Water green, tank smells like a swamp!

[sharpshooter73]

I have had my 10gal setup for about 9 months now. I have never had a problem with water quality... until now. After the last water change (50%), filter change, gravel cleaning I performed this last Monday, within 2-3 days after the water has turned greenish/yellowish and smells like a swamp! I have NEVER had this problem before, and have always been diligent in the upkeep. I have had a normal white algae bloom when I first setup the tank, but of course that cleared up after it was established and always had clean water since. What has happened all of a sudden for the tank to turn "sour"? I mean, the room that it's kept in stinks to high heaven! I have to keep the door closed so you dont smell it when you walk by. I just did a 40% change today. What else should I do? Especially about the smell??

Please help!

 

[Durbkat]

I know exactly what you did wrong you have sent the tank into another cycling period because you took way to much water out so you bascially just sent your tank into another cycle. And the green stuff could be an algae bloom or something caused by the tank going into another cycle and doind another water change of 40% sent it into a deeper cycling process. I know this because I did the same thing it turned my water green and the whole room kinda smelt like pee. And at the time it was in my living room so it stunk the whole room up.

 

[lljdma06]

I have had my 10gal setup for about 9 months now. I have never had a problem with water quality... until now. After the last water change (50%), filter change, gravel cleaning I performed this last Monday, within 2-3 days after the water has turned greenish/yellowish and smells like a swamp! I have NEVER had this problem before, and have always been diligent in the upkeep. I have had a normal white algae bloom when I first setup the tank, but of course that cleared up after it was established and always had clean water since. What has happened all of a sudden for the tank to turn "sour"? I mean, the room that it's kept in stinks to high heaven! I have to keep the door closed so you dont smell it when you walk by. I just did a 40% change today. What else should I do? Especially about the smell??

Please help!

[snapback]927064[/snapback]​

Just to let you know, your slider will outgrow that tank. Here is a link with some information on turtle care. I thought about keeping turtles for a while and did some research, they are cute little buggers. I ended up not getting one, but your signature caught my attention.

http/www.petstation.com/waturtl.htm

I hope this helps a little.

 

[sharpshooter73]

I have had my 10gal setup for about 9 months now. I have never had a problem with water quality... until now. After the last water change (50%), filter change, gravel cleaning I performed this last Monday, within 2-3 days after the water has turned greenish/yellowish and smells like a swamp! I have NEVER had this problem before, and have always been diligent in the upkeep. I have had a normal white algae bloom when I first setup the tank, but of course that cleared up after it was established and always had clean water since. What has happened all of a sudden for the tank to turn "sour"? I mean, the room that it's kept in stinks to high heaven! I have to keep the door closed so you dont smell it when you walk by. I just did a 40% change today. What else should I do? Especially about the smell??

Please help! 

[snapback]927064[/snapback]​

Just to let you know, your slider will outgrow that tank. Here is a link with some information on turtle care. I thought about keeping turtles for a while and did some research, they are cute little buggers. I ended up not getting one, but your signature caught my attention.

http/www.petstation.com/waturtl.htm

I hope this helps a little.

[snapback]927111[/snapback]​

I have been considering giving him to a friend as of late. I got him when he was pretty small (1 1/2"), and now he's about 3" in size. But he's gotten very active and is putting stress on the fish. Plus he's tearing up the plants and substrate.

 

[C.j]

ive had green water twice, and ur right. it does stink.

i was told not to change the water any more than normal, cut down on feeding which worked a charm

cleared up in a couple of days

 

[Angry_Platy]

I do weekly 50% water changes on my 30gal tank and the water never goes green, nor recycles etc.

 

[Synirr]

I agree with Durbkat, you're going through a mini cycle. I do large water changes as well and have never had this problem, but when you gravel vac and change the filter media at the same time you're asking for trouble. I've never had algae bloom so I don't really know how to deal with it, but C.j's advice seems good... you might also try leaving the tank light off more until the bloom goes away.

 

[big mick]

If you need to change filter material never change it all at the one time, cut the sponges in half and only add half the new material and leave half of the old, then once thwe bacteria has built up enough you can add the other half

 

[Lisecw]

I've had the same problem. I have just changed from 2 internal filters(Weipro TC-800's) to an external 1100 lt/hr filter. The small ones didn't seem to be able to keep up. The tank is 220 litres. The water has cleared a lot over night. I've been doing 25% water changes and closed the blinds as well as turned off the light timer. I'm not sure exactly which combination of all these has actually helped the most, but I'm getting there.

Good luck,

Lisecw

 

[LifeBear]

It's no wonder he is stressing the fish and tearing up the plants, both of those are primary components of RES diet in the wild. He is being what he is.

10g will do ok for a while, but if you get him into a bigger tank he will appreciate it and when you see him swimming you will know it is better.

 

[Chuck & Veronica]

I have had my 10gal setup for about 9 months now. I have never had a problem with water quality... until now. After the last water change (50%), filter change, gravel cleaning I performed this last Monday, within 2-3 days after the water has turned greenish/yellowish and smells like a swamp! I have NEVER had this problem before, and have always been diligent in the upkeep. I have had a normal white algae bloom when I first setup the tank, but of course that cleared up after it was established and always had clean water since. What has happened all of a sudden for the tank to turn "sour"? I mean, the room that it's kept in stinks to high heaven! I have to keep the door closed so you dont smell it when you walk by. I just did a 40% change today. What else should I do? Especially about the smell??
Please help!

The swamp smell you're experiencing is probably Hydrogen sulfide (sometimes called swamp gas, and smells like rotting eggs). A toxic gas that is emitted if you've got anaerobic areas, possibly in your substrate. What kind of substrate do you have? Did you vacuum it more vigorously than usual?

Obviously, doing a 50% water change is not going to create swamp gas. The people who told you that either didn't read your message carefully, or don't know much about aquariums. If your aquarium had been thrown back into its cycling phase, you'd have an algae bloom. Not Hydrogen sulfide.

Keep doing water changes. The sulfide gas is highly poisonous to fish. Check all of your filter media and look for dead things in the water.

Good luck.

Chuck

 

[sharpshooter73]

The swamp smell you're experiencing is probably Hydrogen sulfide (sometimes called swamp gas, and smells like rotting eggs). A toxic gas that is emitted if you've got anaerobic areas, possibly in your substrate. What kind of substrate do you have? Did you vacuum it more vigorously than usual?

Obviously, doing a 50% water change is not going to create swamp gas. The people who told you that either didn't read your message carefully, or don't know much about aquariums. If your aquarium had been thrown back into its cycling phase, you'd have an algae bloom. Not Hydrogen sulfide.

Keep doing water changes. The sulfide gas is highly poisonous to fish. Check all of your filter media and look for dead things in the water.

Good luck.

Chuck

I have rounded river gravel for the substrate. I did happen to vacuum it more vigorously than most times. I noticed while doing that that large bubbles would rise from the substrate when moving it around. So far nothing has died. How much (%) of a water change should I do and how often until this clears? I have turned off the lights and cut back on the feeding. So far I have done 2 20% water changes in the past 3 days. Anything else I need to do?

I also gave the RES to a friend today, so he will have a new home. I can't get a bigger tank right now, and he was outgrowing the 10gal. He'll be in good care.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Glad to hear you rehomed them; most turtles need at least 50-75 gallons to live thier full lifespan, which can be over 40 years (my grandmother's lived to be 56).

Good luck sorting out your tank issues!

 

[Synirr]

Obviously, doing a 50% water change is not going to create swamp gas. The people who told you that either didn't read your message carefully, or don't know much about aquariums. If your aquarium had been thrown back into its cycling phase, you'd have an algae bloom. Not Hydrogen sulfide.

.... Did it never for a moment occur to you that algae itself gives off a rather unpleasant smell? Swamps smell the way they do for more than one reason, and I highly doubt that the cause of the smell in an aquarium would be hydrogen sulfide.

 

[Chuck & Veronica]

I have rounded river gravel for the substrate. I did happen to vacuum it more vigorously than most times. I noticed while doing that that large bubbles would rise from the substrate when moving it around.

BINGO!

That's exactly what happened, then. You had some dead areas underneath those rocks that had built up where stuff was decomposing and oxygenated water was not getting to it.

If the swamp smell is diminishing, then you're doing good. I hope your fish haven't died. Hydrogen sulfide gas is VERY poisonous to them. Keep doing partial water changes until you don't smell swamp gas anymore. And from now on, move those rocks around a bit when doing water changes to make sure no more dead spots recur.

Good luck!

Chuck

.... Did it never for a moment occur to you that algae itself gives off a rather unpleasant smell? Swamps smell the way they do for more than one reason, and I highly doubt that the cause of the smell in an aquarium would be hydrogen sulfide.

The smell algae gives off could never be bad enough to cause the guy to keep the door closed to the room where the tank is located, nor could it ever be described as "swamp" smell. What he described was obviously hydrogen sulfide gas. If you've ever smelled hydrogen sulfide gas, you would never mistake it for the smell of algae.

Chuck