My fish tank smells

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bruceamo12

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 25, 2016
Messages
42
Hi!
I have a 45 gal planted tank. It's stocked with guppies, tetras, mollies and bottom feeders and pleco. tank is clean and plants thriving. Nitrites 0, nitrates hardly on the mape. using a eheim filter.
walking by and odor coming from tank?
any suggetions to remove or whats causing odor?
 

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Hi!
I have a 45 gal planted tank. It's stocked with guppies, tetras, mollies and bottom feeders and pleco. tank is clean and plants thriving. Nitrites 0, nitrates hardly on the mape. using a eheim filter.
walking by and odor coming from tank?
any suggetions to remove or whats causing odor?

Hello bruce...

How often and how much water are you changing? Tank smells are typically dissolved fish and plant waste material. Work up to the point you remove and replace most of the tank water weekly to remove dissolved waste and you'll notice a big difference in how the tank smells. You can also use carbon in your filtration system. It will reduce tank odors. This type of filter material will only last a couple of weeks, then you'll need to replace it.

B
 
you could get a small powerhead and aim it at the water surface making a small ripple that odor will go away almost instantly ,
this smell usually happens because of not enough circulation on the surface of the tank causing a cesspool type of smell
(Air/gas exchange) this is a big factor in both freshwater and saltwater and is often overlooked
 
Last edited:
you could get a small powerhead and aim it at the water surface making a small ripple that odor will go away almost instantly ,
this smell usually happens because of not enough circulation on the surface of the tank causing a cesspool type of smell
(Air/gas exchange) this is a big factor in both freshwater and saltwater and is often overlooked
thank you
I know all other parameters are good. anerobic conditions good. I filled tank up over the flow. now that makes sense, Ill lower water level so that more flow is active.
Thank you
 
Another common source of bad smells is rotting food clinging underneath the trim of the aquarium
 
Another common source of bad smells is rotting food clinging underneath the trim of the aquarium

Ditto, an boy can it cause a stench!!!

Also the edges of the glass and the plastic that holds it and the cross braces often catch food particles.

The hinge can trap little food pellets and with a little splashing out of water changing water - stinkeroo!

I rinse my glass hinged lids in the shower vertically opened and shut positions so that I can get the most crud out very easily.

Dead fish behind the tank or in the filter???
 
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