New Decor Giving Off Odor

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QueenOfDaFishes

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About a week ago I bought a mini cave for my three gallon aquarium and got two guppies. The guppies from PetCo died the next day because they came with ich. I raised the temperature to 94 degrees and let it sit for a couple weeks. Just now I was changing the water and getting it ready for new fish when I pulled the cave out it smelled like burning rubber. I smelled the water and it too smelled like burning rubber. It's TERRIBLE. I replaced all the water and rinsed everything It stopped smelling so I put it back in and it again smells bad. Why does it smell like this and do I have to change all the water again?
All the info on the cave:
Material: Polyresin
Sold by Well Gallery
says fish tank safe
no reviews on amazon
 
It could be that the cave wasn't designed for those high temperatures; in any case, if you're not sure it's safe, then leave it out. Guppies (and most other fish, except catfish) don't want or use caves anyway.

Can I ask what sort of fish you're expecting? A three gallon tank is very small, and there aren't many fish that could live in it happily.

Your tank is also not going to be cycled, after being empty of fish and being at that high a temperature for two weeks. Do you have test kits for ammonia and nitrite?
 
I don't have kits and i'm getting one small fancy goldfish and a few shrimp (Soon upgrading to a forty for it) i've added quick start many times and have had no problems. Been keeping fish for a few years but all my tanks crashed when someone who was supposed to be looking out for them forgot about them and just restarting.
 
I also discovered two glowing silicone mushrooms also smelled that way and now the smell is going away in the water after I removed them
 
Get the bigger tank as soon as you can; goldfish grow big, and it could get very sick, or even die in such a small tank.

You'll need to be able to test for ammonia as soon as the fish goes in.

I would take out all the decorations and just have some sand/gravel and plants. Much better for the fish, and you won't have to worry :)
 
Do you think I can still save the decorations for the future tank and is the smell temporary?
 
I have no idea, sorry. I only use natural decorations (rocks, wood, plants) in my tanks.

But as your tank is probably not cycled, I'd clean the whole tank; leave the filter alone though, just in case you have some dormant bacteria clinging on.
 
I have no idea, sorry. I only use natural decorations (rocks, wood, plants) in my tanks.

But as your tank is probably not cycled, I'd clean the whole tank; leave the filter alone though, just in case you have some dormant bacteria clinging on.

I used bacteria supplement to kickstart the cycle and cleaned the tank...again
 
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Is that plastic cave the only decoration in your tank ??

there's also two silicone glowing mushrooms which I discovered also smell, a seaweed plant, a bunch of short, green grass-like plants and some red and yellow plants. My tank still smells, do you think it could be from something else other then just the plants?
 
Those silicone mushrooms would be my guess, but to be really honest with you i never use any plastic goodies in my tanks at all. Just real driftwood, rocks, live plants etc.

My best suggestion would be get all that plastic stuff out of your tank and go natural.

You could also use a bag of carbon in your filter to remove the smell and any chemicals that have leached into your water after you take out the plastic stuff.
 

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