Tank smell

[wvusexybeast]

In one of my earlier posts I said my tank had a smell. Well after doing a 50% water change then another the next day the smell was still there. So I checked my parameters and I had 2.0 ammonia, 8.2 ph, no nitrates, and no nitrites. So I did another water change a week later and but nothing changed and the smell was still there. Any suggestions on the smell.

 

[Ronnie05]

Use some carbon in your filter smell will disappear

 

[wvusexybeast]

I am using carbon

 

[Alexa1s0nfire]

Are you using tap water, R/O, or a filtering system from the tap?

 

[wvusexybeast]

I am using tap then putting in conditioner

 

[Alexa1s0nfire]

Your tap doesn't have a smell normally I am assuming? Also you should run a glass of tap water and leave it sit overnight, then test the tap water to see what your base levels are.

Are you doing a fish in cycle or fish less?

 

[wvusexybeast]

Fish in

 

[Brookster123]

You should probably do some water changing to get your amm below .25ppm, 2.0 is wayyyy high and is most likely causing the undesirable smell emanating from your tank..

 

[wvusexybeast]

Oops I meant to put the ammonia went down to one. I guess I forgot.

 

[Brookster123]

1 is still high, don't take this the wrong way but your fish are suffering at those levels, with a fish-in cycle the idea is to cycle your tank with out killing your fish. A sustained reading of 1 ppm may not immediately terminate your fish but it will cause irreversible gill tissue damage that will most likely shorten their life..

 

[wvusexybeast]

Then how do I make all of the ammonia go away

 

[Brookster123]

Simple! Water change! A 50% wc will take 1ppm to .5, repeat an hour later and your safe at .25!!! Easy peassyy

 

[wvusexybeast]

K but are u sure the ammonia is the smell

 

[Brookster123]

I'm guessing so.. Is it a natural dirt/earthy smell?

 

[wvusexybeast]

No it smells more like my dog crapped in it

 

[Brookster123]

Ok so that's all the Un processed vishpooo, until your tank has built up the bacteria to eat the waste than you will manually have to flush that toilet man! Flushhhh ittt

 

[Alexa1s0nfire]

Lol I have never heard it referred to as flushing it like a toilet before but that is a good point. Water changes are going to be your best friend and worst enemy when this is all said and done. You will probably end up doing a water change daily until the tank is completely cycled.

I learned the hard way as well because I got some bad advice from a local pet shop. Without the help of the forums here I would have lost a lot of stock and luckily my fish survived but I now know I have diminished their quality of life by doing a fish in cycle.

 

[gilpi]

No it smells more like my dog crapped in it

Do you have dog? Maybe that is the problem.

In all seriousness, in years of fishkeeping I've never heard of this. Unless the tank has been abandoned for a very long time, I don't know why you have this kind of smell but all you can do at this point are lots of water changes and don't over feed.