What Should An Aquarium Smell Like?

HI Guys & Gals,

What should a healthy tank smell like? I lifted the glass lid today and smelled right on the water and I don't know how to describe the smell. I guess kind of earthy/swampy.. I can't smell anything unless I smell right up to the water. I check water parameters often and just tested today as well. Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 5-10. I have a little bit of algae but not much at all. Just wondering what other people's tanks smell like and if mine should be ok?

 

HI Guys & Gals,

What should a healthy tank smell like? I lifted the glass lid today and smelled right on the water and I don't know how to describe the smell. I guess kind of earthy/swampy.. I can't smell anything unless I smell right up to the water. I check water parameters often and just tested today as well. Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 5-10. I have a little bit of algae but not much at all. Just wondering what other people's tanks smell like and if mine should be ok?

I would say that is normal for an established tank

 

Earthy ok... Rotten eggs bad, very bad.

Mine smells earthy when water level drops like when doing a water change or too much evaporation. Usually my tanks don't smell, unless I literally have my nose in the tank. It definitely doesn't stink up the room or anything like that.

Some algae can really stink. So if you have cladophora (I think that's the smelly one) or cyano bacteria growing and exposed to air... Yeah that will stink.

 

My planted tanks have a very "green" smell - a little swampy, organic, but nothing offensive.

 

that's a good question actually lol ive never thought about how tanks should smell

 

I would say that is normal for an established tank

I wonder if algae is what gives it that swampy kind of smell..

My planted tanks have a very "green" smell - a little swampy, organic, but nothing offensive.

Yeah same. It nothing horrible and I can't really smell anything unless I'm up close but never really thought about what a tank should smell like so thought I would see what others say..

 

I think it depends on if you have a well planted tank with natural decor or not. I would think an aquarium with colorful gravel, plastic ornaments, and fake plants would smell less "natural" than a planted counterpart.

 

Earthy ok... Rotten eggs bad, very bad.

Mine smells earthy when water level drops like when doing a water change or too much evaporation. Usually my tanks don't smell, unless I literally have my nose in the tank. It definitely doesn't stink up the room or anything like that.

Some algae can really stink. So if you have cladophora (I think that's the smelly one) or cyano bacteria growing and exposed to air... Yeah that will stink.

Yeah it doesn't smell bad or like rotten eggs. Isn't that a sign of high ammonia? I've bought some Moss balls at petco before that had that smell and it's so awful. It's really upsetting that they would sell them like that. Anyways, yeah just curious what other people's tanks smell like.

I think it depends on if you have a well planted tank with natural decor or not. I would think an aquarium with colorful gravel, plastic ornaments, and fake plants would smell less "natural" than a planted counterpart.

Yeah it is a planted tank so that would make sense. I just get overly curious about things sometimes.

 

Yeah it doesn't smell bad or like rotten eggs. Isn't that a sign of high ammonia? I've bought some Moss balls at petco before that had that smell and it's so awful. It's really upsetting that they would sell them like that. Anyways, yeah just curious what other people's tanks smell like.

Rotten eggs = hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas created by bacteria breaking down organic matter. If the moss balls smelled like that, it would mean they had sat there a long time, and anaerobic bacteria were breaking down organics withing them.

 

mine doesn't smell like anything other then fish and earth lol but very light smell. You made me curious

 

All descriptions are correct on how a tank should smell. And yes, its hard to describe.
It should smell earthy, kinda organic, very light, not offensive at all, and you have to get up very close to the water and sniff very hard to really smell anything.

 

Earthy is a good description of what good tank water should smell like...there will be a 30 second delay in all post replies.( as the entire Fishlore community walks over to their tanks lifts their lids and takes a good sniff )

 

Like a walk in the woods after rain

 

What if a tank doesn't have live plants, and has minimal algae? Does the tank still get an earthy smell?

 

HI Guys & Gals,

What should a healthy tank smell like? I lifted the glass lid today and smelled right on the water and I don't know how to describe the smell. I guess kind of earthy/swampy.. I can't smell anything unless I smell right up to the water. I check water parameters often and just tested today as well. Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 5-10. I have a little bit of algae but not much at all. Just wondering what other people's tanks smell like and if mine should be ok?

When I lift my tank and I'm greeted by my gouramis, I immediately forget the smell

What if a tank doesn't have live plants, and has minimal algae? Does the tank still get an earthy smell?

Yeah. Actually smells worse without plants IMO. Plants suck out all the bad stuff.

 

Mines just smell like... Water. I feel like I can drink it.

If it's a unpleasant smell then it could be something dying, or that you need to do a water change. When I don't do a water change for awhile, it has a very light "pond" smell, but not anything repulsive or I can't stand breathing. Planted tanks can have a "swampy", organic, but fresh smell, but nothing that's bad. If you don't like it then just add some activated carbon in the filter and it'll be gone within a day or two.

 

Mines just smell like... Water. I feel like I can drink it.

If it's a unpleasant smell then it could be something dying, or that you need to do a water change. When I don't do a water change for awhile, it has a very light "pond" smell, but not anything repulsive or I can't stand breathing. Planted tanks can have a "swampy", organic, but fresh smell, but nothing that's bad. If you don't like it then just add some activated carbon in the filter and it'll be gone within a day or two.

I actually like the small of my tank.... is that weird.

 

I actually like the small of my tank.... is that weird.

not really. I like how mine smells too lol

 

I actually like the small of my tank.... is that weird.

I think it's a accumulated like. Just like beer as no one who tastes a regular beer for the first time would enjoy it

 

Mines just smell like... Water. I feel like I can drink it.

If it's a unpleasant smell then it could be something dying, or that you need to do a water change. When I don't do a water change for awhile, it has a very light "pond" smell, but not anything repulsive or I can't stand breathing. Planted tanks can have a "swampy", organic, but fresh smell, but nothing that's bad. If you don't like it then just add some activated carbon in the filter and it'll be gone within a day or two.

If the carbon hasn't been changed in a awhile do you think it's a good idea to change it out?

 

If the carbon hasn't been changed in a awhile do you think it's a good idea to change it out?

Yeah of course. But what would be the reason for why you have it in there? I have mine to get rid of tannins from my driftwood and I use it to remove chemicals. And funky smell when I don't have time to deal with it. Other than that I see little purpose for them.

 

I wonder if algae is what gives it that swampy kind of smell..

I would say its the algae in combination with the nitrogen gas being produced by the benifical bacteria

 

Reading this thread made me want to smell my tank. I'm sick so I couldn't smell anything. My bottom lip touched the water and my rummynose went up to investigate.

 

Tanks smell different, even in the same room.
Really warm tanks get the musty, damp earth smell people are describing.
I use my snout a lot. It's a sensitive one. I like it when my tanks smell like a clean northern lake does - put your nose a couple of inches above a clean lake, then do the same with a tank and they should be similar.
Put your nose above a degraded bog, a ditch or swamp and get the same smell from a tank - that isn't what you want!

My bottom lip touched the water and my rummynose went up to investigate.

Don't kiss rummynoses, no matter what their perfume is like.

 

Reading this thread made me want to smell my tank. I'm sick so I couldn't smell anything. My bottom lip touched the water and my rummynose went up to investigate.

lol yes don't kiss rummynose no matter how cute or how good he smells

 

My tanks have very little smell. If you are markedly noticing a smell, I would say that decomposing organics are high and a water change is needed.

 

Yeah. Actually smells worse without plants IMO. Plants suck out all the bad stuff.

I have no plant, and no driftwood, and my tanks do not smell bad at all. My tanks have a very pleasant smell actually.

 

lol yes don't kiss rummynose no matter how cute or how good he smells

HAH! It was just an accident.

 

Yeah of course. But what would be the reason for why you have it in there? I have mine to get rid of tannins from my driftwood and I use it to remove chemicals. And funky smell when I don't have time to deal with it. Other than that I see little purpose for them.

It came with my Aquaclear so I thought couldn't hurt

 

HAH! It was just an accident.

sure sure that's what they all say

 

Earthy, mostly? My current planted nano tank doesn't smell like anything at all, which is a bit strange.

 

Earth smells good, who doesn't want to smell earth in the comfort of their house?

 

I actually like the small of my tank.... is that weird.

Yes that's weird

 

It came with my Aquaclear so I thought couldn't hurt

Those are a waste of money. You don't need carbon all the time in your tank.

Here's a trick that I found to never buy those cartridges again. Once you run out again, try this instead. Get a coarse filter sponge or plastic pot scrubbies. Cut it to the shape inside the filter to fit in there. Boom. You have a biological media that compares to a canisterfilter. Get a sheet of plastic mesh for quilting and a roll of polyester quilt batting from the same store. Cut out a piece from the mesh that will fit somewhere in your filter that has a good flow, then wrap that piece in the quilt batting. You have yourself a super cheap, but WAY MORE EFFECTIVE filter then you ever had. It's a trick I've been using since the beginning of my hobby and I've saved a ton of money from it.

 

My tank did have unpleasant smell when I had sand substrate . Normal ?

Even now there is no sand, I could still smell a little when I did water change

 

My tank did have unpleasant smell when I had sand substrate . Normal ?

Even now there is no sand, I could still smell a little when I did water change

How deep was your substrate?

 

Those are a waste of money. You don't need carbon all the time in your tank.

Here's a trick that I found to never buy those cartridges again. Once you run out again, try this instead. Get a coarse filter sponge or plastic pot scrubbies. Cut it to the shape inside the filter to fit in there. Boom. You have a biological media that compares to a canisterfilter. Get a sheet of plastic mesh for quilting and a roll of polyester quilt batting from the same store. Cut out a piece from the mesh that will fit somewhere in your filter that has a good flow, then wrap that piece in the quilt batting. You have yourself a super cheap, but WAY MORE EFFECTIVE filter then you ever had. It's a trick I've been using since the beginning of my hobby and I've saved a ton of money from it.

Could you take a picture? Id love to see it.

My tank did have unpleasant smell when I had sand substrate . Normal ?

Even now there is no sand, I could still smell a little when I did water change

I bought a dirty tank off of craigslist and it smelled horrid. Cleaned it, still smelled horrid..... algae smells, my other tanks don't smell at all.

 

Could you take a picture? Id love to see it.

Sure!






I'm not sure if you can see it, but there's some Seachem Matrix in there with lava rocks as my main biological media.



Picture above is how I add activated carbon if I need to. I just got a nylon "bridal favor bag" and wrapped it up with a rubber band. I discard the whole thing after.



With gouramis, shrimp, and other low flow fish I put a sponge over the intake of the filter. This serves as additional mechanical filtration and some biological as well, but when I clean it I really give it a good squeeze as this isn't my main bio filtration. Shrimps love it and they aren't dying from the intake of the hang on back filter.

 

How deep was your substrate?

Just 1 inch . I removed half and still smelled . Now bare bottom still has a little smell

 

What are those plants o: