Tank smell

[Rwils24]

Hi all

I did a water change on my tank yesterday, and when I woke up this morning, there was an odd smell.

I had to run out to the office, so I couldn't do a test, but I was wondering if anyone has had this happen in the past?

Its a 125 gallon tank (5ft long), with 1 blood parrot, 3 green severums, 2 rainbow cichlids, a bristlenose pleco and two bosemani rainbows.

Appreciate any help,

 

[esoxlucius]

The only times where you may notice an unusual odour from your tank is if you maybe feed something different, or you're maybe medicating the tank, or a fish dies and you don't notice it, or if you are vacuuming deep substrate and release old gases (this one's potentially very dangerous for your stock as the gas could be hydrogen sulphide, which is toxic).

Other than that there should be no odour at all, other than maybe an earthy smell if you get really close up, which is perfectly normal for an healthy aquarium.

What does it actually smell of? Have you done something different recently?

 

[LukeOscar]

Hi all

I did a water change on my tank yesterday, and when I woke up this morning, there was an odd smell.

I had to run out to the office, so I couldn't do a test, but I was wondering if anyone has had this happen in the past?

Its a 125 gallon tank (5ft long), with 1 blood parrot, 3 green severums, 2 rainbow cichlids, a bristlenose pleco and two bosemani rainbows.

Appreciate any help,

normally when i experience this. its because i either overfed. fed something they didnt like and it was left in the water Colum. last is a dead fish.

 

[Backfromthedead]

What kind of filter(s) are you running? How much water did you change?

In addition to the reasons listed above, its possible that if you did a very large water change that some of your beneficial bacteria died off in your filter, and if its somewhat exposed to air like a hang on filter you could catch a whiff of it. This could be exacerbated if your water was particularly dirty before the water change or if you accidentally skimped on water conditioner.

I have a sort of a code for smells at this point. Fishy smell=dead fish somewhere. Ammonia+fishy smell=very dead, decaying fish or food somewhere. Fishy+earthy smell=filter/bacteria related smell. Rotten eggs=toxic gases in aquarium. Odd smell unlike any of the others=probably fed something weird.

 

[Rwils24]

Thanks all.

I had done a 50% water change, as I was away and could not change it while I was gone.

I use to aquaclear 500s on the tank. I used the same water conditioner as I always do.

The tank itself doesn't smell, but the air around it does, and it is the fishy+earthy smell. I do not think there is a dead fish, and I haven't changed any feedings/there is not much excess food left in the tank.

If it is the filters, what is the best approach to do?

Thanks for your help

 

[Backfromthedead]

Thanks all.

I had done a 50% water change, as I was away and could not change it while I was gone.

I use to aquaclear 500s on the tank. I used the same water conditioner as I always do.

The tank itself doesn't smell, but the air around it does, and it is the fishy+earthy smell. I do not think there is a dead fish, and I haven't changed any feedings/there is not much excess food left in the tank.

If it is the filters, what is the best approach to do?

Thanks for your help

If it is the filters smelling like you described, its probably harmless, may dissipate over time or you might try a cleaning of your filter and media within. Remember to rinse your media in a bucket of tank water rather than tap water since tap will harm the beneficial bacteria in the media.

Some keepers use carbon to mitigate smells but ive never found it necessary or particularly effective.

 

[Trouser Cough]

I've noticed tank stank before but I too had been a little baffled as to where it came from.

Have you taken a reading of the big three post WC (ammonia / NO2 / NO3)? That might point you in the right direction. Beyond that I think some of us may be sensitive to air density. I run two tanks topless and when I walk into my office in the mornings the density of the air or difference in humidity is noticeable. It doesn't stink per se' but the difference is noticeable to my schnoz.

 

[Rwils24]

So, I did test after, ammonia was 2, nitrite 0 and nitrate 40ish. I have never had an ammonia reading, so I do not know what I did during this water change. Wondering if my filters got a bit empty and some of the bacteria died.

I just did a 50% water change and am hoping that will help. I Will stop feeding for the next few days as well. I am just concerned as I am away as of tomorrow morning until Sunday for a wedding.

IS there anything I can do in the interim?

I was worried a fish that hides often had died, but I found it in its hiding spot and it was alive and well.

Thanks

 

[Trouser Cough]

An ammonia reading can be an indication that your tank may have rec'd an overly agressive filter cleaning lately or similar. On a properly established and well maintained tank I wouldn't expect to see an ammonia reading and I also wouldn't expect an NO2 result. NO3 at 40% is higher than most posters here likely keep their tank at and if this reading was taken after a 50% WC your nitrates were likely greater than 80ppm a few days ago which is pretty high but still unlikely to stink.

When you did the WC did you also do a complete replacement of your filter media? If so you may be smelling the bacterial bloom that would take place in the tank as the bacteria re-established itself to the levels necessary to properly consume the waste volume in the tank.

 

[Rwils24]

That’s my confusion. The tank has been up for 2.5 years (was longer, but I moved then). I didn’t clean the filters.

the BP is a gravel mover and had a big pile in the corner that I vacuumed and evened out. Is it possible I released a lot of waste by moving it, causing the spike?