Anaerobic Bacteria

[Goodcreature]

I have a sand substrate in my 55 gallon, 1-3 inches thick in some areas. Also, (I'm not sure if this was a good idea, but I read that I should do it) I placed some styrofoam under the substrate, so that the weight of the rocks in the tank would be somewhat distributed along the bottom glass.
Now, my questions: Because of the heavy rocks sitting on the sand, will the water flow in the substrate be reduced to point that anaerobic bacteria will begin to grow? And if they are growing, is it dangerous to the fish? I've read several conflicting opinions on this topic, and can't seem to get an answer that clears things up for me. Finally, how do I PROPERLY maintain the substrate, so that it performs its job? Any advice or shared experience is appreciated.

Forgot to mention that I do not plan on planting any thing in the sand.

 

[bgourami320]

Do you mean under the substrate "in" the tank? or under the tank, the bottom glass on the outside of tank.
I've never read of anyone putting in the tank itself. I was thinking of putting a piece under my new tank
I'm setting up not in the tank. Maybe that's the problem. I'm sure a more experienced person will have
another take on this.

 

[jpappy789]

Been using sand for a few years now and I usually throw in some MTS, try to stir things around, and never had any problems with anaerobic pockets.

 

[Goodcreature]

Do you mean under the substrate "in" the tank? or under the tank, the bottom glass on the outside of tank.

Yes, I mean in the tank. It seemed odd to me too, which is why I still question putting it in the tank. But the article I read it from had an image of styrofoam in the tank, so I didn't see a reason not to. Of course, I wasn't a member of Aquaria Central yet, so I didn't have anyone to ask about it. If anyone can tell me if it's okay to keep the styrofoam or not, or if there are any negative effects to keeping the styrofoam where it is, please let me know.

Been using sand for a few years now and I usually throw in some MTS, try to stir things around, and never had any problems with anaerobic pockets.

I would love to add some MTS to the tank, but the problem is that the current inhabitants are peacock cichlids, and they have quite a taste for snails. In fact, I've been trying to add some snails just for the benefit of the tank, but they keep getting eaten. I don't know if the MTS would be eaten or not, since their shells would be a bit more difficult for the fish to get around, so I'll have to check that out.
If I remember correctly, I would need to stir the sand up only about once every month or so, but what about under the rocks? From my understanding of things, the rocks would compact the sand so that little to no water flow occurred underneath them, resulting in depleted oxygen levels and anaerobic bacteria. Is that right? Would I have to remove the rocks so that I could stir up the sand beneath them? Thank you for your posts and advice.

 

[Goodcreature]

Been using sand for a few years now and I usually throw in some MTS, try to stir things around, and never had any problems with anaerobic pockets.

Wait, did you mean MTS as in the substrate. Mineralized topsoil? I thought you meant MTS, as in Malaysian Trumpet snails, since they burrow in the sand and allow water flow and oxygen throughout the substrate. I'm still not sure what you were talking about.
That's kinda funny, when you think about it.

 

[tomany]

He is talking about trumper snails. They come out mostly at night after lights out and the other fish are settled down. Your fish may get a few but they breed pretty fast. Ater you vacuum stir the sand around to help keep pockets from forming. I have never heard of putting the styrofoam IN the tank, either. I use the plastic light grids they sell at lowes, for ceiling lights. I can't think of the name right now.

 

[platytudes]

It should be safe to have any kind of non-toxic, non-biodegradable material under the substrate...the most common example is polyester fiber. It is not necessary, nor is it beneficial, is what I think has been concurred, so there is really no need to use it. Malaysian trumpet snails will probably still be able to stir up your substrate in a cichlid tank...they are mostly nocturnal and the babies are too small to eat. Cichlids do have a taste for larger snails, but they won't bother the little MTS.

In the case of Styrofoam, you could easily scratch it and send some little bits of Styrofoam floating to the surface because it is extremely buoyant. This could get annoying, but if you don't think you'll be moving anything much you should be ok. Next time though, if you are worried about weight, get some egg crate (sold in hardware stores as light diffuser panels, so should be with that stuff) and then cut it to fit your tank's footprint. It can be snipped with any sturdy scissors, or a utility knife.

 

[discuspaul]

I expect you would be relatively safe with no more than max. 3" of substrate in any one spot in your tank. As for the rocks sitting in the sand, there is likely just a very thin layer of sand between the rock bottoms and the tank base, so not enough room/thickness for a harmful gas pocket to develop - you should be a-okay.

 

[Goodcreature]

Okay, I'll definitely be looking for some MTS then. Does anyone know where I can get some? My local Petco doesn't have them, and none of my lfs have any. I don't really have any experience with reputable sources online, so can anyone name some good ones?

Now that I know the styrofoam isn't doing anything, I'll probably be taking it out soon, since I'm about to redo the set up. Thanks guys!

 

[Slappy*McFish]

Look no further than the marketplace/classified section of the forum. Many members often have some available or you can post a new WTB thread.