What Is This Odd Smell

[xNOTLOCx]

I have a 2.5 gallon tank with a java fern and 2 snails, 1 ghost shrimp, and a 1/4 inch x-ray fish,(now dont freak out this little fish is only being raised in here until his pond home is finished, anywho... the water doesnt smell gross it just smells like a musty plant like if you smelled wet wood or something, and its getting cloudy ive been doing weekly water changes and it hasnt really helped i realize i might need to do 2 water changes a week but i just wonder why it smells like wet wood rather than gross, because in my past experience freshwater tanks smell gross when they have bad water... o my tank is 3 months. and it has no heater or filtration, n my little x-ray and ghost shrimp are fine, and i know if I had bad water quality my ghost shrimp wouldnt be doing great.

 

[confusion]

I think stagnant water will develop a smell from different baterial processes. Try a small pump head or even a airstone on high to move the water around.

 

[NightStalker]

I got the same smell from my aquarium after missing a water change, so i guess it kinda evens out considering you dont have a filter etc.

Id do more regular water changes to compensate for no filter, i guess twice a week or maybe even 3 times, 20%.

Personally i think its just over feeding maybe i dont know, but after some water changes it went away for me, i dont think its too much to worry about.

 

[MHunt]

Take the smell of the tank along with your water tests to say, everything seems ok. A healthy tank should give off a warm wood plant smell. A bit like when you go in the reptile house at the zoo; warm and humid. The cloudy water could be particles in the water or an algae bloom.

Just noticed you have no filtration. That would probably help to remove any small particles from the water making it cloudy. If the fish are healthy enough, then it is probably just an aesthetic problem for you.

 

[xNOTLOCx]

thanks guys, i got out an old filter and filled it with media and let it run for an hour and the water is pretty clear now so i guess thats just my problem so ill just do more water changes thanks ))))

 

[Sibelius]

yep, and a tank with any form of living creature really must have filtration or it'll go off pretty quickly!