Masha
Aquarium Advice FINatic
About a month ago, I replaced the substrate in my 10 gallon Betta tank with sand.
I notice now that whenever I do a water change (once a week 50%) there is a sulfur smell as the water comes out the siphon. I know about hydrogen sulfide gas that can develop because of anaerobic bacteria, but the substrate is only about 1 inch deep, I feed very, very little, and the tank contains only a single Betta, and apple snail and a ramshorn snail. The substrate seems fairly clean.
The tank doesn't smell of sulfur even immediately after the water change, I smell it only when I'm doing a gravel-vacuum and the water is coming out of the siphon.
I've noticed that the betta stopped building his bubble nests and seems more skittish, but I thought that might be because I recently moved the furniture in the room around so now - there used to be a sofa shielding his tank from the room, and that's gone now.
He swims around and is very active, eats, begs for food, but he also gets a fright more easily than he used to - now I'm wondering if it might have something to do with this smell, rather than the furniture changes.
Water quality otherwise is fine - ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate under 10. Any ideas?
I notice now that whenever I do a water change (once a week 50%) there is a sulfur smell as the water comes out the siphon. I know about hydrogen sulfide gas that can develop because of anaerobic bacteria, but the substrate is only about 1 inch deep, I feed very, very little, and the tank contains only a single Betta, and apple snail and a ramshorn snail. The substrate seems fairly clean.
The tank doesn't smell of sulfur even immediately after the water change, I smell it only when I'm doing a gravel-vacuum and the water is coming out of the siphon.
I've noticed that the betta stopped building his bubble nests and seems more skittish, but I thought that might be because I recently moved the furniture in the room around so now - there used to be a sofa shielding his tank from the room, and that's gone now.
He swims around and is very active, eats, begs for food, but he also gets a fright more easily than he used to - now I'm wondering if it might have something to do with this smell, rather than the furniture changes.
Water quality otherwise is fine - ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate under 10. Any ideas?