Tank Smells.....

[360º]

so i've had my 30 gallon running for about a month, with 3 SAP.

i seeded it with established filter media from a 110 gallon filter.

it fully cycled in 3 days.

i do 25% water changed every 3-4 days

 

[logansmomma1228]

what is SAP? what are your parameters? what do you use to test the water? sometimes tanks just smell funny. is it like pond smell or rotten smeling?

 

[360º]

South american puffers.

parameters are perfect.

its a pond smell... kinda musty

 

[logansmomma1228]

well i think it is normal for that smell. dont worry too much about it. I have that in my puffer tank, when i do water changes. It isn't anything bad.

 

[Lowryder]

If you have an odor coming from your fish tank, I would first check to make sure all your fish and other critters are accounted for and alive and healthy. Then check to see if there is uneaten food piling up in or behind decorations or in the filter, or if the filter cartridges otherwise need to be cleaned or replaced.

Make sure you are providing the necessarypwcs and other necessary tank maintaince including filter maintenance.

Also, reducing the number of unnecessary chemicals that are being used in the tank will probably help your overall tank maintenance as well as helping to prevent unnecessary and undesired odors.

 

[360º]

i do PWC every 3-4 days
all fish are there and healthy
they pretty much all the food i put in the tank, i never over feed. anything that falls to the bottom, the ghost shrimp eats.

i dont use any chemicals except declorinator.

the filter has only been running for about a month. i dont know if i should be cleaning it yet? if so, how do i clean it without killing the bacteria?

 

[logansmomma1228]

You just rinse the filter media in the old tank water when you do your water change. DONT rinse it in tap water, and make sure you keep it wet. If it dries out it kills the bacteria. You don't have to replace it until it is falling apart.

and i only clean my filter media once every two to three weeks, it doesnt get that bad since i only have one little fishy in there

 

[ChileRelleno]

In a healthy established tank odors are not normal, its a sign of a problem.
In a newer tank it may not be as indicative of a real problem, but more often just the new system still in flux, e.g. a bacterial bloom, excessive nutrients or some such.

In your case, I'd say that after a month running established media, it is time to clean the filter/media.
Using a bucket of either tank water or treated tap, rinse the media very well, don't be gentle, get all the crud out of it, you won't dislodge beneficial bacteria.
Rinse the filter box out well.

Also, any leftovers from a SA Puffer's ideal diet (meaty foods), is very likely to end up in the substrate and contribute to high levels of dissolved organics in the water.
Though I usually don't recommend carbon in filtration, it may be a good option for you. It will absorb the organics/odor, but will require changing weekly/biweekly depending on bio load.

What make/model of filter are you running?
What medias are you using in it?
If you use substrate, what kind, how deep and how often are you vacuuming it?
How big are your Puffers?

 

[mommytron]

Using a bucket of either tank water or treated tap, rinse the media very well, don't be gentle, get all the crud out of it, you won't dislodge beneficial bacteria.

sorry for the thread jack, but i have a question about this. my filter media gets pretty grody because of all the tannins in my water. i've kind of been hesitant when cleaning it. when you say "don't be gentle" how rough can i be? can i squish it in the old tank water to squeeze all the gunk out of it? because i've just been swishing it around and lightly "brushing" it off. (sorry kind of hard to explain.) so how rough is too rough?

 

[360º]

In a healthy established tank odors are not normal, its a sign of a problem.
In a newer tank it may not be as indicative of a real problem, but more often just the new system still in flux, e.g. a bacterial bloom, excessive nutrients or some such.

In your case, I'd say that after a month running established media, it is time to clean the filter/media.
Using a bucket of either tank water or treated tap, rinse the media very well, don't be gentle, get all the crud out of it, you won't dislodge beneficial bacteria.
Rinse the filter box out well.

Also, any leftovers from a SA Puffer's ideal diet (meaty foods), is very likely to end up in the substrate and contribute to high levels of dissolved organics in the water.
Though I usually don't recommend carbon in filtration, it may be a good option for you. It will absorb the organics/odor, but will require changing weekly/biweekly depending on bio load.

What make/model of filter are you running?
What medias are you using in it?
If you use substrate, what kind, how deep and how often are you vacuuming it?
How big are your Puffers?

puffers are really small, about an inch each.

substrate is play sand and i vacuum it every 3-4 days when i do water change.
i have an aqua clear 70 in there right now with one sponge, 2 bio bags (looks like white pellets in mesh) and one bag of carbon/ammonia remover)

 

[ChileRelleno]

Puffers are really small, about an inch each.
Substrate is play sand and I vacuum it every 3-4 days when I do water change.
I have an AquaClear 70 in there right now with one sponge, 2 bio bags (looks like white pellets in mesh) and one bag of carbon/ammonia remover)

Hmmmm... Been running the carbon for the whole month... Time to change it.
If that doesn't get rid of the odor, then you've another problem than dissolved organics.
I'd also suggest ditching one bag of bio media (pellets) and adding 1/2 of another sponge or some Blue Bonded padding.

sorry for the thread jack, but i have a question about this. my filter media gets pretty grody because of all the tannins in my water. i've kind of been hesitant when cleaning it. when you say "don't be gentle" how rough can i be? can i squish it in the old tank water to squeeze all the gunk out of it? because i've just been swishing it around and lightly "brushing" it off. (sorry kind of hard to explain.) so how rough is too rough?

I vigorously scrunch it between both hands and squeeze it accordion like... I get all the crud out of it.

 

[mommytron]

I vigorously scrunch it between both hands and squeeze it accordion like... I get all the crud out of it.

wow and that doesn't kill any bacteria off?? cuz if not i am totally doing that from now on. my filter media is so grungy!