Tank odor

[Pso408]

Have a 20 gallon tank and am doing a fish-in cycle. I'm about 2 weeks into it.

I have 4 red-eye tetra, 4 Cory, a Betta, and a common pleco. I have a large in the tank filter, an air pump, heater, gravel, etc.

Doing a daily water change (due to the cycle) of approximately 40-50% and using PRIME. I also vacuum the gravel while doing this. Also, I am careful NOT to overfeed.

All this yet my tank smells pretty bad.
Any ideas?

Also, as a side question: would it hurt to use a little extra PRIME ( like 1 1/2 dose)?

 

[christine2012]

Does it smell something like rotten eggs? If so-bacterial bloom. What do your parameters look like?

 

[jpchin]

you do know that prime has a bad smell? is the bad smell just when you do water changes? if it is it might be the prime.

 

[christine2012]

you do know that prime has a bad smell? is the bad smell just when you do water changes? if it is it might be the prime.

Prime stinks. If it smells like sulfur that's probably your source.

 

[Pso408]

Hard to describe the smell. Just smells 'dirty'.

Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Ammonia .25
Ph 7.6

I know prime stinks but it doesn't smell like prime.

Is the 50% daily water change too much?

 

[DavidAl]

You may have hit an anaerobic pocket in the gravel somewhere that caused a bad smell. When this happens hydrogen sulfide is expelled. Aquariums do have a piscine smell to them. Once you get used to it you won't smell it anymore.

Do enough water changes to keep the ammonia below .25ppm and nitrites below 1ppm.

David