Marinero

We've been noticing that our new little 5 g tank is kinda making our apartment smell bad, even after a water change. We were going to upgrade to a 30g but now we're having second thoughts about this hobby because of the odor. Could this be because the tank is still cycling? If this 5g kinda stinks....would a 30g be 6 times as smelly?

joe

I have a 30 gal. and a 10 gal. in my room and i dont think it smells. but when my friends come in they say it smells a little. I guess i'm used to it by now. even if it does smell a little i think it is worth it

Janmitch22

Butterfly

Most tanks have an earthy smell but if it stinks then something is seriously wrong. If this is the case then you need to cut your feedings down, do a water change. Check your filter and see it thats where the smell is coming from, if it is rinse it in tank water. Let us know how it goes.
Carol

dahly

Charcol in the filter will help remedy smells. Change it once a month too.

Marinero

Well I did about a 33-40% water change and cleaned the filter a little and that seems to have done the trick . I just did a water change about 2 days ago but I guess it has to do with where it's at in the whole cycle process

Thanks for the help!!!

Isabella

My aquarium never stinks to me. Maybe it's also because I'm used to it. But no one ever told me that my tank smells. Similarly to the above comments, I think that a tank will never smell bad if you take good care of it. Regular water changes with gravel vacuuming, no over-feeding, and monthly charcoal changes should all be effective.

Janmitch22

Gunnie

Using charcoal/carbon is purely optional unless you need to remove meds from your tank. Some folks swear by it, and there's nothing wrong with that if you use it. I on the other hand, think it's a waste of money to use it on a regular basis. If you have a smell problem when your parameters are off, by all means try the carbon to pull some of the smell out. However, the carbon absorbs smells quickly, and will only be effective for a few days and will no longer be able to absorb any more. It maxes out pretty quickly.

Janmitch22

tootie

Hello to you all.I have just read about problem fish tanks smelling it kind of like most things in life,common sence,meaning what we put into our lives is what we get out of our lives i tend to use the same prinsaple with my fish tank it depends on how much work i do on my tank to keep it in top condition meaning if i clean my tank regulary like every day i do a daily cleaning to check if every thing is working properly pumps pH levels nitrite levels to see if there is any thing dead is important to me as my tank reeks if a fish is dead inside it.To clip off dead plant and clean class and most importantly water top ups and changes which i do when ever i feel the need to provided i stick to the basic rules i dont have any problems.And if i'm slack then i seem to have heaps of problems with my tank.Good luck from Tootie.