Tank is starting to smell? Advice?

- Hey everyone, I haven't had my tanks too long, I'm up to five now, but my question is on the first one. I've had it established for months now, but in the last day or so it has really started to smell... Not only when your right on top of it, but throughout the house. I expected a "fishy" smell when I started the hobby, but could this be a sign of something wrong? My levels are good; Ammonia = 0ppm, Nitrite = 0ppm, Nitrate < 20ppm, pH = 7.4, temp = 78 - 80. The smell is of fish, nothing extremely odd, but it got strong in the last 24 hours, would a water change help? I did one 4 days ago. The fish seem the same, and nothing is visually wrong with the water. Any thoughts?

Thanks a Million,

-AB-

 

Hiya. That sounds strange. Some random thoughts: could there be a dead fish that you didnt' see? How often do you vacuum your gravel?

 

That's very strange and I don't think normal...It could be a dead fish ,like Armadillo says, or maybe something rotting inside?

 

it does sounds like a fish may have jumped out of the tank and may have flopped a decent distance from the tank to be giving off a smell that is that far-reaching. :-\ ???

 

- I'm sure they are all OK, I keep pretty close tabs on each . The tank has only been cycled for a little over a month, I avoid vacuuming while is was cycling and since then I've done two half vacuums. Maybe that's not enough? It is just weird how it happened so quickly. I would have noticed a gradual increase in odor, but this was in one day. Today's test/water change day (Yay! ;D ) so hopefully I will find something.

Thanks,

_AB_

 

The only smell your tank should have is a light earthy smell anything else indicates a problem. I hate to ask a bunch of questions but here goes anyway
What type of substrate do you have? current Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate reading? cleaning schedule and how long has it been set up? all fish accounted for?
Thanks
Carol

 

Ok guys, don't make fun of me, but I found the source of the smell.. My girlfriend neglected to inform me that she had thrown leftover taco meat in the trash can near this particular tank in the kitchen. It smelled very much like rot fish and I guess I got a little over worried, lol. Sorry, but the good news is while I was cleaning and testing it today I discovered a few new arrivals. So far i've located 3 Cherry Barb fry which surprises me given their tank mates, but I guess a few made it. Good thing I invested in yet another small tank .

- Sorry again for the mix up.. better safe than sorry I assume.

_AB_

 

No problem! Glad alls well
Carol

 

ABiondi, always better to be safe than sorry... and congrats on the fry!

 

aye, chihuahua! congrats on the little fry - pics, pics, pics in the fry pics thread.

 

Thanks, i've tried to get pics becuz I wasn't sure if they were barb's and I thought I could look closer in a pic. But they are too small and elusive, none of the pics came out.. I will get them soon..

- On another note.. I know your not supposed to move a full tank due to the weight.. but I need to rearrange for another tank and i'm perplexed with how to go about moving it.. should I take all the water out? can I just leave enough for a few fish? I have moved tanks before and my 20 gallon leaked a bit with only the weight of the substrate and decor. Any suggestions or experiences?

 

I have moved a 10 gallon with water in it, but I took the fish and everything out so that I was just moving the tank with water. 2 things to consider are: 1) is there enough water out so that can you lift it, move it and still talk with your normal voice? 2) do you have the water low enough for slosh-action? (the closer you hold the tank to you, the more slosh but the further away more weight effect).

probably the fastest way to do it without killing yourself or leaking, spilling, dropping, etc. is to take out the decor, then the fish into a bowl that you can cover enough to prevent jumping, then the gravel into a bucket/cooler with enough tank water poured in to cover the gravel, then use a big container, bucket, etc to remove a lot of the water & pour it out in the tub.. then move the tank, dump the gravel back in, pour in new water, treat it, add the decor, add the fish. with some help, you can probably do it all pretty fast.

 

We moved our 10G the other week to make room for a bigger tank on the old spot. We emptied as much of the water as possible but left enough so that the fish stay comfortable. We removed all decorations that could tilt, and unplugged all wired stuff like oxygen pumps, etc. Then we moved the tank with the fish in.

We seem to have lost 3 fry in the process, though. Don't know if the large water changes knocked them out.

Whatever you do, don't do this on your own, even if you can handle the weight. Oh, and you know about always carrying an aquarium from its bottom, to avoid putting stress in unusual parts ot the glass. 's about it.

Soooo glad the smell was nothing. Very funny that you had a whole team of fish people scratching their foreheads wondering what it was! Doesn't matter, we love a good mystery.

Congrats on the fry!   

 

well now we all know that the next time there is a mystery dead fish smell to suggest immediately "taco meet in the garbage!"

 

LOL! Yep, it's good we've learnt from your experience, ABiondi. Thanks for sharing!

 

I'm glad you found the source of the smell and that it wasn't a prob!! And best of luck with your fry!

 

We seem to have lost 3 fry in the process, though. Don't know if the large water changes knocked them out.

Sorry to hear that, but how old were the fry? The tank I'm moving has 10 molly fry (about 5weeks old), a pregnant guppy, and a pleco. Do you think the large water change or the move in general could be too stressful? I don't want to lose anyone or have her abort.

And thanks all for the input, I feel more confident about moving it.. I only have to go a few feet so it should be OK.

- On yet another note, does anyone have any small children? We are 8 month's pregnant with our first child, and a few people have voiced concern about our baby and the fish tanks. I could understand the threat of the child pulling over a tank when he's older and we'll take care of that, but someone said having a tank in his room may keep him awake or possibly encourage bed wetting with the water sounds. There are no tanks in the soon to be nursery (formally my office), but if we were to get one more that's where it would have to go. I guess i'm getting a little off the 'fish forum' and more on the 'new parents forum' but I think there's a better chance of hearing from experience instead of doctor "theories".

Thanks Again All

_AB_

P.S. - Do beware of the Old Taco Meat

 

HI ABiondi.

The fry: That's OK, I wasn't too sad. I wasn't that attached to them as they were too good at hiding (no, no chance they're still alive am sure I'd have seen them in 2 weeks!). It's not great that they're gone, of course,

We also only moved the tank less than 2 meters, but I guess it was the moving of decorations, the emptying the tank practically dry, and the entirely new outlook from the tank that stressed them out. They may also have been hiding in the gravel which is a deadly move when a tank is being moved.

Congratulations on your own little fry! Loads of our members have kids, and aside from the usual safety rules and teaching the kid to respect the animal's need for calm/privacy, it seems fish and human kids can be pretty good tankmates! Am looking forward to hearing reactions from members with kids. We're thinking of kids and, wondering how there'll ever be time for kids and fish!

'P.S. - Do beware of the Old Taco Meat'

 

well, we're not parents yet, but i'd be surprised if a tank in his room would keep him awake or encourage bed wetting.. for one thing, the little plastic aquarium toys seem to be popular in nurseries and thought to be soothing. Try getting comfy and just lie there watching an aquarium for a while and it should give you an idea how it can be relaxing to us humans, even when children or babies.

With a quiet filter and full tank and a small air stone, you will have very little in the way of water noises.

Best of luck with your new baby and when we have kids, we plan to have a small aquarium within view with some very colorful guppies in it, everything done up big on color for visual stimulation.. bright, colorful flat marbles for the substrata, bright silk/plastic plants and caves. maybe even with a oceans sounds cd on loop real soft playing.

 

I knew someone who set up a ten gallon tank as a night light in their newborns nursery. Babies tend to sleep better if they get used to a little "white noise". Also gave him something to look at wen he first woke up. He has grown up to be a very laid back little boy.
Carol

 

Maybe we should put more fish tanks in jails, then. And in mental hospitals. Just have to make sure we don't put otos in there! Hardly relaxing to watch them dart around like rockets.

 

First of all grates on the fry! Chery Barbs are very pretty I reall would like to get some but afriad my other fish would eat them.

I think it would be a really good idea to have a fish tank in a childs room as long as you keep it out of reach which is a duh. I used to live with someone who had a four year old and she loved my fish and when they had babies recently she just can't stop talking about them. And even the 2 year old loves watching them and is always saying fishy which sometimes sounds like the B word lol.

 

Maybe we should put more fish tanks in jails, then. And in mental hospitals. Just have to make sure we don't put otos in there! Hardly relaxing to watch them dart around like rockets.

i'm not sure about putting them in jails.. prisoners already live better and have more luxuries than a lot of hard-working, law-abiding citizens.