Tank smell

[wvusexybeast]

My tank is making a smell and I think it might b killing my fish. I have had about 1 death per week. I've had the tank for little over a month now. The fish that died were 2 gouramis and 2 Molly's. It has fake plants and recently live plants. I haven't done a clean out cuz I don't want to get rid of the bacteria since it is a new tank. But I have changed the filter cartrage.

I have another tank that I have had a while so I could put some of that water in if that would b a good idea.

 

[jwh0818]

Is the tank cycling? How old is the tank set up? What's the water parameters? How often do you change the water?
What kind of smell?
Tank water doesn't really hold the beneficial bacteria (bb) its on surfaces like gravel wood and mainly lives in your filter pads
If your tank is still cycling I would read this article and if its not I would still read it

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154837

Yes a 50% waterchange now and in the morning another 50% change. But we need to figure out why the fish died and fix that too

 

[Cichliddave]

50% water change ASAP I'm guessing

Sent from my C6906 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[gilpi]

My tank is making a smell and I think it might b killing my fish. I have had about 1 death per week. I've had the tank for little over a month now. The fish that died were 2 gouramis and 2 Molly's. It has fake plants and recently live plants. I haven't done a clean out cuz I don't want to get rid of the bacteria since it is a new tank. But I have changed the filter cartrage.

I have another tank that I have had a while so I could put some of that water in if that would b a good idea.

How are you with your water changes?

 

[Jmunroe]

My tank is making a smell and I think it might b killing my fish. I have had about 1 death per week. I've had the tank for little over a month now. The fish that died were 2 gouramis and 2 Molly's. It has fake plants and recently live plants. I haven't done a clean out cuz I don't want to get rid of the bacteria since it is a new tank. But I have changed the filter cartrage.

I have another tank that I have had a while so I could put some of that water in if that would b a good idea.

You did things backwards. You want to do water changes and vac the tank clean and not change filter cartridges. You need bigger and more water changes ASAP

 

[Luananeko]

My tank is making a smell and I think it might b killing my fish. I have had about 1 death per week. I've had the tank for little over a month now. The fish that died were 2 gouramis and 2 Molly's. It has fake plants and recently live plants. I haven't done a clean out cuz I don't want to get rid of the bacteria since it is a new tank. But I have changed the filter cartrage.

I have another tank that I have had a while so I could put some of that water in if that would b a good idea.

Bad smelling tanks are almost always tanks with parameters out of whack. You're probably either smelling ammonia (which could be causing ammonia poisoning in your fish) or nitrates (which isn't as deadly, but in high numbers will have similar effects and will cause you to keep losing fish randomly).

First things first, do a 50% water change. If you have a test kit (drops kit, not strips), run tests on the water an hour or so after the water change and check the levels. If you don't have a kit, take a water sample to your LFS and have them test it for you while you buy yourself a kit for home use. If the levels are still high (more than 0.25 ammonia or nitrites, or more than 30 nitrates), do another 50% change after 12 hours. Repeat testing and water changes as necessary until you're down below the aforementioned levels. Continue testing your water daily and doing another water change if it goes above those levels.

You can swap to only testing weekly once you get a reading of 0 ammonia and nitrite for two weeks straight Try to get a feel for how fast your nitrates rise while doing this, as your water change amount and schedule will be based on how fast the nitrates are building. Your goal is to have nitrates stay below 20 between water changes. If you can't keep them under that level, you may be overstocked, or you may have high nitrates coming out of your tap. Consider adding live plants and lava rock to help naturally lower nitrates between water changes.

Hope this helps!

 

[wvusexybeast]

When I do my water change can I put in water from my other fish tank so it gets used water cuz that tank has perfect water so they would b better than tap wouldn't it

 

[Luananeko]

There's very little beneficial bacteria in tank water, even from established tanks... Unless your other tank has 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and close to zero nitrates when you test it using the drop kit tests, treated tap water will be far better for getting your parameters where they should be.

 

[venymae]

No, do not reuse the water. Use fresh dechlorinated water.
Don't change the filter-that's were the bacteria live.

 

[gilpi]

Used water...no, fresh water! How is the "other" tank?

There is no water better for fish than freshwater.