Dirted tank conundrum...

Okay, started my first actual soil bottomed tanks. Covered with a top layer of Blk sand. neither tank is a month old and both are "bleeding" bubbles. Periodically small bubbles will leach from beneath the soil surface. Obviously to the human eye a bubble is a bubble so I can't verify it's O2. It just seems unlikely that it would be an anaerobic result already wouldn't it??

Any input/experience??

TFP

Did you do Mineralized method? Also added Malaysian trumpet snails to stir up substrate? Is the tank water leeching tannins if so I would do water change. But o2 comes from pearling from plants. If its coning from substrate its gasses from bacteria in substrate. Trapped gasses is no good. MTS will help alot.

MLT = Malaysian Trumpet Snails - Just so you don't get confused with Mutable Tank Syndrome,  lol.

Decaying organic mater produces gases (CH4 & CO2) . It's a good thing they are working themselves up and out of the tank. Even tanks with other substrates can get gases built up, however gravel vacs usually alleviate buildup. With soil based substrates and heavily planted tanks gravel vacs are not an option so I second the use of Malaysian Trumpet Snails.

No answer to your question, but if you decide to go with Malaysian trumpet snails, I have more than enough to share! My assassin snails can't keep up.  Let me know if you want any -- free.

How long did you soak the soil before adding?  I soaked mine for a week or two before setting my tank up

I used straight miracle grow organic potting mix in my walstad - no mineralization.  I also never added MTS to it.  I didn't have any gas leaching issues - plenty of tanins, but that made my shrimp color up better.

All that said, MTS could definitely help.

I did not soak my soil at all. Just layed it into tank, covered with shallow layer of sand and set my wife loose to Aquascape and filled. Plants are thriving and just found my CO2 leak after dumping 3 bottles in a row... so no real WORRIES At this point but as I have never actually done a dirt based tank figured I'd get out in front of it. So if I add MTS...they will slowly churn the sand into soil sub right? Will this cause any later issues? If plan goes well tank bottom will get covered with Dwarf Baby Tears so looks of sub won't really matter.

TFP

The MTS will not churn the dirt out of the sand cap but the gasses will be churn out of the sand cap. When MTS sinks to the floor its like they are in quicksand. When they come up from sand they dont bring up much dirt but hopefully alot gasses to be released.

When baby tears fill the tank floor. It is more better that the MTS are there. Show pics btw.

My walstad tank use to have bubbles. I just run a knife through the soil once a week and then do a 2liter water change. No real way you can avoid the bubbles other then MTS releasing them in smaller amounts than large releases of the gasses. Cheers!

one thing i have always wanted to try, was to get a MASSIVE dose of live blackworms and just release those into the substrate... i don't know if they would mix the substrate like mts do, though; they might just be skinny enough that they can slide through without disturbing or moving the substrate. some people have told me that they are good for keeping plant roots clean, at least, so they couldn't hurt.

Sounds like a great idea. Black worms eating decay, bacteria, and algae. Might try that next.
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I thought blackworms needed air at some point to live?

fishNAbowl wrote:I thought blackworms needed air at some point to live?

I don't think so. We just upgraded our tank last night, and we had a massive amount of black worms in our substrate and plant roots (some of them were huge as well). It's been the better part of a month since we added any, and I always thought the fish got most of them. Clearly I was quite wrong.

I doubt they need air. I just pulled 6 or 7 blackworms from my canister filter media yesterday. I haven't fed that tank blackworms in over a month! That is a very interesting idea of using them as a substrate sifter... wonder if anyone has tried this already.