MTS Belching?

Jim Miller · Post by **Jim Miller** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 10:59 pm

I'm now at week 6 of a tank with MTS. It is very gassy. I'm not talking a little stream of occasional bubbles which of course it has from time to time.

It gives an "Animal House" quality belch of multiple bubbles each 1-2" in diameter several times a day. These occur from various points in the substrate. These are loud enough that you can hear them over the TV and are create enough turbulence that I've started leaving the water an inch below the edge to avoid spillage.

So far none of these have smelled sulphurous but I'm getting worried. This is the reason I'm moving to adding MTS snails to assist keeping the substrate aerated. I'd much rather have to deal with a snail explosion with adding some assassins than have to do a complete tank teardown to eliminate a problem substrate.

Anyone else experienced this?

Jim

Cristy Keister · Post by **Cristy Keister** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 2:49 am

That is strange. Can you see any way that air might be getting pulled/pushed down in the substrate? I hate to say it, but... check the bottom of the tank for cracks.

Jim Miller · Post by **Jim Miller** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 8:35 am

Hi Cristy

No leaks here. Just fermentation.

Tnx
Jim

fjf888 · Post by **fjf888** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:18 pm

Compacting of the flourite black sand? That may be why the coarser grain T sand was recommended with the MTS. I had bubbles like this when using fbs over potting soil from time to time. It settled way down when the plants got established. That said I really liked the fbs for planting.

fjf888 · Post by **fjf888** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:19 pm

deleted double posting

Jim Miller · Post by **Jim Miller** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:35 pm

Way more than FBS issues.

Jim

takadi · Post by **takadi** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:11 am

Where did you get your topsoil for your MTS? There are only three things I can think of to gas excessive anerobic fermentation, and that's a bad topsoil source, an insufficiently mineralized topsoil, or MTS that layered on too thickly.

Jim Miller · Post by **Jim Miller** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:27 am

Topsoil was $2/bag stuff from TrueValue HW. Choices are limited when you start MTS in December. I suspect that an sunlit, outside, "cat free" environment in the summer would have been better than my 24x7 200w sunlamp for a 10days to 2 weeks per bag with hand tending and moisturizing. The MTS layer was a bit over 1" thick, not more than 1.5".

It's obvious it is still decomposing but so far hasn't released any H2S. There is a bit of a musty, sweet smell to the gases given off.

Plants are doing well and no fish problems.

Hope the dig site wasn't Love Canal...

jim

takadi · Post by **takadi** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 1:48 pm

Yea judging by the thickness of the MTS, it's most likely still releasing gases from decomposition. And I don't think it's anerobic either, or else the gas released would be smelling like someone's backend. So I'm guessing mostly Co2 and N2O being released. The "topsoil" you get from big box hardware stores usually have alot of organic material in it.

Jim Miller · Post by **Jim Miller** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:23 pm

I'm just paranoid about this thing going anerobic on me. That's while I'd rather risk putting up with the MTS snails rather than having to tear it all down to replace the substrate.

My plate is full.

Thanks

Jim

MTS Belching?

MTS Belching?

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