I just bought my daughter 2 goldfish. The tank has only been up 24 hours and it already stinks!?

Question

I already wish we didn't have them. My daughter loves them so much so I would hate to get rid of them. It is just a two gallon tank and we can't get anything bigger. It came with a little filter. Can anyone help me to get rid of and prevent this smell? Thanks so much!

Answer 1

It smells bad because of the ammonia the fish are producing. Goldfish, let alone two of them, are not suitable fish for a two gallon tank. Please return them to the store where you got them, because they will most likely die within about six months, if that (compare that to the 20-30 year lifespan a goldfish should live). And the tank will smell bad until the fish die.

If your tank is in a warm part of the house, you can get a betta to put in the tank (male or female, not both). Males tend to be more colorful and have larger fins, but females tend to be much more active and entertaining. If you take care of the tank properly, a betta will live for about five years. The tank will need to have its water replaced every week with clean, dechlorinated water. Bettas eat special betta pellets (Hikari Betta Bio-Gold), and you give them about three pellets a day. One package of food will last you a long time.

Please return your goldfish to the store, so they do not die a slow, painful death. Also, it would be a good idea to tell the person who sold them to you that they are not suitable fish for any tank under 60 gallons, due to their extremely large waste output and eventual large size (goldfish will get about one foot long). A betta will be much more suitable, more entertaining, and easier to care for than goldfish.

I hope you decide to do the right thing.

Answer 2

New tanks can get really stinky...this is because the tank hasn't had a chance to "cycle" or grow the bacteria that break down the fish waste. If you got the fish and the tank on the same day....funky smells will happen. You should change a little of the water every day (no more than 20%) making certain to add tap water conditioner, until the tank cycles...usually about 2-3 weeks. Another option, to quickly cycle the tank is to get a handful of gravel from an established, healthy tank.

Answer 3

Your tank needs to cycle. Keep doing half water changes however dont scrub the walls, pebbles, or filter. You need to let the denitrifying bacteria grow. There are plenty of sites available on the internet with information about the nitrogen cycle, I would recomend you look some of them up. It makes it much easier to determine how frequently you need to change your water once your cycle is set up. Having live plants in the tank greatly increase the time needed between water changes as they use the nitrogen as fertilizer. They also add oxygen to the water, reducing the need to airate the water by mechanical means. Goldfish arnt suitable for tanks, as they produce a lot more waste than most other fish. They also like to grow, however they will only grow to the size of space they are provided with (badly worded) but basically if you give them a large space to live in they will get bigger and bigger. We have 8 in a pond and their average size is 20cm. If you keep them in the tank then they wont grow much. I would also recommend that you exchange them for a betta. They are much cleaner, hardier, and have much more colourful personalities (and finnage). They do require heated water though. Having said all that we kept a goldfish in a tank for 10 years before moving him to the pond 8 years ago. Hes still thriving. Though it does require a good knowledge of the nitrogen cycle and constant testing of the water qualitiy. A betta is a easier fish to start with.
Good luck and hope you enjoy your aquiculture experiance. Its really not as scary as it sounds.
K :)

Answer 4

Your tank size and filtration system are WAY inadequate for the type of fish you have. Goldfish are some of the messiest fish around (as far as waste production goes), and things will only go from bad to worse if the you keep them in their current setting (continuous poor water quality, detoriating fish health, and eventual fish loss).

If you can't get a larger tank (the two goldfish you have will eventually require a 55-gal tank plus overfiiltration to deal with the waste production) then the best bet is to return the goldfish now and get a fish better suited to life in a 2gal tank (such as a single betta).

Answer 5

go to wallmart and get a 10-20 gallon tank for under $10. Get gravel & and a filter... and if you want to splurge, get a hood and light for the tank.... a whopping total of $40...
and then you can do partial (25%-30%) water change for the new tank every 2 weeks or so.

come on, what's the price of a little girl's happiness?

for now, do partial 50% water change everyday until it doesn't stink anymore.

don't use water straight from the tap... put water in a bucket and let it age for 2 days... tap water has chlorine in it and that'll kill fish. letting it sit give the chlorine to disipate into the air.

Answer 6

i've got self belief you desire oxygen interior the tank - the two some stable underwater flowers and/or an aerator pump and filter out. be careful that greater desirable foodstuff does not cloud the water and pollute it besides. i've got self belief you apart from mght would desire to be careful the type you modify the water - have new water sit down (and that i think of use a de-chlorine pill in accordance to guidelines) and then use 0.5 of the previous water they are in to combine with the hot water so they do no longer bypass into ask your self. some type of toy interior the water does no longer harm the two - something to entertain them - a coral reef to swim out and in of, some pebbles on the backside of the tank, a treasure chest, and so on. they'd desire to be in an area that has mild, yet no the place it may get too warm (the water gets warm). wish this helps to commence with - fish are great pets! * The puppy keep could be waiting to tell you greater with reference to the proper set up ... and have self belief it or no longer, the community aquarium/zoo many times has very effectual human beings to reply to each variety of questions you have - they seem to be a stable source.

Answer 7

clean the tank once every WEEK. doing it everyday will kill your fish. When you clean the tank only take half the water out and add new water to the orginal dirty ones. Why you ask? well, all fish need some water that they are used to. trust me 6 of my fish died becaue i cleaned there tank to much and because i took all the water instead of just half. Here is another helpful tip. Even if you are only taking half the water out of the tank you should place the fish into another cup that has water so he won't be disturbed as he is being cleaned. Clean the inside of the fish tank walls too. along with any props you have put into the tank.

Answer 8

well i have a 20 gallon tank and i smelled the same thing. it stinks really bad.it could be a lot of reasons.u might have spilled water on the floor .the food flakes could make it stink. have u smelled that stuff.for further answers go to your local petsmart.they always are so nice and you find answers fast.

Answer 9

Did you get advice who you bought it from? My be its your water. Di d they tell you anything about how to take care of fish, and what ones can live toghter? I didn't know until mine died. You also should keep a few gallons of water aside to fill the tank. I did not know if they told you that, but if you not let it set for at least 24 hrs. they ll die. Talk to your dealer. Good Luck.

Answer 10

It may just be the "newness" smell of the container and rocks that you are smelling. Give it a few more days and in the meantime get a plug in air freshener