# Fish Tank Smell



## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

One of the main reasons my parents have been cracking down on my fishkeeping hobby is apparently it gives the kitchen (where I keep my tanks) the "fish tank" smell. Is there anyway to remedy this?

Thanks


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## beN (Apr 21, 2010)

how often do you change the water??


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Put carbon.


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

I do a 20% once a week, or if I have time twice a week.

And I had an outbreak of Head in Hole, and apparently carbon is related to that?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Hole in the head is almost always a water quality issue. Depending on your tank size and load, 20% is not nearly enough water being changed. I assume this is your goldfish tank? 10 gallons with 3 goldfish is a high bioload.


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## angryinsect (Apr 21, 2010)

use carbon and do more water changes, problem solved


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## beaux (Jan 18, 2011)

I had 20 tanks in a 14x70 ft mobile home sizes from 1 galon to a 220 galons and never had a smell problem. The heximidia..hth..hole in head disease is from poor water quality and as carbon can only hold so much waste it must be changed once in a while, you dont just add it and leave it forever. In six or eight weeks, possibly sooner, it has soaked up all it is going to and should be thrown away in my opinion. Hth is like a bacterial fungus i think..dont quote me on that i forget some things sometimes lol, but its from too much waste being in the water column if i remember right... i recomend you put it in for a month then trash it or change it. Do 25% changes 2x a week in stead of once and i never heard ya mention anything about the.tank recycling and most medications for hth WILL kill ALL bacteria good or bad and that will make any established tank recycle as far as i know. Im no scientist lol but i have been doing a little trial and error for about 30 years so....rofl. good luck with the parents and the fishes!
Beaux


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

if you dont want to try carbon, pick up some purigen it works awesome and u can re-use it
also try doing 40% water changes instead of 20


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

What kind of filters are you running? Are you rinsing your filter media out frequently? A healthy hang on back filter might give off a mild earthy smell to someone with a sensitive nose. A filter that isn't rinsed often enough (in tank water) can be smelled across the room. As well, if you get a bigger filter, you might find that it doesn't get smelly as quickly.

More water changes would probably be the most helpful thing. 

Some people are just very sensitive to smells or sounds. Can you find another location for your tanks, like the basement or a bathroom?

Good luck!


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

read this thread 
http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/equipment-talk-section-14/purigen-5447/
works amazing, il always use it


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## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

Mferko said:


> if you dont want to try carbon, pick up some purigen it works awesome and u can re-use it
> also try doing 40% water changes instead of 20


x 2 on the purigen. Its amazing stuff.


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

Can't relocate, my parents demand it be in the kitchen or I can't any tanks at all -_- The tank comes mainly from my main tank. I'll pick up some Purigen when I get my new bigger tank, Thanks for the help everybody!


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## Sandy Landau (Jun 4, 2010)

If you have a smell coming from just one tank (different than other tanks) and if it hasn't always smelled, then you might want to do a head count on all your fish. A dead fish like a pleco can make the water very smelly.


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

Some fish food can give off a funky smell after a few days of being eaten. I found this particularly strong from hikari goldfish, carnivore pellets. possibly caused by a meaty processed fish food. The odour isn't as strong with veggie flakes or veggie wafer.


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## splat (Nov 17, 2010)

a fish tank should smell 'earthy' as morainy says. if your fish tank smells 'fishy' something is really off. do all your tanks smell? carbon will help but it might just a band-aid to what's causing the smell


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

Does smell earthy  Just my Geo tank, I'm changing my tank setups, upgrading my two tanks into one big one. If the problem persists I'll take a look at purigen. Thanks for your input!


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