bubbles in sand

[gobyit]

I hope that it is not what I think it is, but there are small bubbles forming in the top inch of my sand bed. I have a 16 gallon bow front, with a maximum sand depth of 3 inches in some spots. There are three fish in there, and I do an 8-10 gallon water change once a week. Could this something other than hydrogen sulfide? I also have about 45 pounds of Flordia aqua-cultered live rock.

 

[plack]

Sand bed's can get nitrogen bubbles in them from the bacteria growing in them wich is a good thing Thats a lot of water to change at one time I hope it doesn't stir up the sand bed a lot

 

[gobyit]

The reason I do such large changes is because I have a few soft corals, and want to prevent any build up of waste. I dump the refill water into the sump, so it doesn't stir the main tank.

 

[plack]

Good I have some soft corals too

 

[mojoreef]

Gobyit your ever really going to form enough sulfide to create bubbles, If for some reason it did build up it would just bleed into the nitrogen or oxygen. Being where you are seeing the bubbles I would imagine its oxygen being released by algae in the bed,nothing to worry about.


Mike

 

[gobyit]

hey thanks for the response, that is a great thing to hear. Let me throw something else at you, on my tank I have a skimmer over flow box going down to my sump where I have some coral rock in the spot wbio the boi-balls would go, to me it seem there is no "real" filtration, other than biological. To me it seems like I am missing something in my filtration.

 

[mojoreef]

Well you have the LS and the LR in the tank, thats alot of biological filtration. Hopefully the skimmer is sized for the tank and is pulling out the organics.


Mike

 

[gobyit]

Weeelll about the skimmer.... I seem to have a de"fish"ency in that department. I don't want to over skim what would you recommend for a proper sized skimmer??