# The dirt substrate...is this supposed to happen?



## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

Basically, its a sign your soil is alive.. I would not worry..


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## hambone870 (Feb 13, 2013)

What's your cap?

Yes the air will release gas as time goes by and fine substrates have a tendency to trap to gas. Don't let it build up if you have a fine substrate as it may in essence explode toxic gas and dirt all over your tank. 

When first setting up a tank, the longer you soak the dirt prior to capping, the more gas that will be released. 

In small amounts, I have found nothing to suggest that the gas will harm livestock.


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## fermentedhiker (Oct 28, 2011)

At two weeks it's possibly just gas that was trapped in the soil when you submerged it. It's also possible that there is organic matter in the soil that is decaying and giving of hydrogen sulfide(swamp gas). How much and how long will depend on how much organic material was in the dirt you used and how much dirt you used(the more you use the longer it will take). I went overboard a bit and did over three inches of soil in my 55gallon and it was six months before the tank stabilized enough for fish. It was initially offgassing so much hydrogen sulfide that my eyes would burn if I had my face over the tank. It has calmed down and now it's a forest with some happy fish


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

It's normal with newer dirt setups. The organics are being broken down and CO2 and hydrogen sulfide are the bi-products. You can use a bamboo skewer to poke some holes into the substrate to release the built-up gas at different parts of the tank on different days.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

fermentedhiker said:


> At two weeks it's possibly just gas that was trapped in the soil when you submerged it. It's also possible that there is organic matter in the soil that is decaying and giving of hydrogen sulfide(swamp gas). How much and how long will depend on how much organic material was in the dirt you used and how much dirt you used(the more you use the longer it will take). I went overboard a bit and did over three inches of soil in my 55gallon and it was six months before the tank stabilized enough for fish. It was initially offgassing so much hydrogen sulfide that my eyes would burn if I had my face over the tank. It has calmed down and now it's a forest with some happy fish



Wow, no, I am not smelling anything. I capped it with fine gravels. I did presoak the soil for 3 days before putting them in the tank. Is about 1" to 1.5" deep and capped with 1" fine gravels. The fish are fine. The plants are growing very nicely. Oh, BTW, I actually used the MGO Garden Soil, with manure. I did screen out a lot of the bigger chunks and some animal wastes too. Again, the fish and plants are fine. And my NO3 is low too. Less than 3ppm. I begin dose light EI on the 20g low tech tank. Twice per week.


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## fermentedhiker (Oct 28, 2011)

Yeah it was crazy. I've never had another dirt bottom tank have such a crazy start as that one. Of course I've never used that deep a soil base again either. It was a mix of MGOPS and topsoil(I ran out of MGOPS and was too impatient to wait until I could get another bag). I have it capped with about an inch of flourite and gravel. There is also probably an inch of flourite covering the plenum underneath the soil layer(an unnecessary feature probably). I will say the root feeders love the tank. Dwarf Sag and Swords do great and reproduce quite rapidly. My Crypts are like weeds.


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## tylergvolk (Jun 17, 2012)

This is normal.

Just poke the substrate to help release the gas and your good to go.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

My amazonia does that too. I have an under layer of lava rock so it might be that instead of the aquasoil.


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## djjcoleman (Jul 6, 2013)

Perfectly normal. At first, most of the bubbles will be trapped air and maybe a little hydrogen sulfide due to the organic matter starting to decompose. How long this lasts is a function of soil/cap depth and plant selection and plant density. Over time, hydrogen sulfide will be practically non-existent as plant roots will occupy a most of the substrate.


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