Tiny air bubbles coming from my substrate

[smoutylad22]

Hopefully someone can help me out with this one. I've had my planted tank setup for nearly 3 weeks now and this past week I've noticed lots of tiny air bubbles rising up to the surface from the substrate. Does anybody know why this is happening?

 

[parky]

Please give us some more information on your tank set up! ie Co2 system bubbler type of substrate etc etc

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

It's very normal and quite common in planted tanks to see bubbles. Plants do have a metabolic process of respiration in which co2 is converted to o2. Gas pockets can develop in the substrate, especially in finer grade stuff like sand. Or plants in general can occasionally release a stream of micro bubbles due to damage. That's why it's good to occasionally stir the substrate or have MTS (Malaysian trumpet snails) to do that naturally. It's basically a living ecosystem... just part of the process, especially when more light and co2 is in the equation.

 

[smoutylad22]

Hi, the substrate is Caribsea eco complete. I don't have co2 system. I don't have a air stone as such but a air diffuser which is attached to my juwel pump and it throws out air bubbles into the water.

 

[smoutylad22]

It's very normal and quite common in planted tanks to see bubbles. Plants do have a metabolic process of respiration in which co2 is converted to o2. Gas pockets can develop in the substrate, especially in finer grade stuff like sand. Or plants in general can occasionally release a stream of micro bubbles due to damage. That's why it's good to occasionally stir the substrate or have MTS (Malaysian trumpet snails) to do that naturally. It's basically a living ecosystem... just part of the process, especially when more light and co2 is in the equation.

Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. I will look into gettin some of these MTS if that will help my tank.

 

[FishCr8zy]

It's very normal and quite common in planted tanks to see bubbles. Plants do have a metabolic process of respiration in which co2 is converted to o2. Gas pockets can develop in the substrate, especially in finer grade stuff like sand. Or plants in general can occasionally release a stream of micro bubbles due to damage. That's why it's good to occasionally stir the substrate or have MTS (Malaysian trumpet snails) to do that naturally. It's basically a living ecosystem... just part of the process, especially when more light and co2 is in the equation.

+1 on the mts. You can get them really cheap everywhere. However mts can spread really fast (population size) so as long as you are not over feeding, the population should stay at a controllable level. Check out the classifieds, people sometimes have mts for sale. You can find mts all over eBay as well.

 

[smoutylad22]

Just an update on the tiny bubbles coming from my substrate. I have a juwel rekord 700 aquarium which had a built in filter box in the right hand corner now attached to this filter box is the outlet pipe which blows out the water. I had this air diffuser attached to the end of the outlet pipe which created tiny air bubbles in the water and created surface movement ( a bit like a air stone really) Now I've just removed this air diffuser because I've fitted a new eccoflow 500 pump and now the tiny bubbles that where rising up from the bottom of my tank have completely stopped. This is with the air diffuser now this is without the tank looks so much better since I removed this air diffuser. What I'm asking is do I need to have a air diffuser/airstone in my planted tank? Will it affect my fish if I don't have one? Your thoughts and opinions would be most grateful, thanks ?

 

[Ian086]

Simple answer is no. They do not actually add oxygen to the water, it's the surface agitation which does this. Good flow with be just as effective. The plants give off o2 anyway.....

 

[smoutylad22]

Simple answer is no. They do not actually add oxygen to the water, it's the surface agitation which does this. Good flow with be just as effective. The plants give off o2 anyway.....

Hi, thanks for the reply. I have good surface agitation now I've upgraded my pump. My fish seem a lot happier also.