My Tank Smells So Bad. Help Please

[AlliW]

I'm in a tiny dorm room and it smells all the time. I just replaced almost all the water with filtered water and I took out all of the gravel at the bottom and cleaned it with dish soap, but it still smells bad. What should I do?

 

[Rutrag]

Tell us a little more about the tank. What size, what kind of fish and how many? How often do you feed and do you do partial water changes?

Off the cuff, it sounds like you may have been overfeeding or overcrowding, and the tank is not cycled. Please don't wash anything aquarium related with dish soap as the residue may be toxic to aquarium life. Plain tap water should be sufficient.

 

[AlliW]

It's a 5 gallon with a 3 inch shubunkin and a 1 inch fantail. I have a marina filter. I've only had them for a couple days and I have changed 50% of their water once and 75% of the wat once. Over feeding is possible because I don't have set times to feed them yet.

 

[Wolfsblood]

I would rinse that gravel like crazy or just get new gravel. Soap is not good.

Part of the reason it smells is because the fish are producing a lot of waste for that concentrated area. Shubunkins get nearly 14" and fantails can reach 8". A 5 gallon is not large enough for the 2 right now. I would take them back to the store and think about getting a Betta.

Here is a good link to help you get started. Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

 

[Samzter]

It's a 5 gallon with a 3 inch shubunkin and a 1 inch fantail. I have a marina filter. I've only had them for a couple days and I have changed 50% of their water once and 75% of the wat once. Over feeding is possible because I don't have set times to feed them yet.

Those two goldfish alone need a 30g as juveniles then when adults a 40g. That filter doesn't sound significant enough if you've only changed the water twice, I can see a problem