Advanced Substrate Discussion

There's no need to stir the bed. That these things evolve toxic gasses is a bad aquarist anecdote (based on other system deficiencies) that just needs to go away

Todd

Also I am doing away with the obsession I had for living sand and trying to stock the substrate, but I still need something to dig and keep it active to avoid anaerobic bacteria forming and potentially creating lethal by-products. Suggestions anyone?

Anaerobic bacteria eat nitrates. You don't have to worry about lethal byproducts. That's a silly myth.

Anaerobic bacteria eat nitrates. You don't have to worry about lethal byproducts. That's a silly myth.

Agreed. All of my planted tanks had anaerobic substrates. (I say "had", because at the moment I don't really have aquaria set up. Sad, I know. Hopefully will change in the next few months, as outdoor gardening season slows down.) Yes, H2S is produced, but true aquatic plants can handle it, and any that excapes into the water column is quickly oxidized since the water is oxygenated. I suppose if you were to _really_ mix things up at some point in the future and seriously foul the water, you could have a problem. In that case, just have a little hydrogen peroxide on hand to treat it with, and it will be instantly cured. Really, no reason for worry. I've _never_ had a problem.

Interesting aside- humans can detect H2S in air at a concentration of 0.0047 ppm. Toxicity is not supposed to develop in humans until at least 2 ppm (400 times the recognition threshold) is reached, and then only if the person is exposed to that level chronically. The point being- if your tank has sulfide-producing anaerobic bacteria, you will smell them long before they produce enough gas to be dangerous.