View Full Version : Rotten egg smell
NYC1DXO
10-29-2006, 2:11 PM
Whenever I change my water, I have rotten egg smell for two days.
55 gal tank with Ehiem filtration and water changes weekly @ 20-30%.
plah831
10-29-2006, 2:14 PM
that's sulfur. It's produced in FW aquaria in anoxic situations where there is no oxygen in your gravel. Do you have sand? Compact substrates like that will prevent water flow through the substrate, leading to anaerobic pockets of nasty bacteria. Their waste products are sulfurous, and toxic! Those gases can kill your fish.
Are you vacuuming your substrate with each water change? You really should, to loosen it up and facilitate oxygenation through all the layers.
NYC1DXO
10-29-2006, 3:08 PM
I have some substrate and I do vacuum at each changing. Can I have my substrate level too thick? Am I over feeding?
plah831
10-29-2006, 3:32 PM
what kind of subsrate is it? And how thick?
When you vacuum, are you sticking it all the way to the bottom, so it gets stirred through all the layers?
Blueiz
10-29-2006, 3:32 PM
How long has your tank been set up, what are the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings, what kind of water conditioner do you use, what is your tank stocked with, what do you feed and how often?
NYC1DXO
10-29-2006, 4:02 PM
Tank has been set up for more than a year. I did replace the substrate that ranges from 1/2" to 1" thick. The readings are as follows; ph 6.6, Ammonia 0 ppm, and Nitrate 0 ppm. The tank has a pleco, 5" tiger oscar and 5" tinfoil barb.
SirWired
10-29-2006, 5:16 PM
When I first read this post, I was thinking Hydrogen Sulfide gas also, (the anerobic bacteria byproduct), but that gas is so toxic that if it really was in his fish tank for two days, there would be no living organisms left in that tank if it persisted that long. H2S is also not something that lasts very long.
How much like rotten eggs does it smell? Does it smell "mild", like, say a sulphur-based dechlorinator (like Prime)? Or does it smell like your fishtank is gassing off the odorant they put in Natural Gas to make it smell dangerous?
SirWired
NYC1DXO
10-29-2006, 5:44 PM
Sometimes its pretty powerful smell. Then diminishes. Only occurs after changing the water. Could it be the water I'm adding from the tap?
In addition, some of the scales on the Tinfoil Barb look discolored/damaged and the Oscar sometimes has a loose white tissue that attaches on her side as well as above her head.
What are your water parameters? I'm thinking that your Nitrates have to be through the roof with a pleco, tinfoil barb and an oscar! You are wayyyy overstocked, should consider upgrading your tank or getting rid of all but 1 of your fish.
fishcatch22
10-29-2006, 7:32 PM
I beleive that the injuries could be a result of aggression, and this problemwith the sulfur is from having too many fish. you should return the tinfoil barb and the pleco, and keep only the oscar. the oscar is the only fish you will be able to have in there, as all your fish get 1 foot + as adults.
Blueiz
10-29-2006, 7:34 PM
Dies your water normally smell like that, like when you are showering or something? If so, it could be your tap water.
Did you mean nitrites were 0 instead of nitrates?
Blue
NYC1DXO
10-29-2006, 7:50 PM
Nitrites were zero. Tap does not smell. I think removing the fish will not correct my present senario.
Blueiz
10-29-2006, 7:51 PM
What kind of water conditioner do you use, if any?
Blue
fishcatch22
10-29-2006, 7:57 PM
Nitrites were zero. Tap does not smell. I think removing the fish will not correct my present senario.it will, as even if it doesn't resolve the bad smell problem, i think it may resolve injuries. common plecos can get upwards of 2 feet in lenght, and tinfoil barbs get to be a foot long and are aggressive, not to mention they need schools. osacars cna get to a foot long, but they can live fine in a 55G for life. I think your barb and your oscar have been getting aggressive with each other due to lack of space. return the barb now, and the pleco once it gets to about 8".
it will, as even if it doesn't resolve the bad smell problem, i think it may resolve injuries. common plecos can get upwards of 2 feet in lenght, and tinfoil barbs get to be a foot long and are aggressive, not to mention they need schools. osacars cna get to a foot long, but they can live fine in a 55G for life. I think your barb and your oscar have been getting aggressive with each other due to lack of space. return the barb now, and the pleco once it gets to about 8".How can a full grown oscar live a long healthy life in a 55g tank? I have a 55 and it is 13" wide, oscars top out ~12", how is he going to turn around? I would not promote keeping an O in a 55g, maybe using it as a grow out and eventually moving him into a 100+, but not for life. JM2C
fishcatch22
10-29-2006, 8:27 PM
How can a full grown oscar live a long healthy life in a 55g tank? I have a 55 and it is 13" wide, oscars top out ~12", how is he going to turn around? I would not promote keeping an O in a 55g, maybe using it as a grow out and eventually moving him into a 100+, but not for life. JM2Cthey can LIVE FINE. I did not say they would THRIVE in a 55G. my mother kept an oscar in a 55G for 25 years.
they can LIVE FINE. I did not say they would THRIVE in a 55G. my mother kept an oscar in a 55G for 25 years.IMO that is cruelty. If you can't afford or find the space for a tank larger than that then don't keep BIG fish, simple as that.
fishcatch22
10-29-2006, 8:30 PM
IMO that is cruelty. If you can't afford or find the space for a tank larger than that then don't keep BIG fish, simple as that.bah, he was happy! he never had trouble turning or anything. I loved him like an aquatic brother, and my mother like a second son. if she knew he was unhappy in there, we would have gotten him a bigger tank.
bah, he was happy! he never had trouble turning or anything. I loved him like an aquatic brother, and my mother like a second son. if she knew he was unhappy in there, we would have gotten him a bigger tank.How can a 12" fish be happy in a 13" wide tank? I do not want to argue with you, I'm just stating my opinion and I don't believe you should ever ADVOCATE keeping a 12" fish in a tank that they can BARELY turn around in.
To the OP, sorry for hijacking your thread!! I believe that the smell in your tank could be from the severe OS conditions. The 3 fish that you have in there are fairly large and produce tons of waste, the older they get the more waste they will produce. When you change your water are you also changing your filter media? I'm wondering if every water change you are experiencing a mini cycle, therefor smelling ammonia? Just a thought.
Blueiz
10-29-2006, 8:41 PM
Lets please get back to the subject at hand.
Fishcatch22, Bitsy, post links to factual information to back up your opinionated statements if you would like to prove your points. Arguing around in circles amongst yourselves is NOT helping this poster.
Thanks
Blue
Grundy
10-29-2006, 8:43 PM
Check the pH of your tap water that you put into the tank. If it is significantly higher than 6.6 your tank could be in serious trouble and could crash if there truly is anaerobic stuff going on.
NYC1DXO
10-29-2006, 9:08 PM
Tap water is 7.0 ph
KingOfTheDeep
10-29-2006, 9:16 PM
a 5 inch oscar 5 inck tinfoil barb and a pleco in a 55 is not overstocked...YET, they will all need to be upgraded to a larger tank soon..
Grundy
10-29-2006, 9:17 PM
I would gravel vac the snot out of the tank and make sure to get under decorations, driftwood, etc. and then do a 50-60% water change. That smell does not sound good to me. Activated carbon may help with the smell but you need to figure out where it is coming from.
NYC1DXO
10-29-2006, 9:40 PM
Ten hours after my water change and the odor is gone!! BTW, the pleco has remained 6" after two years! Other than the size of the species, what is the cause of this odor?
Blueiz
10-29-2006, 9:43 PM
I may have missed it..what type of water conditoiner are you using?
Blue
plah831
10-29-2006, 9:43 PM
well, if the pleco has stopped growing and is indeed a common or other large pleco species, it is most likely stunted. This is caused by the buildup of wastes that "tells" the fish its body can no longer grow because there isn't room. However, the internal organs continue to grow, leading to an uncomfortable and long, drawn-out death. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Didn't I already tell you the cause of the sulfur smell? Most likely anaerobic activity due to undisturbed substrate.
webcricket
10-29-2006, 9:53 PM
Do you have real driftwood in the tank? Some driftwoods intended for reptile tanks are treated with a chemical that can give off a sulphuric odor as it leeches from the wood. These treated woods should not be used in aquaria.
CaptnDan
10-29-2006, 10:07 PM
There are two common sources for the smell you described.
One would be anaerobic activity, like in the substrate. Another that is becoming quite common is is part of the water heater. It's called a sacrificial anode rod. Usually zinc, it's intended to help protect the tank of the water heater. Under some conditions, they can produce the smell you described.
Oh, and BTW, in response to previous posts: (FWIW)
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile16.html
http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.cgi?db=fresh&uid=default&ID=0320&view_records=1
http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Pleco.htm
Dangerdoll
10-30-2006, 10:14 AM
what is the water conditioner you are using when you do water changes? Also, for how long have you been doing these water changes? Meaning, did you just start doing them on a weekly schedule or have you been changing the water weekly since the tank cycled? The pH is pretty different from your tap and it sounds to me as if the fish as well as the tank are going through something at the moment which is coomonly what happens when water changes are started abruptly, like after not having changed the water for a while.
Caspar
10-30-2006, 2:01 PM
I myself am a Newbie but keeping in mind that Oscars are messy eaters and produce a ton a waste, you may want to increase the size of your water changes to at least 50%. The substrate may also be a problem by trapping a lot detrius from these large fish.
Pallen81
10-30-2006, 5:00 PM
after years of having a healthy tank, once randomly I got the dreaded "egg smell" from my tank. Apparently, somehow i got the sulfur thing... beats me how it happened but it did. In two days, my Firemouth was dead, but the rest of the fish lived on. I changed water like it was my job, making sure to really mix up the gravel when I vacuumed.
Now all is well... recreating a mini ecosystem in your house can sometimes go crazy just when you think you've got it perfected.
I highly recommend the water changes... maybe add a powerhead to mix up the water better... more oxygen. other then that. i'm stumped. good luck.
kmgriff72
10-31-2006, 11:01 AM
Do you have hollowed tank decorations? I had a SW tank with a hollow decoration in it and it fouled up my water and crashed the tank. When I lifted up the rock it smelled very strongly of rotten eggs. I lost several fish due to this.
NYC1DXO
10-31-2006, 12:42 PM
I do have a hollow decoration. The pleco loves to hide inside it. I'll take a look to see if this is the culprit.
What are your water parameters? I'm thinking that your Nitrates have to be through the roof with a pleco, tinfoil barb and an oscar! You are wayyyy overstocked, should consider upgrading your tank or getting rid of all but 1 of your fish.
How is he overstocked with less than 20" of fish in a 55g???
The generic rule of thumb is 1" per gallon or more if you have really good filtration or a heavily planted tank...
Dangerdoll
10-31-2006, 1:12 PM
what is the water conditioner you use??
How is he overstocked with less than 20" of fish in a 55g???
The generic rule of thumb is 1" per gallon or more if you have really good filtration or a heavily planted tank...The 1" per gallon rule is a bunch of bull honkey, try doing a search of this site about it. It is the general consensus that this rule is never to be followed as it does not take into account many important aspects. This is one of the big myths in freshwater fishkeeping that I wish would just dissapear.
Blueiz
10-31-2006, 1:37 PM
NYC1DXO ,
What kind of water conditioner are you using??
Blue
CaptnDan
10-31-2006, 4:59 PM
How is he overstocked with less than 20" of fish in a 55g???
The generic rule of thumb is 1" per gallon or more if you have really good filtration or a heavily planted tank...This is definitely not a rule of thumb, or any other body part.
This method (and I use the term very loosely) fails to take into account the actual mass of a fish, the territorial needs of a fish, nor the feeding habits/needs of a fish, just to name a few.
This has been stated and restated, and discussed ad nauseam.
It's completely invalid.
kmgriff72
11-01-2006, 11:09 AM
So, how is your tank? Do you still have the smell?
NYC1DXO
11-01-2006, 4:25 PM
Ten hours after my water change and the odor is gone!! BTW, the pleco has remained 6" after two years! Other than the size of the species, what is the cause of this odor? FYI
Dangerdoll
11-01-2006, 4:29 PM
what is the FYI for? did you ever say what conditioner you use with water changes?
kmgriff72
11-01-2006, 5:20 PM
It means, for your information...... sorry, I missed that post or forgot or had a brain fart or something. I would just keep an eye on the hollowed out decoration and make sure that is not the cause of it.
NYC1DXO
11-01-2006, 7:01 PM
What water conditioner should we use?
What water conditioner should we use?
I don't think that was the intention behind the question. I remember some recent thread about some foul odor coming from Prime in combination with some aquarium decoration.
plah831
11-01-2006, 8:16 PM
I remember some recent thread about some foul odor coming from Prime in combination with some aquarium decoration.
That was my thread. Now that I think of it, I think the smell was from my snails. It wasn't so much a sulfurous smell, as just stinky like poop. The fake wood smells exactly like my snail breeding tanks. I've just decided to live with it. The smell only happens when I take the decoration out of the water. But it dissipates quickly and definitely doesn't linger for two days following water changes. The Prime smell also dissipates within seconds.
Pheintz
11-01-2006, 8:44 PM
I had that same problem once but for me it turned out that I had accidently spilled a little Amquel+ on the hood which seeped around the rim. That was a really nasty smell. Especially the next day when I opened the hood... :thud:
plah831
11-01-2006, 8:46 PM
I had that same problem once but for me it turned out that I had accidently spilled a little Amquel+ on the hood which seeped around the rim.
ooh, that'll do it! Someone on this site once spilled a whole bottle of Prime on his bed! Bet he wasn't going to make an impression on the ladies ;)
Dangerdoll
11-02-2006, 9:01 AM
What water conditioner should we use?
at this point, we're trying to find out what the possible causes are for the smell, which is why the question was asked about what you are currently using. Lots of people have different preferences of conditioners so there's really not a brand over the other that you should use...... but I do hope you use something.
Star_Rider
11-02-2006, 1:34 PM
Ten hours after my water change and the odor is gone!! BTW, the pleco has remained 6" after two years! Other than the size of the species, what is the cause of this odor?
so 10 hrs after the odor is gone?
have you determined the source of the odor(filter??) ?
you also checked some decorations?
how big of a water change did you do? and did you also do a heavy vac?
as far as the pleco...determine the species ..if it's in a 55 and is only 5-6" I'd guess it could be one of the smaller speices.
as far as water changes..you do have some messy fish..you could benefit by a 50% water change every week or 2 30% changes per week.