Tank Odor? How do I remove?

[SHICKS]

I have a 46 gal Chiclid tank with 6 fish about 4 inches each. Over the past months the tank has developed an odor, I have done water changes filter changes. This temporaliy fixes the problem. I have bright green algae on one side of the tank that has grown fairly quickly and two of the fish has little spots on them and a little fin rot.

Can anyone tell me what might be happening? How to treat. I have had the tank for many years, and never had this problem with odor.

Thanks,
Steve

[Kasakato]

What does it small like? Have you testeed your water?

[SHICKS]

What does it small like? Have you testeed your water?

No I have not tested the water yet. Smells like rotting garbage.

Steve

[Harlock]

If it's blue-green, slimy and grows on everything you are looking at cyanobacteria, which can also have a funky smell. Usually it occurs in tanks with poor water quality. What are your water parameters right now, how often to you gravel vacuum and do water changes and how much water do you change? A great article on algae is found here (http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9) on the Plant Geek.Net (www.plantgeek.net) website. Once you identify the algae, you can look for the reason you are getting it. Also, can you describe the smell you are smelling? Is it an ammonia smell? Is it a loamy kind of earthy smell?

[acefred]

Time for a big vacumming and water change (like 2 or 3 X 50% in the same day) look at water levels after this, get an algea treatment and even look at a diatom filter, test water quality daily (even twice a day) when treating after treatment add carbon for a few weeks to you filter (change it weekly) this will clear up the medication and any residule odors and look for the problem............High Phospates, high nitrates, poor general maintenance.

[SHICKS]

If it's blue-green, slimy and grows on everything you are looking at cyanobacteria, which can also have a funky smell. Usually it occurs in tanks with poor water quality. What are your water parameters right now, how often to you gravel vacuum and do water changes and how much water do you change? A great article on algae is found here (http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9) on the Plant Geek.Net (www.plantgeek.net) website. Once you identify the algae, you can look for the reason you are getting it. Also, can you describe the smell you are smelling? Is it an ammonia smell? Is it a loamy kind of earthy smell?

Test results

PH 7.4

Nitrite 0 ppm

Ammonia 1-2 ppm

Nitrate 160+ ppm

I have not vacumed recently, did a paritial water change and filter change a few weeks ago.

Seems whenever I do a big water change and through vacum, the tank cycles and I loose fish.



Thanks,
Steve

[Kasakato]

Thats BAD. You should have NO ammoina, and lower nitrates. What size is your tank and what fish are in it?

[acefred]

Safe nitrate levels are like below 50 ppm and you ammonia should be a max of like 0.5 ppm (this is still hard on fish) so you are going to have major algae problems and stress on fish.

Do what I said above..................

You should be vacuuming and water changing weekly or at the most every 2 weeks. Water changes should be 25%-50% and the vacuuming should be as complete as can be done.

I thought I had high Nitrates a few weeks ago (they were pushing 60ppm) and this is what I did, you should do the same..................

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/nitratecontrol/l/aa091901.htm

After this you should look at treating the clouding etc and the fish and then start a weekly or at the most every 2 week vacuum and water change proceedure (25%-50% change)

[SHICKS]

Thats BAD. You should have NO ammoina, and lower nitrates. What size is your tank and what fish are in it?

The tank is 46G with 6 african chiclids about 4" each.

I know its bad, but I am afraid to over clean the tank, what steps should I take.

Steve

[Harlock]

Test results

PH 7.4

Nitrite 0 ppm

Ammonia 1-2 ppm

Nitrate 160+ ppm

I have not vacumed recently, did a paritial water change and filter change a few weeks ago.

Seems whenever I do a big water change and through vacum, the tank cycles and I loose fish.



Thanks,
Steve
Change water now. Your ammonia is high and nitrates are unbelievable. Vacuuming and changing water does not force the tank to cycle unless you are using untreated water that is killing your bacteria. If you rinse the filter in chlorinated water or change the filter pads out when you do this, that would explain why you cycle as you beneficial bacteria are getting killed off. These bacteria are not free floating in the water so water removal does not affect your bacteria at all. Also, these bacteria cling to surface inside of the tank and especially in the filter media so a vacuum cannot suck them out even. Please describe your maintenance routine and we'll see if we can identify the problem together and maybe get this straightened out for you so you'll be a happier aquarist with happier fish. ;)

[Kasakato]

You will loose the cycle becasue you are changing your filtrt media way too much. You really should do a lot of water changes like the above poster said.

[blueturq]

If you want to remove odours or colours.... you could use activated carbon in your filter media ;), if something else is causing the problem... then I apologize...

[SHICKS]

If you want to remove odours or colours.... you could use activated carbon in your filter media ;), if something else is causing the problem... then I apologize...

Thanks, I just did a 75% water change and vacum. I do use carbon, and it helps a little. I'll try to do more water changes.

Thanks,
Steve

[wynn]

Just curious, but what type of filter are you using? When you say that you are 'changing' the filter, what exactly do you mean? Water changes and filter cleaning shouldn't cause your tank to re-cycle, but replacing your bio-filter will.

[acefred]

Thanks, I just did a 75% water change and vacum. I do use carbon, and it helps a little. I'll try to do more water changes.

Thanks,
Steve

I would do more..............Also keep testing that water and think about adding some Amquel Plus or Prime to clean out the bad stuff...........Change the water more today or do the same changes and vacuum for the next few days.

Also give us the info what do you use for a filter and what do you mean by filter change?????

[Kasakato]

Ok your fish are SUPER stressed. Not only do they have to deal with ammoina but un heard of nitrate. Do more water changes, something like another back to back 50% changes. Test your water again and list exactly what you do when you do a water change.

[Harlock]

Yes, as I said earlier, having your exact maintenance routine would be beneficial to us in determining what's going on. Do you use a Python to siphon and gravel vac? How deep are you going into the substrate. What kind of substrate do you have? Everything you can think of about the tank will help.

[SHICKS]

I would do more..............Also keep testing that water and think about adding some Amquel Plus or Prime to clean out the bad stuff...........Change the water more today or do the same changes and vacuum for the next few days.

Also give us the info what do you use for a filter and what do you mean by filter change?????

I use a large AquaClear. I rinse out the spong and change the carbon.

I knew this would happen. One of my fish is not doing well at all. The other fish are attacking him. I think they are all males, they have the little speckles on the bottom fin.

I am not sure what I should do at this point.


Steve

[SHICKS]

Yes, as I said earlier, having your exact maintenance routine would be beneficial to us in determining what's going on. Do you use a Python to siphon and gravel vac? How deep are you going into the substrate. What kind of substrate do you have? Everything you can think of about the tank will help.


Yes I use a python. To be honest, I change the water and clean the filter once every couple months. I have not been a very good at keeping up with it lately. Now I am paying the price.

I have attached a pic of my tank, not from today though.

Thanks,
Steve

[wynn]

Are you rinsing the sponge filter with tap water? If so, you may want to start using tank water instead.

As a side note about the carbon change, I have a severum that used to react badly to carbon changes, particularly if I didn't rinse the carbon bag REALLY well before putting into the filter. She would turn solid black (her normal color is bluish green) and sort of go head down into the gravel for a couple of days. She was the only one in the tank that would do this for some reason, and it took me forever trying to figure out what was causing it. Since then, I rarely use carbon in my filters anymore.

[SHICKS]

Are you rinsing the sponge filter with tap water? If so, you may want to start using tank water instead.

As a side note about the carbon change, I have a severum that used to react badly to carbon changes, particularly if I didn't rinse the carbon bag REALLY well before putting into the filter. She would turn solid black (her normal color is bluish green) and sort of go head down into the gravel for a couple of days. She was the only one in the tank that would do this for some reason, and it took me forever trying to figure out what was causing it. Since then, I rarely use carbon in my filters anymore.

I have not done the sponge and carbon today. The fish are very agressive and when they see a weak one, thats it. Most of them were born in the tank a few years ago. I wish I could lower the stress level, I'll do another water change today.

Steve

[acefred]

Do you have anything to isolate that weak fish in (another small aquarium)? I would do this and run like that untill he is better (or worse)

Get that water back up to a good quality and keep it there and you will have very little trouble with your fish.

As mentioned above don't rinse filter media with fresh water use old tank water (this won't kill the bacteria).

[SHICKS]

Do you have anything to isolate that weak fish in (another small aquarium)? I would do this and run like that untill he is better (or worse)

Get that water back up to a good quality and keep it there and you will have very little trouble with your fish.

As mentioned above don't rinse filter media with fresh water use old tank water (this won't kill the bacteria).


We don't have another tank setup. He seems to have fin rot and little green specs. Should I put an anit-fungus chemical in the tank, the one that turns it bright green? After I do another water change.

Just took another reading.

Still not good, I use a water conditoner that is supposed lower nitrates.

[midiamin]

Also, make sure you ae not overfeeding!

[wynn]

I wouldn't put any medication in at this point. What I would do is another water change with a thorough gravel vacuum, including under all decorations. After filling the tank back up with water, I would turn off the light and check on things tomorrow.

Sounds like you already know what is causing these problems, and I really do feel for you on this. I got a little lax on my tank maintenance a few months ago, and paid dearly for it. Hopefully you won't have to go through what I did.

[acefred]

What are you getting for readings now?

I also agree don't add anything else other than conditioner now.

Vacuum and water change again. Turn off likghts and hope.

Then start again tomorrow take readings change another 100%-150% of volume with vacuuming again through the day and then hope somemore.

I can only say regular water changes and vacuuming are a must (no longer than evry 2 weeks)

[SHICKS]

What are you getting for readings now?

I also agree don't add anything else other than conditioner now.

Vacuum and water change again. Turn off likghts and hope.

Then start again tomorrow take readings change another 100%-150% of volume with vacuuming again through the day and then hope somemore.

I can only say regular water changes and vacuuming are a must (no longer than evry 2 weeks)


The ammonia was better, about .25ppm

the nitrates were still off the chart. I am doing another vacum now and 75% water change. I hope this helps, I need to pay more attention to this tank.

Thanks,
Steve

[SHICKS]

Thanks for everyone's help. What a way to introduce myself to this forum :eek:


Steve

[wynn]

Thanks for everyone's help. What a way to introduce myself to this forum :eek:


Steve

No problemo. I hope everything works out okay for you and your fish.

BTW, is that a kennyi in the picture? I used to have one of those back when I had an african cichlid tank. Those things are pure evil! lol I bought him when he was very small...he was a cute little blue fish with dark vertical bars. After having him for awhile, he turned a solid bright yellow and tried to kill everything in his path, including his own reflection in the glass. :P

[Harlock]

Woops, you caught me whn I was away at the Fish store. Sounds like you are doing the right thing. You should keep testing water daily. Any trace of ammonia or nitrites and you should definitely do a 50% water change. Once you stop seeing ammonia and nitrites for a couple of days, it is safe to assume you are cycled.

Python's are wonderful things. I love using them to both syphon and fill my tank. i always make sure I add the water teratment to the tank right before and as I fill, so no chlorinated water gets in. Pythons also do an excellent job of aerating the water, but I have chloramines, so good luck gassing off chlorine anyway. When I do filter maintenance I rinse my filter sponge in a bucket that I have filled with about four gallons of water I take directly from my tank with a gallon size plastic pitcher. This way, I shouldn't kill off the good bacteria that change ammonia and nitrites into nitrates. Also, I do a 50% water change and gravel vacuum at least once a week. My fish love it and my plants do great. I normally shoot for every 5 days, but that's because I am home a lot and when the kids are napping, I can do a little tank work. If you can stick to a once a week schedule your tank should thrive and your fish might be lucky enough to only die o old age. ;) Good luck, and seriously, don;t worry, we've all made mistakes. Forums like these are where we learn, and if you stick around, you can probably pick up some good preventative ideas as well!