Anaerobic gravel in breeding tank

["Tomoko Schum" <tomokoschum@earthlink.net>]

[This seems off-topic to me, so would repliers
 please contact Tomoko directly -- moderator]

Hi everyone,

I need an advice for combating anaerobic condition
in the gravel.

I have been noticing the color of the gravel
underneath the natural brownish colored surface is
gray-black every time I vacuum the gravel of a
breeding tank.  I also see some bubbles come up
every once in awhile from the area of gravel where
I often feed the fish.  I have cut back on the
amount of food I give each time and this seems to
help a bit in terms of the (methane gas?)bubbles.
But I really would like to keep the gravel clean
and healthy without going to the trouble of
vacuuming with a python every few days, if
possible.

This type of condition does not happen with my
large planted community tank filtered with a power
filter.  Nor with the grow out tank filtered by an
undergravel filter.  The breeding tank has the
same type of gravel and plants as the former two
but filtered with an appropriately sized sponge
filter.  I do a frequent water changes in the
large community tank (50% every week) whereas the
breeding tank gets 25% of its water changed every
2 weeks.  The water in the community tank is
moderately hard but the water in the breeding tank
is kept very soft with DI water.

I hope someone can give me advice for an
alternative method.

TIA,

Tomoko


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