I did not test the links, but if that is the coverage of the African toxic lakes which suddenly boil and wipe out villages, that is fascinating stuff. The attempts at abatement are intresting also - but I wonder about them long-term - a bit tech-heavy and costly for the third world.
pockets anaerobic gas are no myth....unfortunately
- Thread starter gregga
- Start date
That "killer gas" that burped out of a West African lake twenty years ago was CO2: http://cooltech.iafrica.com/science/211366.htm
Aderynglas' link refers to acidification of European lakes, where aluminum becomes soluble and toxic as pH drops below 5.0.. In the aquarium copper from an old round of medication can become soluble again as pH drops, and poison fish.
But gregga reports that there was no pH drop.
Aderynglas' link refers to acidification of European lakes, where aluminum becomes soluble and toxic as pH drops below 5.0.. In the aquarium copper from an old round of medication can become soluble again as pH drops, and poison fish.
But gregga reports that there was no pH drop.
BTW, the use of crushed coral does not preclude the presence of ammonia and ammonium in the deep substrate. Why do you think DSBs and plenums lose mass over time? The deeps are acidic and mobilizing calcium and carbonates, and the buffer provided in the water column only promises that dangerous titers will be somewhat more dangerous due to the higher pH. But it takes a lot for ammonia to be rapidly fatal - a lot.
I have no clue as to how much NH3/NH4+ could be in a deep and toxic substrate - I don't want to find out the hard way either.
I have no clue as to how much NH3/NH4+ could be in a deep and toxic substrate - I don't want to find out the hard way either.
H2s causes
Excellent post, wetman. Based on our experiences with my girlfriend's tank, I think that a culprit of H2s buildup and poisoning is the decay of plant roots and plant matter under the surface of the substrate (which in our case was fine aquarium sand).
In our case, she had a lightly stocked, planted tank, but with a tendency for the ammonia readings to start climbing after only a couple of days after water changes. We thought this very puzzling as the tank was already mature and cycled and there was no discernible source of such high ammonia levels. One day she came home to find that all of her fish were suddenly dead. So we emptied the tank and prepared to take out the fine sand when after a little digging-- lo and behold! An INCREDIBLY foul smell like raw sewage came forth. The source was apparently a mass of decayed plant roots that had been buried under the surface.
Up to that point, if a plant died, she would take it out, but not get all of the roots, which were then left to rot under the substrate. I think it's important to make sure to get the entire root system when pulling a dead plant out of a live aquarium.
Excellent post, wetman. Based on our experiences with my girlfriend's tank, I think that a culprit of H2s buildup and poisoning is the decay of plant roots and plant matter under the surface of the substrate (which in our case was fine aquarium sand).
In our case, she had a lightly stocked, planted tank, but with a tendency for the ammonia readings to start climbing after only a couple of days after water changes. We thought this very puzzling as the tank was already mature and cycled and there was no discernible source of such high ammonia levels. One day she came home to find that all of her fish were suddenly dead. So we emptied the tank and prepared to take out the fine sand when after a little digging-- lo and behold! An INCREDIBLY foul smell like raw sewage came forth. The source was apparently a mass of decayed plant roots that had been buried under the surface.
Up to that point, if a plant died, she would take it out, but not get all of the roots, which were then left to rot under the substrate. I think it's important to make sure to get the entire root system when pulling a dead plant out of a live aquarium.
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still very interesting though. . . much better than pulling up classified ads for one fish from 2002.
:iagree:
Its post like these that offer a lot of info that need to be resurrected.
I know to drag a chopstick through my sand substrate and I do rearrange my plants pretty often. I see bubbles sometimes but real small. I also have a long wide straw I stick into the sand, that way if any gas is going to be emmited its going out the straw and into the air, not the tank.
This should actually be a sub sticky IMO.
Its post like these that offer a lot of info that need to be resurrected.
I know to drag a chopstick through my sand substrate and I do rearrange my plants pretty often. I see bubbles sometimes but real small. I also have a long wide straw I stick into the sand, that way if any gas is going to be emmited its going out the straw and into the air, not the tank.
This should actually be a sub sticky IMO.
