smelly tank :(

10 posts

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


boylestd
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:42 am

smelly tank :(

by boylestd

My 75 gallon tank smells really bad. Its really musty and is stinking up my house. The water is crystal clear so i dont know what the problem is. I have glass tops on the tank and mybe thats why it smells? I removed the tops to see if the smell goes away but any advice is appricieated in the mean time. I just hope my pleco dosent jump out because he likes to swim into the glass lids like a torpedo. lol. Thanks for the help.


neontank
 
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:23 am

by neontank

have you checked that there is no water leaking somewere and absorbing into the floor of something causing it to smell.


dashy
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:12 pm

by dashy

hi, try a big water change then reduce the amount you feed. also add carbon into your filter and change it every 2 weeks, but dont buy fresh just dry out the carbon you have removed in a low oven overnight and then re use it time again. hope this helps, worked and works for me anyway.


dream2reef
 
Posts: 521
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 4:19 am

by dream2reef

Good idea. I too have a bit of a smelly tank. I do overfeed on purpose so I generally have high nitrates. Plus I don't quit have enough filtration yet. But I'm willing to try anything cheap!
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Okiimiru
 
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:19 pm

by Okiimiru

Plecos do not attempt to escape unless the water is foul. Buy test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and test your levels. It is bad if your ammonia and nitrite are anything other than 0 ppm (ppm = mg/L) and if your nitrate is at or above 30 ppm.

I bet that your water is filthy and that's why it smells. What sort of filter do you have? How often do you use a gravel siphon / vacuum? Do you have live plants?

Things that can reduce the smell:
1. More frequent cleanings. Use a gravel siphon to get the poop out of your gravel. If you've got sand, siphon the debris off the top layer and look for regions that are turning black and rotting.
2. Live plants. They use the compounds that are smelly to synthesize their new plant leaves and tissues. Live plants are like extra filtration. They literally eat fish poop.
Last edited by Okiimiru on Thu Apr 14, 2011 3:09 am, edited 1 time in total.


boylestd
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:42 am

by boylestd

Thanks for the help guys. There is no water leaking, BUT i do overfeed on purpose as well. My filters already have carbon in them but i will try the oven trick as well. As for water changes, i do about a 20 to 25 percent water change every week. Do you guys think i should up this amount? Im trying to induce fast growth anyways.


Okiimiru
 
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:19 pm

by Okiimiru

I recommend getting live plants. I have aquatic plants and they grow so fast that they eat all of the nitrogen compounds as soon as they are produced. The nitrogen compounds never have a chance to accumulate in the water. When I test my water, I see 0 ppm ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. This is called a Walstad setup. Look up the book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" and you will see that she designed the tank to never need water changes due to nitrogen buildup, never ever.


Okiimiru
 
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:19 pm

by Okiimiru

Picture of my tank taken just now: http://gallery.nanfa.org/v/members/Eric ... e.jpg.html
The plants grow well in their kitty litter substrate. I haven't changed the water in months and it's still ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate free.


ryandash
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:55 am

by ryandash

Over feeding is without doubt what is causing the smell. try adding lots of beneficial bacteria each time you change the water so your filter has a chance of dealing with all the waste, but unless you have a huge tank with very few fish i would just stop over feeding.
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natalie265
Site Admin
 
Posts: 746
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

by natalie265

Why are you intentionally over feeding?

As others have suggested, the smell is probably the result of dirty water. You should test the water to confirm and up your water changes as needed.

smelly tank :(

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