Hydrogen Sulfide: A molecule composed of a hydrogen and sulfur atom. It is a toxic compound which has a rotten egg odor. It is synthesized anaerobically by unwanted bacteria.
Hydrogen Sulfide
Encyclopedia 1.0 by Rebecca Smallwood
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While necessary for some things such as bacterial reduction of nitrate to nitrogen, these areas can also produce hydrogen sulfide and other undesirable substances. aragonite The substance that makes up coral skeletons and coral sand.
You see, a lot of the inorganic component is extremely fine grained pyrite (Fe2S) which can decompose in a tank to form Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), that rotten egg gas that is poisonous to almost everything.
It is also possible that at times some hydrogen sulfide is produced within the gravel, and it may enter the water column, especially at night.
There may be areas where hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been generated with precipitation of iron sulfides (black) with the characteristic smell of rotten eggs from the sulfides.
Stirring up oxygen-poor (or hydrogen sulfide/methane laden) water near dark will stress out the fish with low oxygen (or hydrogen sulfide/methane) all night.
This is a good thing, because anaerobic decay produces some really disgusting compounds, like methane and hydrogen sulfide, that the aquarist would just as soon do without.
Oxidizing filters use a medium treated with oxides of manganese as a source of oxygen to oxidize and precipitate iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, and others.
Under extended ice cover, other gases (carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane, etc.) can build up to dangerously high levels.
zones in an aquarium are areas where no oxygen is present such as inside live rock or under sand or gravel. Anaerobic bacteria live in these areas where they transform nitrate into nitrogen gas. These areas can also produce hydrogen sulfide and other ...
particle substrates allow more uneaten food and waste to penetrate into it leading to toxic build ups if not cleaned. Small particle substrates can compact which may lead to areas that lack oxygen. These areas can eventually release hydrogen sulfide ...
Detritus builds up in these dead spots and can cause pockets of dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide. Again, it is important to regularly agitate and clean the substrate when using this type of filtration.
Anaerobic bacteria are cultivated in some types of systems like deep sand beds, because they are able to convert nitrates into harmless nitrogen gas. However, in most systems anaerobic bacteria are not desirable; they produce hydrogen sulfide and ...
The sand eventually developed sizable anaerobic pockets, which led to water suffused with a sizable amount of hydrogen sulfide.
Keep in mind that many reef tanks have operated for years without a substrate and have no detectable nitrate concentrations. Use of very fine sand has been linked to hydrogen sulfide production in tanks.
At no time were there any problems with hydrogen sulfide production or anaerobic activity.
The aragonite used was a commerical aquarium grade.
 See also: Water, Aquarium, Fish, Filter, Plants
  
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