Air Bubbles In Dirted Tank

So I've had a tank that has soil capped with gravel going for about a month now, and lately bubbles have been coming up through the gravel frequently. I can even see pockets of air in the dirt that's against the glass. They frankly smell pretty bad, like someone farted. (the smell's there only when the bubbles break the surface, otherwise the tank just smells of wet leaves)

I'm guessing this is caused by the soil breaking down, or air being trapped during the setup, or both. Should I be concerned about it? Will it change the water chemistry much? And if it does, what can I do about it?

 

That’s the organic material decomposing creating carbon. It’s normal in a dirted tank.

 

That’s the organic material decomposing creating carbon. It’s normal in a dirted tank.

That's what I thought at first, but does carbon usually smell like rotten eggs?

 

What kind of dirt did you use?

 

organic potting mix.

 

That's what I thought at first, but does carbon usually smell like rotten eggs?

The rotten egg smell might be from hydrogen sulfide gas buildup. Poking the substrate all over with a skewer on a daily basis can release most of the gas. And having burrowing snails like Malaysian trumpet snails can also help.

 

The rotten egg smell might be from hydrogen sulfide gas buildup. Poking the substrate all over with a skewer on a daily basis can release most of the gas. And having burrowing snails like Malaysian trumpet snails can also help.

Will the gas affect the water chemistry? Should I do water changes while doing this?

 

Will the gas affect the water chemistry? Should I do water changes while doing this?

I"m no expert but I can say yes, the hydrogen sulfide gas is the product of sulfate reduction that happens on your substrate. And the gas itself is toxic, so I guess a water change and more surface agitation to increase oxygen levels can help.

You can search google about hydrogen sulfide gas in the aquarium.

Apparently I cannot post a link to another website about it.