my aquarium stinks... what to do??

Question

i'm a total novice,, i bought a 50gal aquarium last week. there are 4 parrots and 4 smaller fish living in it since wednesday. i have loads of air pumped in and a filter on 24 hrs a day, but the tank is starting to stink already and the water is starting to cloud.... is this normal and just needs very regular cleaning, or might i be doing something wrong?????

Also my fish seem to freak out when i turn their light on,, do parrots prefer the shade??

Answer 1

The clouding and smell are a normal part of the nitrogen cycle. The clouding will clear on it's own but the smell will need some help. Do a 25% water change today and then another two days from now. That should cut down on the odor some. Do you have charcoal or carbon in your filter? Carbon will do a good job of reducing the odor.

Once the nitrogen cycle is complete in about 3 weeks, you should not have any more problems with odor as long as you do your regular (weekly) partial (25-30%) water changes. You should start doing them now and never stop as long as you have aquariums. I have 23 tanks up and running right now and I do my water changes every week or 10 days depending on how many fish are in each tank.

Water changes are the single most important part of tank maintenance. Next is gravel vacuuming and filter maintenance.

Never ever tear down the tank and clean it all out or you will have to go through the 3 week cycling in of the tank all over again and you risk losing fish to the ammonia spikes. For the first month of a new tank, you should test your water for ammonia every third day and do a partial water change if needed to bring the ammonia level down to a non-toxic reading. After it is cycled in, you can stop testing as long as you are doing your water changes religiously.

All fish are startled by sudden light. Try turning on the room lights for a little while before you turn on the tank lights.

Good luck with your new hobby!

BTW, the web site "About.com" has some really good info on setting up and maintaining freshwater tanks. Just follow their links to the info.

Answer 2

you just got the tank a week ago? and it already has fish?
There's part of your problem. you didn't give the tank enough time to set and buildup the right kind of bacteria.
also: your water pump or filter may not be the right size if the water stays cloudy.

1. if there is alge growth on the sides of the aquarium, get a scraper and scrape it off.
2. change the contents of the filter if it is external.
3. get a couple of 5 gallon containers and fill with water, add some declorinating chemical to them to get rid of the clorine and other heavy metals. set aside for 24 hrs. preferably in full sunlight.
4. remove 10 gallons of water from your tank and replace with the water from the containers you have set aside.
5. wait a couple of weeks and repeat the process only if the tank still stinks. Normally you wouldn't change the water or the filter this often.

You didn't say what kind of filter you have. some tanks have bottom filters that sit under the gravel to allow the aerobic bacteria to grow in and break down the fish waste and use air pumps to circulate the water. some use external filters where some hang on the side or back of the aquarium and have a filler in them to catch the fish waste or a water pump with a built in filter. I had a 100 gal and used both the bottom filter and a water pump.
You don't need to clean the bottom filter (maybe once a year) but an external filter needs periodic cleaning.
Otherwise toxins build up and the fish will die.
Get a good book from a store that specializes in Tropical fish
to learn all you can about setting up a new tank and caring for the fish. Get a book that has alot of reference not a pamphlet that just glosses over the subject. it will be worth the money.
The sales people there will help you because most people who work at this type of store have tanks themselves.
Dont ask for recommendations from petsmart or walmart the people there usually know nothing about fish.
and read the links below. start with the second one.

Answer 3

Your tank is too new. The cloudiness is a bloom of beneficial bacteria that will digest the fish waste (ammonia) and turn it into nitrites. Other bacteria will develop to digest the nitrites and turn that into less harmful nitrates (known as an aquarium cycle). The smell will go away when your tank matures, but you have a problem with the water becoming toxic to your fish since your tank was not yet ready for them (new tank syndrome). For the time being, change 30% of the water to reduce the levels of toxins, don't feed the fish for a day, then cut back the feeding to half of what you have been (less fish waste less pollution), and add some salt for freshwater fish (1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons) to help prevent your fish from getting sick.
The chances are pretty good that a number of fish will become ill from the stress of the poor water quality. Don't medicate them in your tank, use a bucket or something since the medications will destroy the new growth of beneficial bacteria and you will have to start over.
Next time, add only one or two fish at a time, and don't feed them on the day you buy them and restrict what you feed for the first week while the bacteria in your tank adjusts to the new bio-load.
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Answer 4

do not wash your rocks with bleach! the problem more than likely is your tank isnt cycled. there are natural bacteria that break down amonia in your tank. time is the only thing that will help your tank. after you build up enough bacteria your water will clear and the smell should go away. the 3/4 water change is a bit much try about a 1/4 water change. if the amonia level stays high your fish will die. adding too many fish too fast to a new tank is the problem. in the future try adding food two or three weeks before you add fish. this will give the bacteria a head start and get your tank cycling before you add your fish. an aquarium is just like a pond. theres a natural cycle that needs to occur to keep everything healthy. washing your rocks with bleach would kill any bacteria that might be forming. just remember ..all bacteria isnt bad.

Answer 5

I am not sure what you mean by parrots,I have never heard of that kind of fish. If the tank is stinking you are probably feeding it to much,or the tank was not clean when you bought it,You probably need to empty it out and clean it really good before you fill it back up. If you only have a small number of fish you only need a small amout of food to keep the water clean

Answer 6

i have a 55 gallon aquarium and it doesnt have to be cleaned that often you may need to change your filter cartiridges and make sure your filter(s) are turned up to high....having two filters help when you have larger tanks also there is a product called crystal clear that you put into your water and the cloudiness will be gone in 24 hours leaving your aquarium crystal clear as far as the light all fish do that when the light comes on just think about you are sleeping and someone comes in and turns on the light dont you freak out--good luck

Answer 7

Do a 3/4 water change, add dechlor before refilling it, and wipe down the insides of the glass, you can take all the plants, rocks, figures, out of the tank and soak them in bleach water while you're doing your water draining, just make sure you rinse them well before putting them back. I turn the aquarium lights on mine just before dark everyday, and turn them off around 11 at night, they'll get used to the light, it just startles them when you turn them on. You should use a gravel cleaner when draining your tank as well also.

Answer 8

You can buy a Fluid that makes the water clear, believe me it works. The stink occurs naturally, you can't expect your fish tank to smell pretty all the time, after all, it is a "Fish" tank.

Answer 9

All aquariums need regular cleaning and it sounds like yours is past due!

Answer 10

change the water in thye damn thing, clean all the shyt out of it, and for God's Sake, When You Stumble In Stone Drunk At 4am, Remember, The Tank Is Not The Toilet!!