Unique smell found during prefilter cleaning

[Mr. Overfilter]

It took me a while to fiqure out what this smell was like. I'll describe it as similar to the smell that comes off of a fresh cut steak. There was nothing different about the cleaning. Black, carbon impregnated foam rings, smashed in my fist repeatedly in a bucket of tank water. The product was like any other foam cleaning I've done: thick, cloudy water that separates given enough time.

I know how weird this event sounds, because when I mentioned it to my wife she asked me if I was hungry. I wasn't. Water parameters are sterling and the community seems fine. The only difference is that I added some miramo algae balls about a week ago. Insights, experiences. thoughts?

 

[Delapool]

Only if I’ve been over-dosing ferts and lax on water changes I think I’ve had odd smells (apart from dead fish or something). But can’t remember if it smelt similar to anything (was more just different to normal).

 

[TMaier]

Do you have a lot of iron in your water?

 

[Fishingtrees]

What are you feeding? Maybe excess food in the filter?

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

Only if I’ve been over-dosing ferts and lax on water changes I think I’ve had odd smells (apart from dead fish or something). But can’t remember if it smelt similar to anything (was more just different to normal).

Believe me, I know how stupid all of this sounds. To try and describe further the smell was completely different from any smell coming off of a tank I own. I said fresh steak mostly because it was an earthy smell, that was pleasant.

Question for you, DP: what's a fert or a lax?

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

Do you have a lot of iron in your water?

I don't have a test for iron. Is there some way I can tell otherwise?

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

What are you feeding? Maybe excess food in the filter?

Hikari pellets 2 sizes, frozen and dried bloodworms and Tetramin flakes. I may indeed be overfeeding a bit because I have two juvenile BR parrots that are ravenous. To compensate we clean a third of the substrate every time we do a waterchange. I replace 30g of a 125g every week, which is working great for water parameters and clarity.

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

If anyone is interest, this is the type of filter that perhaps produced this smell.

https://www.amazon.com/OASE-Indoor-Aquatics-Biomaster-Thermo/dp/B07LHFRR93

Please note the cutaway at the bottom. Reviews of the unit suggest that the prefilter functions best when cleaned weekly. This time I waited 2-weeks and was surprised at the amount of (weird smelling) detritus.

 

[Delapool]

Believe me, I know how stupid all of this sounds. To try and describe further the smell was completely different from any smell coming off of a tank I own. I said fresh steak mostly because it was an earthy smell, that was pleasant.



Question for you, DP: what's a fert or a lax?

Interesting one [emoji4]

Lax is just slack on water changes. Australian slang? Usually I do about 40% a week but can miss a few weeks if big project on.

Ferts was that I dry-dose fertilisers for a planted tank. I have been slack on testing but usually a water change resets every week. It’s a 4ft tank but nitrates and potassium get dosed with a small spoon so could be possible to buildup. When I’m testing (must get new kits at xmass) I’m only aiming to lift nitrates to about 30ppm. Also dosing phosphate, carbonates and micro elements so have thought this ‘cocktail’ could be cause of smells for mine.

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

I stand educated in Aussie slang! �� Based on the additives you mentioned is yours a heavily planted tank? New test kits like a utilitarian gift and I like those. So you're experiencing strangely pleasant smelling detritus as well? I know, that sounds very weird to ask!

 

[Autumnsky]

Wipe in the rim around the tank and edge of glass lids to make sure that. Just in case any food stuff is built up in there. That said, have you smelled the forest or a healthy terrarium? There is a similar not exactly the same smell for a planted well running aquarium.

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

Wipe in the rim around the tank and edge of glass lids to make sure that. Just in case any food stuff is built up in there. That said, have you smelled the forest or a healthy terrarium? There is a similar not exactly the same smell for a planted well running aquarium.

I'll take a look for anything nasty in that area. A wet forrest in New Hampshire yes. It was similar to what I smelled. Alive, organic and fresh would be another way to describe it.

 

[Delapool]

I stand educated in Aussie slang! Based on the additives you mentioned is yours a heavily planted tank? New test kits like a utilitarian gift and I like those. So you're experiencing strangely pleasant smelling detritus as well? I know, that sounds very weird to ask!

It is fairly well planted - missing a few tall plants I’d like haha but CO2 injected. Nothing special plant wise.

It’s normally fairly good on smell. Base of tank is all planted out for a fair bit of cover. Tank is 2 and a half feet deep so sometimes leaning right into tank to get to back areas. I guess the water changes keep it fairly pleasant.

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

Is CO2 injection mandatory for a successful planted tank, DL? If so does doing so create any "special" problems? My idea of building the wife a tank has evolved into a pretty acrylic, lots of the appropriate plants and a shoal of neon tetras to start. I get the feeling that I want the rig to be as natural as possible and low on tech. In other words, completely out of character for me.

 

[Delapool]

Is CO2 injection mandatory for a successful planted tank, DL? If so does doing so create any "special" problems? My idea of building the wife a tank has evolved into a pretty acrylic, lots of the appropriate plants and a shoal of neon tetras to start. I get the feeling that I want the rig to be as natural as possible and low on tech. In other words, completely out of character for me.

Hi, sorry missed this (painting inside house). I’d say it’s not needed - I’ve seen some great non-CO2 tanks and have some myself. Generally slower growing, some plants may not like it but much less algae issues.

CO2 (as a fertiliser carbon source) will lift tank from say 3ppm to say 30ppm which is a huge boost. With that extra ferts and higher light can be run which gives faster, better growth (along with algae risk if too much light ime haha).

My main 4ft tank is set up with CO2 and a ph probe to control on/off. The whole lot was a bit expensive but looks after itself once going. Only thing is keeping the bottle safe I guess if small kids around.

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

Copy this, Delapool. based on the what you've mentioned here I'll go without CO2 in my tank. The wifes tank, the way I see it at least, is going to have lots of vegetation so CO2 looks like the right choice. The pH probe is a timesaving mention. I'm looking forward to planting a tank, which is something I should have learned about long ago.

Thanks for the data!

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

Wipe in the rim around the tank and edge of glass lids to make sure that. Just in case any food stuff is built up in there. That said, have you smelled the forest or a healthy terrarium? There is a similar not exactly the same smell for a planted well running aquarium.

Nothing around the tank rim or canopies besides a bit of mineral buildup. When I do a mild refit a week from this Saturday I'll check for the smell again. There will be 3 more people around, because no one believes me.

 

[charliebankston]

I smell spareribs...

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

So do I. Pro tip, with good ribs you shouldn't smell the grill, just the ribs.

 

[charliebankston]

So do I. Pro tip, with good ribs you shouldn't smell the grill, just the ribs.

Good to know... I'm hungry for ribs now. My wife is like wth is wrong with you