FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Hi

When syphoning my gravel in my smaller tank there are lots of "bubbles" rising to the surface

Is this carbon dioxide or oxygen?

Is this detremental to the tank?

All plants are well - but do have small losses of fish

Thanks in advance

Dave

is it new gravel?

had you just added water or done a full water change?

how deep is your gravel?

What size/type is it?

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

From your description it does sound as though your substrate is foul.

So this is plain gravel ( could you guesstimate size? 4-5mm?), with no supplements added? Are your plants rooted and are they growing well and strongly, and are they a few or is it heavily planted?

If not heavily planted with rooted plants, I think if it were my tank I would do radical breakdown.

Robby

---

I know human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully.

In answer

Established gravel

I do 10% water change every 7 - 10 days

Depth 2cm front 4cm back

No supplements added

30% planted, rooted and growing strong

Filter does get rather mucky after 4 days and needs cleaning

Regards

Dave

It is CO2. IMO though, your substrate is too shallow to be having anearobic bacteria in it. As for harm, it is not detrimental to your fish at the time of release, or/and especially during the water change. Because you are removing it up and out the python, and/or it is transfered at the water surface at a quick enough ratio, if you have good surface movement. However, you are probably killing off a lot of anearobic bacteria when you are doing the water change/gravel cleaning, and this can cause a spike in the cycle. Test your parameters of the cycle daily after doing a water change, and see if you are getting any spikes.

Depending on how heavily planted your tank is, you may not want to clean the substrate when doing the water changes. Many planted tank owners, never clean the gravel. As the detritus is a good form of fertilizer for the plants. That is, if you have enough plants to use it all.

_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...

It might just be trapped air.

It might just be trapped air.

It is trapped air. The questions were; what kind of trapped air? Where the air came from? And was it dangerous?

All gases are "air".

_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...