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I have a new, small 10 gallon tank that I recently set up. I have 3 small fish (two tiger barbs and one swordtail) in it and it started stinking a few days ago. Should I just wait a few weeks for the water to cycle? I also plan on doing the 25% water change every week or 2 weeks. Any advice?

2007-01-14 13:32:50 · 11 answers · asked by dm41901 2 in Pets Fish

11 answers

this sounds silly but u have to feed ur tank first, u have to get ammonia started in it

2007-01-14 13:37:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Basically the stink is ammonia. At this point you should get a test for ammonia, and nitrite. Try to keep the ammonia under 3 ppm, and the nitrite under 5ppm. Also add 1 teaspon of table salt per 5 gallons to help prevent nitrite poisoning. You are going to need to do daily 20-30% water changes until your ammonia, and nitrite levels stabilize. You could try and just ride it out, but your fish may not survive.

Also you are likely over feeding the fish. They only need as much as they can eat in 1-2 minutes 6 days a week.

2007-01-14 14:55:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Umm, I wouldnt start over, or drain tank, etc.. You can just do a partial water change, (with a siphon vac, you can buy at walmart) this will take out anything you have in the gravel, causing ammonia, Push into the gravel, it sucks up the rotting fish food, feces..etc. If you do a 25% water change, every two weeks. Dont over feed, and get a bottom feeder (catfish) to catch your food that the fish don't eat. It will make a difference. Your tank will cycle naturally, but if you want to cycle it quickly you can buy the cycle bacteria to speed up the process. I recommend you get some ammo lock which will neutralize the ammonia in the tank so its not harmful to the fish. Good luck

2007-01-14 14:31:03 · answer #3 · answered by intense 2 · 1 1

That smell is probably ammonia. I'm guessing you did not cycle the tank first and that is why there is ammonia. You need to do several partail water changes until the ammonia level is at 0. Get a test kit or take your water to a fish store to get tested. Find out your levels of ammonia, nitrite and get those levels down as close to zero as possible.

You are going to hve to change 30% of the water every 1-2 days for the next 4-6 weeks until your tank is cycled. Either that or get rid of your fish and do a fishless cycle by adding ammonia to the tank.

2007-01-14 13:41:04 · answer #4 · answered by fish guy 5 · 3 0

You might have probaly fed your fish too much food. food clouds and stinks the water. Also, do you have a filter? you should get one so the water will be clean and oxygen to be pumped in the water. this is really healthy for the fish, hence providing a long life. And yes, you should do a 25 percent water change, infact once a week. twice a week is near the date you should change the water out, so it would be pointless.

2007-01-14 13:44:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

get some stuff called cycle that is 6 dollars at walmart and change water 25% every couple of days until the stink goes away. the stink is either ammonia or bacteria and both can kill your fish. stinky aquariums are not good. also try some plants -- java fern or java moss and the anubias family make good starter plants -- just tie them to a rock or chunk of driftwood and they grow. you need to wipe down the leaves every once in a while to keep algae from growing but they help filter out things harmful to the fish like ammonia.

2007-01-14 13:54:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0 2

Yes I have some advice. I think you might want to change the water. You akso might be putting way to much fish food in the bowl and that will cause it to stink!

2007-01-18 11:40:51 · answer #7 · answered by Caitlyn C 2 · 0 0

Pump not aerating properly. Try a bottom aerator and less plants. Best to start over with new water, etc. Also, it sounds like you are feeding too heavily and accumulating detrius in the gravel that can do nothing but rot and pollute the water.

2007-01-14 13:38:11 · answer #8 · answered by Donald W 4 · 0 1

properly there you're (there is not something left from the previous yucky tank) it is your issue. there is micro organism interior the gravel and filter out that your fishies would desire to stay to tell the tale. The micro organism breaks down the fish waste and keeps the water from being poisonous on your fish. once you first initiate a tank up rinse all of the hot issues and rinse gravel untill the water runs sparkling, placed all your candies on your tank and then fill with water taken care of with a product talked approximately as initiate appropriate or yet another water conditioner. that's going to eliminate the chlorine from the tank and upload a rigidity lowering slime coat on your new fish. Then waite 24 hours with filter out and air working) earlier including new fish. additionally placed a small sparkling glass field interior the tank with one teaspoon of aquarium salt in keeping with 5 gallon of water. (it won't harm sparkling water fish) The salt will kill any undesirable issues and shop your fish from getting ill. The filter out won't sparkling the salt out so do not shop including it. purely upload salt while changing water. in case your water point is going down and you will desire to upload say a gallon then handle the water with chlorine remover and upload a teaspoon of salt. Your fish will love you for it. Now give up cleansing all of the time. To plenty cleansing eliminates the forged micro organism that your fish choose. in case you do would desire to bathe shop some water from the previous tank and upload it in. which will fill up the micro organism inhabitants. Purchas a gravel cleansing sypnon from Wal-Mart which you push down into the gravel and raise up, it sucks the poopy out of the gravel, then merely replace water. (I even have had a similar tank going for years and have never had to totaly dissmantel and sparkling it) yet another sturdy element to do is get some corry cats they are like tiny little vaccum cleaners. exchange filter out cartridge the different month rinse it as quickly as then replace it the subsequent. do not overfeed and not in any respect upload the water from the placement you got your fish on your tank. wish this helps.

2016-10-19 23:52:17 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

Just let it cycle. But even when it is cycled, it isn't going to smell like a bed of roses, it should still smell a bit but not so bad that it stinks up your room.

2007-01-14 13:36:30 · answer #10 · answered by Flames Fan 3 · 0 1

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