# Hydrogen sulfide



## Freerider (Nov 8, 2006)

I am wondering how i can deal with hydrogen sulfide in my 10 gal planted tank.
The soil is schulz plant soil about 1/2 inch at the front sloping to the back at about 2.5 inches.
The tank is very heavily planted and has breeding galaxy rasboras and panda corys as well as amano shrip and ottos. 
I feed only in one spot in the front corner where there are no plants and that is where i get the build up of HS when I gravel vac (I can only do that area as it is so heavily planted).

What is up here as I have never had this problem in other tanks even with deeper substrates.

I know I over feed for the rasboras because the corys and shimp litterally mop it up in minutes of it touching. The fish are breeding as well and I am now on my 3rd generation of galaxy rasboras.

Filters are: azoo sponge filter air powered , and an elite mini for circulation, 
I have to throw out huge clumps of plants every week just to keep the tank from completely growing out of control.

Any ideas on this HS problem, as it stings my eyes when I do a water change.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

If it's stinging your eyes that's a lot of gas!!! Can you get the really small siphon tube and stick it down in your substrate to get some of the gas out? The good thing about doing it this way is that it goes out with the water and not into the tank where your fish are. If you use a stick it will release into the water somewhat. You don't want to have it flood the water. I guess you could do small areas at a time with your water changes.

If your plants are too thick for that I think you need to thin them out so that you can get some of this out. I'm shocked that with that much gas you haven't had fish issues.

Causes: Do you have snails that can eat the detritus? Maybe it's not just food but also unfertilized eggs, bad eggs, poo and such. Do you have too many fish in the tank? When you do your water changes do you try to siphon off any debris that is on top of the substrate?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I don't think hydrogen sulfide gas will make your eyes burn. It is just a strong disgusting stink. It is sulfer dioxide, as I recall, that causes your eyes to sting, because it becomes sulfuric acid with mixed with water - tears.


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## Freerider (Nov 8, 2006)

Tex Gal and hoppycalif:

I do weekly water changes of about 20% and I gravel vacum the same open patch only. The rest of the tank is too densely planted. 

I have 5 original parent galaxy rasboras in the tank, 9 (1/4" long) baby galaxy rasbora,s 3 ottos, 5 amano shrimp,3 panda cories, 2 (1/2") baby panda cories, and tones of pond snails.

Tank: 10 Gallon
Filter: elite mini + azoo mini sponge filter air powered.
Plant coverage: 90 percent of the substrate.

When I do the water change I get and eggs smell and if my head is over the bucket.

I just guessed on hydron sulphide, but it really could be anything.

Yesterday I spend all day moving the tank so the wall behind it could be painted. Now I took out all the substrate and planted my Vals and Hygro. poly. into slotted pond pots and put them outside in my pond. All snails went to the pond, I hope. 

I moved my java fern logs into the new 10 gallon nano kit and put down a ultra thin layer of sand instead of using a thicker substrate like the last tank. The layer of sand is so thin I doubt that any gas build up will happen anywere. Pics coming soon.


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## Freerider (Nov 8, 2006)

Heres pics of the new tank 10 Gal


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

The fact that you had so many pond snails indicates that you were badly overfeeding the fish. The excess food then rotted in the substrate, giving the stink. That's my guess.


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## Freerider (Nov 8, 2006)

There is no doubt I have been overfeeding, but my water quality is measuring 0 for nitrite, nitrate and Ammonia according to tetra test kits. My Galazy rasbs have breed many times and my amino shirmp are always carrying (but never produce because of lack of saltwater), my panda cories have also produced a 2nd generation. I just wondered why the buildup of gas happens in an area that I vacumn weekly and the substrate is only 0.5" thick. I would expect the buildup in a thick substrate but not in one so shallow and maintained. Oh well I solved the problem by switching to super thin sand in my new tank.


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