aquarium smell

[boq]

It is obviously bad when aquarium water has an offensive odor, but is a
distinctive and most certainly not offensive scent that... uhh...
resembles a pond on a warm day (sorry, no better way to describe it)...
something to worry about?

In other words, should a healthy fishtank have no smell at all? Some pages
I have found on the web seem to suggest it should, but I'm not so sure.

I have a rather large, sparsely populated, healthy tank (nitrites, pH are
all OK), and when I lean and sniff it, this is what I get.

[Toni]

"boq" > wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.58.0411121443540.2613@dione...
>
> In other words, should a healthy fishtank have no smell at all? Some pages
> I have found on the web seem to suggest it should, but I'm not so sure.
>


Smell is such a subjective thing that you'll likely get 100 different
answers.
IMO a healthy tank with nothing decaying shouldn't have any odor. Maybe
someone might notice a bit of a "humid" smell- a rainforesty feeling, but
that's all.
I don't think my freshwater tanks smell at all, but someone else might
notice it- like a picky Mother-In-Law type <g>.

--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/discus.htm

[Mean_Chlorine]

Thusly boq > Spake Unto All:

>It is obviously bad when aquarium water has an offensive odor, but is a
>distinctive and most certainly not offensive scent that... uhh...
>resembles a pond on a warm day (sorry, no better way to describe it)...
>something to worry about?

That's normal.
It's when they have a sharp, nasty, smell you need to worry.

[jk]

"boq" > wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.58.0411121443540.2613@dione...
> It is obviously bad when aquarium water has an offensive odor, but is a
> distinctive and most certainly not offensive scent that... uhh...
> resembles a pond on a warm day (sorry, no better way to describe it)...
> something to worry about?
>
> In other words, should a healthy fishtank have no smell at all? Some pages
> I have found on the web seem to suggest it should, but I'm not so sure.
>
> I have a rather large, sparsely populated, healthy tank (nitrites, pH are
> all OK), and when I lean and sniff it, this is what I get.
>
>

I've had aquariums for 40 years and they all smell naturally dank, if you
put your nose right there at the water level. It's never bad enough to
affect the home though.

--
JK Sinrod
Sinrod Stained Glass Studios
www.sinrodstudios.com
Coney Island Memories
www.sinrodstudios.com/coneymemories

[MrHappy]

Didn't your mother tell you not to smell the water?

All tanks have an odour
IMHO, planted tanks have a stronger odour all other things being
equal
If the smell is wrong, you won't be asking questions of
here....they can smell quite unpleasant if left unattended

I rescued a few Gfish from a big tank after the owner had been in
hospital for 3 months

Sometimes, increasing the aeration will lowere the smell after the
first day or two

----------------------------------------------
Posted with NewsLeecher v1.0 Final
* Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
* http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
----------------------------------------------

[Mean_Chlorine]

Thusly (MrHappy) Spake Unto All:

>Didn't your mother tell you not to smell the water?

Actually I recommend smelling the water.

If there's serious problems with nitrite and ammonia, you will likely
be able to smell it quite easily. Basically, if the tank ever smells
sharply unpleasant, then you better start doing large water changes
immediately.

Most aquarists will know the smell I'm talking about here, a sharp,
acrid, evil smell you can get from aquaria which have been going for
just a few days and haven't cycled yet, but if things go seriously
wrong you can get it from mature tanks too. The water smells toxic,
and it is.

Planted tanks and aquaria with algal problems do have a smell too, and
sometimes it's quite strong, but it's an earthy pond/rotting leaves
type smell, not distinctly unpleasant.

[Bill Stock]

"boq" > wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.58.0411121443540.2613@dione...
> It is obviously bad when aquarium water has an offensive odor, but is a
> distinctive and most certainly not offensive scent that... uhh...
> resembles a pond on a warm day (sorry, no better way to describe it)...
> something to worry about?
>
> In other words, should a healthy fishtank have no smell at all? Some pages
> I have found on the web seem to suggest it should, but I'm not so sure.
>
> I have a rather large, sparsely populated, healthy tank (nitrites, pH are
> all OK), and when I lean and sniff it, this is what I get.
>
>

LOL. Mine smell slightly fishy, but I only notice it if I've been cleaning
the tank. I know the cats like to taste (lick) me after I've been cleaning
the tanks. Hmmm, Fish Sticks. :)

[Dick]

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 22:43:29 +0100, Mean_Chlorine
> wrote:

>Thusly (MrHappy) Spake Unto All:
>
>>Didn't your mother tell you not to smell the water?
>
>Actually I recommend smelling the water.
>
>If there's serious problems with nitrite and ammonia, you will likely
>be able to smell it quite easily. Basically, if the tank ever smells
>sharply unpleasant, then you better start doing large water changes
>immediately.
>

I am glad for this thread. I have never had my tanks have anything
like you describe, "sharply unpleasant." As someone else noted, a
slight musky smell (not sure what musky will mean to others, but the
best word I could think of) is normal. I do sniff my tanks and now
will be more alert to the warning smell. Not that I think my
wonderful tanks could ever reach such a point of ill management! <g>

dick

>Most aquarists will know the smell I'm talking about here, a sharp,
>acrid, evil smell you can get from aquaria which have been going for
>just a few days and haven't cycled yet, but if things go seriously
>wrong you can get it from mature tanks too. The water smells toxic,
>and it is.
>
>Planted tanks and aquaria with algal problems do have a smell too, and
>sometimes it's quite strong, but it's an earthy pond/rotting leaves
>type smell, not distinctly unpleasant.

[Limnophile]

"boq" > wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.58.0411121443540.2613@dione...
> It is obviously bad when aquarium water has an offensive odor, but is a
> distinctive and most certainly not offensive scent that... uhh...
> resembles a pond on a warm day (sorry, no better way to describe it)...
> something to worry about?
>
> In other words, should a healthy fishtank have no smell at all? Some pages
> I have found on the web seem to suggest it should, but I'm not so sure.
>
> I have a rather large, sparsely populated, healthy tank (nitrites, pH are
> all OK), and when I lean and sniff it, this is what I get.
>
>
Healthy aquariums smell like damp soil, a mild earthy scent, like a forest
after it rains.
If a tank smells like manure or rotten eggs something is badly wrong.

Limnophile

[Limnophile]

"Bill Stock" > wrote in message
<snip>
>
> LOL. Mine smell slightly fishy, but I only notice it if I've been cleaning
> the tank. I know the cats like to taste (lick) me after I've been cleaning
> the tanks. Hmmm, Fish Sticks. :)
>
My cat drinks from the aquariums almost exclusively. I clean the cat's water
bowl and refill it, kitty smells the water bowl, then goes and drinks out of
a fish tanks.

Must be the snail and algae flavor ?

Limnophile