# Dirt Tank w/ sulfur bubbles, MTS beneficial?



## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Perhaps your soil is too deep? 

MTS can plow through gravel just fine.


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## tunatime (Aug 1, 2012)

i wouldn't worry about it to much my soil has been gassing for a month now and all my plants and fish are fine, and as the plants grow the roots form them will aerate the dirt


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Soil can gas for several reasons. Oxygen, CO2, H2S... If it smells bad, I would do something about it. Anaerobic activity so extreme that you can smell the sulfur is not good.


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## mitchfish9 (Apr 30, 2012)

Thanks Diana, The soil is only a little over and inch deep with a one inch cap, so I don't think it is too deep, but I can smell a slight sulfur sometimes when I try to smell the bubbles so I think I will try to get some MTS in the WTB forum.

Will they get waste through the cap and to the dirt faster? Especially in a sand tank


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I do not have substrate-and-cap set ups. MTS plow through every substrate I have including pool filter sand, gravel (several sizes) peat moss, Soil Master Select, Coral sand, Safe-T-Sorb and Turface, Tahitian Moon Sand, 3-M Colorquartz. (Gosh I did not know I had so many substrates!)


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

mitchfish9 said:


> I am getting sulfer smelling bubbles from my dirt substrat....I have gravel I am getting these bubbles....My friend also has a dirt tank, but the waste sits on top of the sand. ....


Dirt will out-gas for 1-3months depending on how much organic materiel is in the dirt , the Cap "seal" and bacteria activity.

The sulfur smell is a bit concerning. If you read through the complete Sub-Forum here one thing tends to stand out with dirt tanks Gravel cap users post more troubles than sand cap users. I think the seal that sand provides is taken for granted, misunderstood, and under-rated. You don't see gravel alone over dirt in nature, nature works just fine. The closer we get are tanks to natural the better they do.

I have sand caps in my tanks fine waste or dirt Poofs from puling plants will settle back to there bottom over a few days and be gone. Large pcs take longer of course and they can be syphoned off or netted out.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

MTS only burrow as deep as there is oxygen in the substrate. So if the oxygen doesn't permeate the entire substrate depth, they won't clear out the bubbles if they are trapped.


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## mitchfish9 (Apr 30, 2012)

DogFish said:


> Dirt will out-gas for 1-3months depending on how much organic materiel is in the dirt , the Cap "seal" and bacteria activity.
> 
> The sulfur smell is a bit concerning. If you read through the complete Sub-Forum here one thing tends to stand out with dirt tanks Gravel cap users post more troubles than sand cap users. I think the seal that sand provides is taken for granted, misunderstood, and under-rated. You don't see gravel alone over dirt in nature, nature works just fine. The closer we get are tanks to natural the better they do.
> 
> I have sand caps in my tanks fine waste or dirt Poofs from puling plants will settle back to there bottom over a few days and be gone. Large pcs take longer of course and they can be syphoned off or netted out.


I wish I would of used sand, but I am not changing my tank again lol.


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## mitchfish9 (Apr 30, 2012)

So would MTS benefit my tank? That is really my main question.

Thanks


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

mitchfish9 said:


> So would MTS benefit my tank? That is really my main question.
> 
> Thanks


Yes

If you don't get any prior to the GCCA Swap, I'll bring you some. ***HOWEVER*** you need to meet us at the _PARKING LOT SWAP_
see the tread on the Ill. Forum and it's up to you to remind me by PM.
As I can honestly tell you I'll remember to bring anything I'm not selling.
:smile:


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