my new aquarium stinks!!!

I set up a 55gal about a week ago. the past few days I've noticed it REAKS! I just put my 5 cherry barbs in a couple of days ago.
I also put a few small put a few small plants in from my old 10 gal. could that be the cause of the stench? I bought some cheap
plant bulbs and a few days after I dropped them in I noticed that a white and fuzzy covering was starting to grow on some so I
removed those.I would appreciate any help.

 

I set up a 55gal about a week ago. the past few days I've noticed it REAKS! I just put my 5 cherry barbs in a couple of days ago.
I also put a few small put a few small plants in from my old 10 gal. could that be the cause of the stench? I bought some cheap
plant bulbs and a few days after I dropped them in I noticed that a white and fuzzy covering was starting to grow on some so I
removed those.I would appreciate any help.

HI Brandy and welcome to fishlore!
I am also in the process of cycling a 55 gallon fishless. I'm not sure why your tank reaks.. I doubt somehow that the plants would be the cause. But if the plants were in the process of dying ( maybe that's what the white fuzzy is) then its possible for them to start to smell. Good thing that you took them out.
good luck with your tank! ~ kate

 

hey welcome to fishlore! do you have a testing kit, like the apI master freshwater kit? you probably have high ammonia and/or high nitrites - the cause of the smell.. i'd recommend getting that test kit and some "Prime" for treating your tap water since it will help with those chemicals while your tank cycles. partial water changes every day or 2 for a week or so should help some and then you just need to keep up with testing and water changes and tank cleaning as you work on getting the tank cycled. have you read the help page on the nitrogen cycle at fishlore's front page? do you have any friends/family with a tank that's cycled?

 

You started the tank about a week ago, What substrate are you using, When did you put fish into the tank? Sorry for all the questions. Your tank should not have an odor so lets figure out what's going on so you can enjoy your tank. A water change is always your first line of defense when it seems something is wrong, so I suggest you do one now. Check your filter media to see if it has an odor. If it does rinse it in used tank water. You can also rinse it in clean dechlorinated water.
Carol

 

I had the same problem, I put a carbon filter in front of my reg. filter and it has helped quite a bit, a 10%-20% water change also helped out

here is the link to my thread

 

I had the same white fuzzy covering over my plant bulbs (sorta gel like?) I left them in the tank and they are now healthy plants. It seems that the fuzzy stuff is on the bulb right before it sprouts and begins to grow. I don't think it is harmful in any way (I had fish in the tank and they were fine)

 

we had some bulbs do that and they just sat there getting uglier & uglier.. never did sprout. maybe it's just random with those things, but we had poor luck with them.

 

If I had to guess, I'd say the white fuzzy stuff was an oomycete. These organisms are sometimes called water molds, and used to be classified as fungus, but are now known to be more closely related to diatoms. There are all sorts of oomycete plant pathogens for land plants. Ever heard of that famous Irish potato famine, caused by potato blight? Well, that was an oomycete causing the blight. Oomycetes are also to blame for at least some of the "fungus" that can grow on fish eggs or fish.

I can't say for certain if your white fuzzy bulbs were infected with an oomycete pathogen, but chances are they were, and that means they weren't doing so hot anyway. It is possible for plants to recover from such infections, but usually if a bulb gets a big infection like that, it's not going to germinate. I'd say you were totally justified in tossing them.

 

I agree with Kevin...Carbon will most likely take care of your smell...I have always used carbon always have never had an odor...

 

We like to use this carbon: . It is longer-lasting than typical ac.

 

Thank you everyone for your help. Sorry I didnt get back sooner. Well I did a 20% water change and I had a resin wrecked ship I think that might have been adding to the smell. maybe? My cherry barbs are well, love all the room in this tank! I also added some live plants from F&S. All the ammonia , nitrate, ph everything has been fine. Thank you again this site has been a huge help.

 

glad to hear the tank is good.