# Bubbles in my topsoil tank.



## Tknoxx (21 Jun 2014)

MY substrate is full of bubbles. It is quite heavily planted. What can I do to get rid of the bubbles? I am worried about putting the fish in.


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## Alastair (21 Jun 2014)

Hi, is it just along the front of the glass etc and only just been done???? If so it sounds like trapped air to me from dry patches of top soil 

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## Tknoxx (21 Jun 2014)

No it's been maybe 5 weeks? It's definitely building up in there.


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## sciencefiction (21 Jun 2014)

Poke it with a stick and increase aeration. What type of soil have you used and how deep?


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## Tknoxx (21 Jun 2014)

About an inch of Arthur Bower's Topsoil capped with an inch of small pea gravel. Increase aeration of the substrate or the tank?


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## sciencefiction (21 Jun 2014)

Tknoxx said:


> Increase aeration of the substrate or the tank?


 
The tank...I mean increase surface agitation. It's hard to tell what the bubbles are for sure but upon setup with rich soil and not enough oxygen, the soil doesn't get enough for aerobic decomposition and starts anaerobic, producing hydrogen sulphide instead of CO2 and that normally makes the substrate very bubbly, eventually can affect the plant roots and plants can melt.
While the most organics break up during that period, keep aeration high, then eventually it should settle down in time. It depends on the soil how long time. I'd wait a bit before adding fish as they can be outcompeted for oxygen while in this stage.[DOUBLEPOST=1403351722][/DOUBLEPOST]I checked the soil on this link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arthur-Bowers-Top-Soil-20L/dp/B007WJ54YY

and it says "For building raised areas and rockeries" which means it may contain lots of wooden chips and other larger organics that are not necessarily needed in a fish tank soil.  I personally screen the soil through a kitchen strainer when dry and also soak it and remove any easily floating soil that doesn't sink fast.


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## Tknoxx (21 Jun 2014)

Thanks. Thought I should buy trumpet snails? I'll increase aeration for sure.

 It's a screened loam and I found no larger chunks.


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## EnderUK (21 Jun 2014)

You should get trumpet snails because cool little critters. Yes they will help a little in your tank but they don't dig that deep into the soil.


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## sciencefiction (21 Jun 2014)

Yes, I have trumpet snails everywhere, just not on my sofa 
I like them, great substrate cleaners and keep it stirred. If you like snails, go for them. Especially that you have fine sand on top.


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## BigTom (21 Jun 2014)

I got loads of bubbles from my soil,  never stopped although it does slow start a few months. It was pretty odourless so probably co2 building up. I wouldn't worry about it unless it's giving off a strong sulphurous smell.


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## Tknoxx (21 Jun 2014)

My aerations is very low so i think that is the problem.
There is a faint smell of sulphur so best not to risk it...


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## Tknoxx (22 Jun 2014)

How long should i leave it before adding fish? A week or two more?


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## sciencefiction (22 Jun 2014)

It's up to you. There's is no rule. If you monitor the fish, do water changes if needed and whatever necessary, then any time as long as the plants are growing well and you are satisfied how the tank is going(presuming the tank is somewhat cycled already)


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## X3NiTH (22 Jun 2014)

I had a few bubbles form in my substrate, but it usually happened around the compacted sand at the glass substrate interface and wasn't really a problem that a quick poke with a stick didn't sort, that was until my planted aquatic inexperience caught up with me and led me into purchasing and planting a few very 'nice looking' Opheopogons in my tank. I could tell something was not right after a few weeks, the Opheopogons looked amazing, nice and green and palm like, but something just wasn't right, I could swear the fish were looking at me with 'Help' faces, so I did a quick investigation on my recent planting because it was nameless from the shop and 'recommended' as a lovely plant. Ahh it's an Opheopgon and according to lore a plant that gets commonly unscrupulously sold by aquarium shops as an Aquatic Plant when its actually more of a Terrarium plant. I can reveal now that the worst smell I have ever experienced was removing that effing plant from my tank, this outdid standing on a North Sea Beach with a whole winters worth of storm dredged Kelp rotting 20ft deep into the surf with Seal excrement added for extra aroma. The aroma coming from those blackened dead Opheogon roots was similar but with the added Turpene aroma of the most badly creosoted fence in the whole of history. Lesson learned, don't put non-aquatic plants in an aquatic realm. 

I can safely recommend that you can poke a stick at it first and act later!


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## Tknoxx (22 Jun 2014)

The only plants so far affected were the water sprites which i pulled up today as their roots are all dead.


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## Tknoxx (15 Jul 2014)

sciencefiction said:


> It's up to you. There's is no rule. If you monitor the fish, do water changes if needed and whatever necessary, then any time as long as the plants are growing well and you are satisfied how the tank is going(presuming the tank is somewhat cycled already)



Sorry my internet has been down. I increased aeration and there are much less bubbles but it hasn't stopped entirely - plants are growing fine. The tank hasn't been cycled - I thought adding ammonia wasn't a great idea in a planted tank and that the plants would instead be acting as the filters? I have a small filter in for surface agitation.


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## sciencefiction (15 Jul 2014)

The bubbling should subside eventually as the organic load is reduced. If plants are growing fine, then that's a sign things are going well.
Planted soil tanks cycle faster than other tanks and the organics in the soil will provide the necessary ammonia for the nitrifying bacteria. Just stock slowly.


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