Strange slight odor

LogJam

LogJam

Learning more all the time...
Mar 30, 2005
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Hello,

My tank is about 4 weeks old. Today I noticed a slight strange odor that I can't quite describe, but my wife called, "funky". (Sorry, I know that description does not help much!) I really had to get my nose close to the water level, where it was slight but noticeable around the power filter.

I had tested my water earlier today:
Temp: 78
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
KH: 180
GH: 150

(I suppose the ammonia could be lower than stated above, right? I use a liquid test kit and "0.25" is the lowest it registers - other than zero.) I then performed a 30% water change and changed the filter pack in my Tetra Whisper Power Filter. All fish are behaving as they normally have and appear fine. In fact, one fish is recently LESS shy.

The odor did not appear until after the water change. I know what a bottle of ammonia smells like, and I don't think this smells like ammonia. The only other thing I have done differently is try feeding a little crushed freeze-dried plankton that I received from a friend. Could that be the cause? The odor has decreased since yesterday.

Is a slight odor typical of a new cycling tank?

Thanks,
LogJam
 
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Changing the filter pad out is likely the problem--those pads should be rinsed, and re-used as long as possible. Otherwise you remove the beneficial bacteria colonies, resulting in detectable ammonia (and likely nitrites down the line).

Most tanks will have a slightly earthy odor, but it shouldn't be very noticable.
 
Once you have a well estalished tank, you will get to know the odor that goes with a healthy tank (i wouldn't really characterize it as either pleasant or unpleasant). It sounds wierd, but when i see a tank (in a classroom that i'm in, or business) I will often smell the tank out of curiosity. You can tell alot about how healthy a tank is by how it smells. Am I crazy, or does anyone else think this?

ps I don't want to start anything, but when I see people post 0-nitrates it always makes me suspicious. I don't know of any established tank that has 0 nitrates. Heck, my tap water has 5ppm nitrates.
 
The filter pads should be reused? I thought the instructions said they were disposable! I use a Tetra Whisper Power Filter 40. There is the filter bag with charcoal inside, which they say to replace every month. Then there is a black sponge-like item, which it states not to replace, as the bacteria grow there - I am guessing - and to rinse it and put it back.

Does this all seem incorrect?


Thanks for all of your replies,
LogJam
 
It is the freeze dried foods breaking down on the filter pads. I go through that occasionally in my wet/dry filters. Remove any large sized foods that do not get eaten right away. :thm:
 
LogJam said:
The filter pads should be reused? I thought the instructions said they were disposable! I use a Tetra Whisper Power Filter 40. There is the filter bag with charcoal inside, which they say to replace every month. Then there is a black sponge-like item, which it states not to replace, as the bacteria grow there - I am guessing - and to rinse it and put it back.

Does this all seem incorrect?


Thanks for all of your replies,
LogJam
Click to expand...

Like any other company,the Whisper company wants you to buy new filter replacements so they can turn a profit.On my Whisper 60 i have three sets of two filters,when I do a water change,I keep recycleing these filter pads,untill they fall apart and are no longer useable.Just rinse them out in old tank water when you do a water change.And as for the sponge material,just give them a good rinse in tank water as well.
 
logjam, as long as you have one piece of filter media, in your case the black sponge, that only get rinsed in old tank water, then that is fine. That is where your bacteria are. they probably don't get a chance to colonize the pad. BTW, you can use polyester quilt batting from wal-mart wrapped around the plastic skeleton of the filter pad and held in place with rubber bands if you want to save some cash. The carbon isn't really necessary unless there's some kind of toxin in the water that you're trying to remove.
 
I think that "funky" smell is a normal part of establishing the nitrogen cycle. I remember my tank having a horrible smell, that seemed to permiate the house, right before nitrites started showing. The smell was like wet/soiled diapers (I know, yuck!) and it only lasted a couple of days (thank goodness!) Once the cycle was well on it's way, the smell became more "earthy," and not at all unpleasant.

Note: I seem to be much more sensitive to scents than my husband or kids, so it may have seemed much stronger to me, but it was definitely noticable. :)
 
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