Sand Vs. Gravel or rocks

[Rocker]

I speak from experience and not just off the top on my head. i have been on this forums for many years now where it has been discussed countless times. I am not the only one to experience both unexplained deaths and deaths linked to pockets of gas being released.
I have posted many times of my experience with the toxic pocket.

In brief I had a miurus puffer for a couple of years. Rearranged tank to remove very large plant. Upon doing so a very large bubble escaped from the roots. Smelt bad. Immediately did a small water change. Puffer spun out of control for a day then died.
Another small water change another miurus. Same thing same condition. Another puffer met their end the same way. 100% water change added goldfish and left tank for 3 months.
All is fine.


As for MTS again I have witness SAP's breaking teeth on them and too have read threads here of other witnessing the same.

[StormySkiez]

It certainly sounds like you did experience anoxic layers in your tank. Perhaps the filteration and such was not efficient? What I was wondering is if you had a necropsy done. From the sounds of what you have posted you did not.

From the sound of things Sand would not be good for a new aquarist to start with.

As for MTS, I'd rather not deal with the risks involved with feeding to puffers. Is there other brackish snails that burrow in the substrate that are completely safe to feed puffers?

[Jase]

I didn't pay attention to smell, cause they were just small fast WCs. I suppose it's a strong smell I couldn't have missed? like if you're in the swamp? may have been another kind of gas then... all I know is that whatever they were it didn't seem to bother anything luckily.