Really Smelly Water

[greenscooby]

A couple of weeks ago i took in a FEW of my mates fish as his tank died (they will be given back to him as soon as his tank is sorted, and All of his fish were in good health), i'm now doing a 50% water change three times a week and my usual 30% water change once a week, i hope you can remember the post i posted earlier.

My Fluval U3 came today so i done an extra 20% water change before i rinsed the casing, media in TANK water and ADDED it to my tank, but before i added the EXTRA filter i done a SMALL water change (about 15%) just so i could add the extra filter i took 3 buckets of water out it stank and i mean STANK, and as for the colour, BROWN ain't the word.

I have a 110 ltr tank, all stats are fine

Ph 7.4
Ammonia 0
NitrITES 0
NitrATES 2.5

I know with my mates fish i'm over stocked, currently my tank has

7 Glowlight Tetras
5 Male Guppies
6 Platties(Spelling)
2 Balloon mollies
2 Black neons
1 BN catfish (My fave)

Any advice for a smelly tank?

Many thanks in advance,

Mark.

 

[drobbyb]

Adding some fresh carbon will temporarily get rid of the smell. We need to find out what is causing the odor so it doesn't come back. Before you added your friend's fish did the water smell bad? If it didn't then the smell is coming from the added bio-load on the tank. More fish means more waste.

I would do extra water changes WITH gravel vacuuming on each change. Also you probably should increase the frequency of your water changes and increase the amount changed to 50% until you get this sorted.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Agreed with above^^

Ammonia smells, and that is probably what you are smelling, like stated above, you are have more ammonia in your tank form the extra fish, and it will be a little while before your bacteria colony in your filer colonize enough to deal with the extra "bio-load."

-FHM

 

[greenscooby]

I'm still a NEWBIE but i can see where you are coming from, about a week after my mates fish were introduced my water didn't smell, after the second week it still didn't smell and all my water stats were fine.

I'm now on my 3rd week and it's SMELLY (water stats still ok though, and i gravel vac EVERY time i do a water change), but only when i change the water you can notice it, i CAN'T smell it any other time, will the extra filter help? Like i said, i've JUST put another filter into the tank, so i now have TWO filters running.

The brand new filter (Fluval U3) has all fresh media, rinsed in tank water before added to the tank.

Many thanks in advance,

Mark.

 

[drobbyb]

The brand new filter will add to the circulation of the tank. and if it has fresh carbon it will improve the smell and color of the water. It will take some time before it aids the biological filtration however.

 

[WILDER]

What did it smell like.
Rotten eggs or sulphur smell can mean you have bad bacteria in your tank,.

 

[greenscooby]

The colour of the water is fine, just the Smell.

Only noticed today when i done a 50% water change.

What can i do, can't get another tank as that would mean cycling it and my mates tank will have been sorted by then( good excuse for another tank tho!!)?

Or just grin and bear it fot a few more weeks(without harming the fish)?

Mark.

 

[greenscooby]

WILDER, i dunno, it just smelt BAD.

You know when something smells bad, well this smelled BAD.

Hope that made sense

Mark

Sorry meant 20% water change today.

 

[WILDER]

Have a sniff now again to see if its smells like rotten eggs or sulphur.
Plenty of water changes.

Some info.
http/www.ponddoc.com/WhatsUpDoc/FishHeal...tleBacteria.htm

 

[greenscooby]

Just had another sniff and i'd say it's rotten eggs(not that i'd know what sulphar smells like),

BUT it's only when i take water out of the tank,

I CAN'T smell it in the tank

Mark.

 

[WILDER]

Plenty of water changes to dilute the bacteria down.

 

[greenscooby]

Back to my fish-in cycle then.

No worries i can handle that, gotta look after my new found friends,

Thanks for your help mate it's most appreciated,

Mark.

 

[WILDER]

Good Luck.

Only time I had smelly water was when I had plecs.
But it didn't smell like rotten eggs.

 

[greenscooby]

Stooooooooopid question i know but i've got a BN, just the one,

It wouldn't be her would it?

Mark.

 

[WILDER]

if you do water changes every week it shouldn't be that bad.
But once a I got plecs the water used to smell more. It used to make me feel sick. Even though I did a gravel vac once a week.
Ask someone else to smell the water and see what they think it smells like.