Small tank smells like dirt

[jpappy789]

Either its what weezer described or what soobie said, the strips are bad. They are know to give false readings...have you thought of investing in liquid test kits?

 

[THE V]

That's the info I was wanting to know. I'm gonna file that under "Totally useless information that I was dieing to know".

I've got a gigantic file of pointless trivia collected from a diverse job history. He's another little bit of useless knowledge. Mycobacterium sp produce different pigments. Some are a lovely red while others are a dashing yellow.

 

[A. Nonymous]

I've got a gigantic file of pointless trivia collected from a diverse job history. He's another little bit of useless knowledge. Mycobacterium sp produce different pigments. Some are a lovely red while others are a dashing yellow.

I'm an avid collector of pointless information.

 

[fwiffo]

The dirt smell is created by Mycobacterium sp. of bacteria. These are found almost everywhere in the soil and water. They are a major contributor to breaking down organic waste. I've actually grown this species in a test tube. When you pop the cap off it smells like you've just stuck you head in some dirt.

They are part of the normal flora of your tank and usually means that it is healthy. Carbon is the only thing I've found that can remove the odors produced by it from the water column.

i never knew that. my tank has always had an earthy smell, but i thought it had to do with me not using carbon and having a planted tank. cool!