have to worry about it

 

[Aqualady40]

You might not have a a deep enough cap. Also the sand being black could possibly be hydrogen sulfide. I think that's the gas produced. But that will turn sand Black I believe

Okay, so I can add more sand?
How deep should any subtrate be all together no mater what it is (sand, rocks, gravel, marbles, etc)?
Here is a photo of the recent dark area that has appeared
Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Geronica's Album: Miscellaneous Pics - Picture

 

[ejaramillo01]

Okay, so I can add more sand?
How deep should any subtrate be all together no mater what it is (sand, rocks, gravel, marbles, etc)?
Here is a photo of the recent dark area that has appeared
Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Geronica's Album: Miscellaneous Pics - Picture

Do you have a picture? Could be algae or diatoms in my opinion
Sorry I saw the picture, let me see

 

[ejaramillo01]

Do you have driftwood? I have seen these type of tiny black granules under my driftwood.
Besides that , sorry but idk

 

[Aqualady40]

Yes I have dw that has been in tank well before the soil and no issues

 

[jetajockey]

This happens a lot with potting soil tanks since the organics in the soil are breaking down. It can happen in most soil tanks regardless because the cap doesn't allow for much oxygen to get down to the soil. It's not a huge deal although it isn't very good looking, just add more sand on it. I wouldn't get MTS for two reasons. First, they typically only operate in aerobic zones. Second, if they do stir up the sand, that means the soil and cap are going to get mixed.

 

[Aqualady40]

This happens a lot with potting soil tanks since the organics in the soil are breaking down. It can happen in most soil tanks regardless because the cap doesn't allow for much oxygen to get down to the soil. It's not a huge deal although it isn't very good looking, just add more sand on it. I wouldn't get MTS for two reasons. First, they typically only operate in aerobic zones. Second, if they do stir up the sand, that means the soil and cap are going to get mixed.

+1 agree I do not want snails in my tank.....so as long as its normal then I will keep doing what I been doing....thanks for chiming in....I poke it occasionally when I do PWC weekly

 

[jetajockey]

+1 agree I do not want snails in my tank.....so as long as its normal then I will keep doing what I been doing....thanks for chiming in....I poke it occasionally when I do PWC weekly

I wouldn't even do that to be honest. Any disturbance is going to cause mixing and telltale spots. The anaerobic areas are inevitable but not a major concern as long as you are careful not to disturb it. You will also see it "burp" periodically.

 

[Aqualady40]

I wouldn't even do that to be honest. Any disturbance is going to cause mixing and telltale spots. The anaerobic areas are inevitable but not a major concern as long as you are careful not to disturb it. You will also see it "burp" periodically.

wow I have been seeing it burp here lately and I thought I needed to poke it to release some of the gas...thank you so much for giving that valuable info...

 

[Rivercats]

I always used a thin edged utinsel, in my case my 24" aquarium tweezers, to release gas 2-3 times a day for 4-6 weeks because I found if I didn't some of the burps were substancial enough to actually burp soil up. After that inital gassy period was over I didn't poke anymore and the tank will occassionally let up a few small bubbles every so often. I've never used sand over soil but I didn't notice any dirt working it's way up in my big tank unless I planted something really deep and caused the dirt to come up. Makes me wonder if it happens all the the time to a point but you don't notice it in dark substrate caps.

 

[Aqualady40]

I always used a thin edged utinsel, in my case my 24" aquarium tweezers, to release gas 2-3 times a day for 4-6 weeks because I found if I didn't some of the burbs were substancial enough to actually burb soil up. After that inital gassy period was over I didn't poke anymore and the tank will occassionally let up a few small bubbles every so often. I've never used sand over soil but I didn't notice any dirt working it's way up in my big tank unless I planted something really deep and caused the dirt to come up. Makes me wonder if it happens all the the time to a point but you don't notice it in dark substrate caps.

Hmmm that's something to research huh...