ARGH! this smell is pretty nasty...

Well, I came home from college today and walked into my room, and let me tell you, what a god awful stench. It's slowly filling the whole house, does anyone know what this is? no fish are dead either...... ?.?

 

Your aquarium info says your tank is 2 weeks old, so if you did not cycle it you are probably smelling ammonia. This can kill your fish so you need to do water changes every 1-2 days and get a test kit.

 

I did a water change this morning =(

 

there I just did a 25% water change. a large amount of the smell is gone, but when I open the top and smell the water, it still stinks.

 

Do you have carbon in your filter? I had a problem with a stinky tank a few weeks ago, and I just put some activated carbon into one of my filter pad things (or some of them come pre-made with carbon already in them) and the smell was gone by the end of the day.

 

I have the black charcoal thing in my undergravel filter. had it there since day one though, so I think it's probably a huge ammonia spike

 

Doing multiple waterchanges may slow down your cycle, but as long as the water going back in is within 1-3 degrees farenheit of the water in the tank and is treated (if it has chlorine in it) you can do multiple waterchanges.

If I were you I would do either a 50% waterchange or two 25% waterchanges and see how that works, if it only takes away part of the odor then I would do another one.

(If there is ammonia or nitrite readings then your tank is not cycled and your store is lying to you when they say 'all is well'. You should ALWAYS cycle a tank BEFORE putting fish in. That would be like putting you in a room and putting deadly amounts of ammonia vapors in that room and hoping you survived for a few weeks.)

 

I have the black charcoal thing in my undergravel filter. had it there since day one though, so I think it's probably a huge ammonia spike

I would try changing it. The activated charcoal only lasts for so long, then it starts leeching stuff back into the tank.
Good luck! (nothing's worse than a stinky tank!)

 

I had the water tested the day after I got my tank, and I watched them do it, they weren't lying, but I haven't been able to get another water test lately, I did another 25% water change today, and the smell decreased by a huge amount. and I know about the nitrogen cycle, but I didn't when I bought the tank. I know I did a stupid beginners mistake, I know, I know, I know, and I feel bad enough already, I'm doing everything I can, but I'm a minor, I can't do everything I want too, because my mom doesn't always let me.

 

HI Kayin,
We've all made mistakes and still do.
Your water tested 'ok' because it was almost straight out of the tap.
Not enough time to show the harmful ammonia levels starting to build from fish waste and uneaten food.

Just keep up with the water changes.

Do what my kids always did....if they wanted something, they would prepare......so every time you go out take a water sample with you, as you pass the fish store say...."Hey mom, since we're right here....."
Ask the store to write your numbers down.

Good luck

 

k.

 

If a test is done with strips or done within 24 hours of a water change the results can be inaccurate. Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates each have their own smell and I find ammonia to be the worst. Stinks so bad, we used to cycle tanks on the back porch. LOL

If you can get a bottle of Prime to use for treating your tap water, it will help the fish during the cycle along with the recommended 25% water changes every day or 2. You can just leave the carbon out. I only use it to remove meds and don't use it otherwise.

If you don't have aeration in the tank, I'd recommend it. Fun for the fish and it can help some with cycling.

 

One chemical that I would recoment would be amaquel plus, it has the ability to break down the ammonia and nitrites instantly and the chem is easy to find (petstores like petsmart, petco, etc).... I use an off brand of it only because the store we shop at it locally makes it and refills the bottles for 20 percent off... they do that for their fish foods too.... you could also find a buddy w/ an established tank and beg/borrow/steal gravel, filter media/filter... anything to throw in the mix to cycle your tank faster.... you need that good bacteria to break down that ammonia/nitrite.... my last new tank I used all used gravel and a used filter cartrige and half used water....

 

hmm good idea, ill look around... and just so you know, we have no petco or petsmart, just a little store called "wee fishie" and they double the prices on everything. I'm the only one that I know who has fish. =\ no buddies. Oh well....

 

Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates each have their own smell and I find ammonia to be the worst. Stinks so bad, we used to cycle tanks on the back porch.

This is the one thing about caring for cats that I hate. I despise the smell of ammonia.
Of course, since ammonia is a very toxic chemical, it makes sense that it smells bad, but it still bugs me.

 

go look at my fishy pictures lol.

 

Where are your fish pictures?

 

there you are =P