Help! My tank smells

[Canary bird]

It's the Pleco food ... I just noticed this last week mine has been having shrimp wafers and the water stinks, so I leave the lid off most of the day and it soon goes,

 

[Rivers2k]

Yes it smells horrible....AGAIN. im aboit to go to petco and pick up substrate. And then ill just get rid of the play sand. The tank is 35 so ill use that substrate in my upgraded tank when I get it

I really don't think that is it but let me know how it turns out. The smell is coming from something in the water. That is what you have to have to look at. But give us an update after you change out the sand.

Justin

 

[Cactuspixie]

Yes it smells horrible....AGAIN. im aboit to go to petco and pick up substrate. And then ill just get rid of the play sand. The tank is 35 so ill use that substrate in my upgraded tank when I get it

Sand is much cleaner for your tank than gravel, so I don't see changing to gravel as having a positive impact on your problem. Do you stir the sand now and then to prevent gas pockets forming?
I find the NLS h2o wafers and Thera A pellets have quite a strong garlic smell (which I don't mind and can't smell in the tank unless its a hot day) and if they are left uneaten and begin to decay, they smell RANK! I found that out once when I discovered an uneaten wafer under an ornament. That stench was almost fatal!

 

[CichlidLady0312]

Sand is much cleaner for your tank than gravel, so I don't see changing to gravel as having a positive impact on your problem. Do you stir the sand now and then to prevent gas pockets forming?
I find the NLS h2o wafers and Thera A pellets have quite a strong garlic smell (which I don't mind and can't smell in the tank unless its a hot day) and if they are left uneaten and begin to decay, they smell RANK! I found that out once when I discovered an uneaten wafer under an ornament. That stench was almost fatal!

I picked up new sand lets see how good this will work

 

[CichlidLady0312]

Picked up Petcos white sand substrate for freshwater. Removed .95% of the play sand added the new dry substrate and already I see a difference In the fish, they are actively swimming and playing in the new substrate. The smell deminshed a bit but its still there. Washed moss balls put them back in so now I wait.

 

[Rivers2k]

How is it going the smell gone?

 

[CichlidLady0312]

How is it going the smell gone?

Hey thanks for asking. Its much better!!!

 

[Rivers2k]

Hey thanks for asking. Its much better!!!

That is great news.

 

[Canary bird]

That is great news.

I found my other tanks a bit smelly since I changed food to nls, but the fish prefer that food so I can put up with a whiff

 

[CichlidLady0312]

I found my other tanks a bit smelly since I changed food to nls, but the fish prefer that food so I can put up with a whiff

Yes. Lol it also makes the water cloudy...

 

[Canary bird]

Yes. Lol it also makes the water cloudy...

Never noticed that, it's never in there long enough