My 75 gal Cichlid tank smells nasty!

[Sir]

And I can't for the love of me figure out why. I do weekly water changes and I clean out the filter once a month. I run a Rena XP3 with my tank but I do not use carbon because I was told that it doesn't do anything useful. Was I given wrong information about that? Will adding carbon to my filter get rid of the smell? Please help because my parents are getting really pissed off and threatening to get rid of my fish tank! :help:

 

[Pudge]

How often do you feed your fish? could it be left over food?

 

[robbob2112]

The only time my tank smells anything other than just plain water, or a little earthy is if I have a something in it... i.e. dead fish behind a rock or burried in the substrate.

You don't mention your substrate or if you vacum it on a regular basis, assuming it is gravel or something you can...

If it is sand, do you stir it regularly to prevent hydrogen sulfide build up? That is a rotten egg smell and potentially deadly to fishy.

Carbon can help in the short term, but you should find and eliminate the root of the problem.

Normal healthy tank shouldn't stink, ever.

 

[Sir]

I feed them 2 times a day. And that could very well be the problem, they don't eat everything, but I also have a Pleco in the tank that tends to clean up after them.

 

[belfastbabe]

whats your substrate????
do u vac your substrate reg??
i agree the smell is usually decaying food... or bodies
you could have disturbed a pocket under the gravel/sand durin WC

im all out of ideas.... its a pitty air freshner kills fish lol

 

[Sir]

The only time my tank smells anything other than just plain water, or a little earthy is if I have a something in it... i.e. dead fish behind a rock or burried in the substrate.

You don't mention your substrate or if you vacum it on a regular basis, assuming it is gravel or something you can...

If it is sand, do you stir it regularly to prevent hydrogen sulfide build up? That is a rotten egg smell and potentially deadly to fishy.

Carbon can help in the short term, but you should find and eliminate the root of the problem.

Normal healthy tank shouldn't stink, ever.

I do have sand and I was totally unaware that I was supossed to stir it. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Sir]

I use sand and don't vac it. I didn't know I was supossed to stir it so I will start doing that and see if the smell goes away.

whats your substrate????
do u vac your substrate reg??
i agree the smell is usually decaying food... or bodies
you could have disturbed a pocket under the gravel/sand durin WC

im all out of ideas.... its a pitty air freshner kills fish lol

 

[belfastbabe]

I use sand and don't vac it. I didn't know I was supossed to stir it so I will start doing that and see if the smell goes away.

oh please the amount of fish poo that surfaces on the sand... vac is needed ... i use a vac/python on my sand and turn it once a week at least, some times everyother day if i notice a pocket building.....

Even if u dont vac the sand, even use a net to scoop up that poop unless u have a megaaaaa filter.....

unhygentic tanks that smell are not healthy

ps to stir it up you can just use your finger n flick through it,from the very bottom to realise bubbles

 

[robbob2112]

to stir, just stick your fingers in to the bottom and give it a gentle twist back and forth... Loosens it up and if you are careful and slow it won't cloud up the water...Figure do a third of the tank each week during your water changes...

Deeper sand is worse about it than shallow sand... if you encounter a black layer in it as you are stirring, that is the anaerobic bacteria growing and it produces hydrogen sulfide as a by-product... septic system/rotten eggs odor to it.

p.s. contrary to popular belief, plecos won't eat poo.. they are typically herbivores and eat algae and sometime wood...

 

[Rbishop]

Surface vac the sand....stir occassionaly with filters off...lift decor and vac under neath....more frequent water changes...

USE CARBON