My Room Stinks

[bailey0789]

So I got the tank a few days ago. The original bacteria bloom is cleared up, tank looks great. Now I notice that my room stinks like an aquarium i guess. I have a small room. Does this just come with the territory?


Also, Ive noticed small groups of bubbles at the surface. Are these mating bubbles or whatever?

 

[OldMan47]

A tank should not stink. If it has a bad odor there is something wrong. An open tank will have a nice odor like freshly turned garden soil but it will not stink. Odors can be controlled by including carbon in the filter but that should not be necessary with a healthy tank.

 

[spectrum]

If you've ever been in one I tanks should smell like tropical climate animal and plant houses, like the huge dome at the Eden Project (Example, couldn't think of any others) To be honest though I find that if I shut my door and window at night then in the morning there is an odd smell, although it doesn't really smell of fish so I think its just me

 

[bailey0789]

haha. I just realized its the coffee pot i had my Betta in. It was getting funky. Waiting till next pay period to get him a 2.5 gal Mini Bow w/ filter and everytihng.

 

[toshapetriji]

Look under the bed for stinky socks.

 

[Assaye]

haha. I just realized its the coffee pot i had my Betta in. It was getting funky. Waiting till next pay period to get him a 2.5 gal Mini Bow w/ filter and everytihng.

Look forward to seeing your upgrade!

I hope you're doing daily water changes on that thing . . . even a small, unfiltrered tank shouldn't get "funky" if it's maintained correctly. If it is getting funky, the fish is going to be suffering!

 

[The betta expert]

My tank stinks to. Don't worry thats no problem. And the bubbles at the top of your tank our "Mating Bubbles"- most comenly refered to as Bubble Nests. Do you have a betta fish?

 

[bailey0789]

Yeah, the Betta was in the coffee pot. I was doing daily water changes, i guess that wasnt enough. Just got the new tank today. Put a female Betta in there, so far they are getting along. Also put three Black Skirt Tetras in there because they were dominating my other tank. By the end of the night all three were dead. Did the Betta kill them, they didnt looked chopped up or nuttin. could it be disease or they werent used to the new water???

 

[Ryefish]

....is it only me that likes that foisty, "tropical jungle-y" smell that comes from the tank....

 

[Assaye]

Yeah, the Betta was in the coffee pot. I was doing daily water changes, i guess that wasnt enough. Just got the new tank today. Put a female Betta in there, so far they are getting along. Also put three Black Skirt Tetras in there because they were dominating my other tank. By the end of the night all three were dead. Did the Betta kill them, they didnt looked chopped up or nuttin. could it be disease or they werent used to the new water???

How long did you take to adjust them to the new water? Have you tested for ammonia and nitrites in the betta tank? Are you keeping a male and female in together?

If you didn't take long enough to adjust them (I use a bag or bowl with some old water and add a cup of new water every 15 minutes for about an hour), they could have died of shock. If you have high ammonia or nitrites, that could have contributed. The male and female should not be together if they are - it doesn't matter if they are getting along. If you wake up in the morning and one of them is dead because it got bullied or died of stress, you will have killed it and that's not an acceptable risk. They could also have bullied the tetras - often the stress of bullying is worse than the actual damage.

 

[OldMan47]

Be very careful trying to mix a female Betta splendens with a male Bailey. That is a good way to end up with a dead fish if they don't immediately take to each other. Either the male or female may come out on top of things but they will not tolerate each other very long except while actively breeding. The usual practice for mixing a female and male betta is to start with a barrier that allows then to see each other and wait for both the male and female to show signs of being ready to breed. Once they are ready to breed, the barrier is removed and the pair is watched. When breeding activities slow or stop, the female is removed for her own safety while the male is left to tend to the eggs and early stage fry.

 

[Assaye]

Be very careful trying to mix a female Betta splendens with a male Bailey. That is a good way to end up with a dead fish if they don't immediately take to each other. Either the male or female may come out on top of things but they will not tolerate each other very long except while actively breeding. The usual practice for mixing a female and male betta is to start with a barrier that allows then to see each other and wait for both the male and female to show signs of being ready to breed. Once they are ready to breed, the barrier is removed and the pair is watched. When breeding activities slow or stop, the female is removed for her own safety while the male is left to tend to the eggs and early stage fry.

And to add to that, betta breeding should not be attempted without considerable research or you'll end up with a lot of sickly fish that no-one will rehome. A lot could even die if it's not done correctly.

 

[bailey0789]

I think the water was fine. Wow, i never woulda thought that the stress could kill them. Cause i looked at them and didnt see any signs of fighting wounds. The female was starting to just float around. I took her out put her in a cup and she seems to be doing better.

I guess i should just keep the Betta alone.

 

[Assaye]

Did you test it? Thinking isn't enough. With fish, the water MUST be free of ammonia and nitrites and you need to KNOW that it is.

Fish are small, fragile creatures who need a lot of TLC and knowledge to keep. With fish you are establishing an entire eco-system - their whole world, their earth, sky, water, etc. It's not like keeping other pets that can just fit into our lives. You have to make sure their environment is functioning correctly.

Bettas are solitary and aggressive animals and most do best alone, yes. The female will need a tank of her own (I suggest 5 gallons) with a heater and preferably gentle filter.

The resource centre covers how to set up and cycle a new tank. It's important reading, even if you have set up tanks before. We've had people come here after decades of fishkeeping and learn important things from the R.C.

 

[bailey0789]

thx for the info, i'll check it out.