An unpleasant smell from an aquarium is not the most pleasant moment for fish owners. This happens sometimes and is especially common among beginners. So let's figure it out why does aquarium water stink? and what to do about it.
The first thing to do is to determine the cause of the smell, because the water in the aquarium smells like a swamp until you solve the problem.
Why does the aquarium stink?
There may be several reasons why an aquarium stinks. Let's try to determine the source of the smell.
- The source of the odor may simply be the cover glass or aquarium lid. Let's start with this. Quite often they forget to wash them when replacing them. Due to moisture and light, algae and colonies of bacteria can grow there, which, if successfully maintained, stink. There may also be an accumulation of food on the glass or lid that did not get into the aquarium. The food rots and can also be a source of stench.
- Reason number two. Dead fish in an aquarium. This is all clear.
- The water may smell like a swamp if it is blooming. Typically this may be due to large quantity light or due to the fact that the aquarium is in direct sunlight.
- Another reason may be rare soil siphonage. If you do not touch the soil, fish waste begins to decompose there, which forms hydrogen sulfide. This is why the water in the aquarium smells rotten.
- Decor or soil may smell if it has not been properly treated before placing it in the aquarium.
What to do?
So, we figured out the source of the smell. Now let's decide what to do if the water in the aquarium stinks.
In any case, you need to remove the source of the odor and do a water change of 10–40 percent, depending on the level of contamination. I recommend adding special chemicals to prepare the water after all procedures.
So, today you learned what to do if the water in your aquarium smells rotten or smells like a swamp. Try to avoid such situations, because the life of your fish depends on the conditions in the aquarium.
Let's talk about the unpleasant smell from the aquarium
In general, a slight musty smell from the aquarium is acceptable. The aquarium is not sterile, millions of organisms live in it - it is a whole microcosm, so a priori a reservoir cannot smell of “Alpine freshness”.
But sometimes it happens that the aquarium actually begins to emit a stench. The reasons for this are various:
Excess of food residues, fish waste products and dead organic matter;
Dairy products minimize the smell of onions and garlic. Drink a glass of kefir or milk, eat yogurt or a little sour cream. Good for getting rid of onion smell green tea with milk or strong coffee. Gradually the unpleasant aroma will disappear. Of course, the smell of onions will not go away, but it will become less noticeable to others. Try not to eat onions and garlic before important business meetings, then you won’t have to invent a way to get rid of the smell.
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Sources:
- onion smell from mouth
As a rule, the smell of rotten fish often haunts our clothes. And it's not about how often you wash it. The main thing is proper care. Not complicated people's councils will help you get rid of this problem.
Instructions
You can remove the unpleasant smell of fish from clothes by washing. To do this you will need: 2 tablespoons of 9% vinegar solution, 2 liters hot water, laundry soap. Mix vinegar with water. Soak your clothes in the resulting solution for 30-40 minutes. After this, wash the item thoroughly with laundry soap. Remember: the darker the bar of laundry soap, the more alkaline it is and the better it will remove all existing odors.
Concentrated solution table salt will also help you deal with the problematic smell of rotten fish. To do this, soak your clothes for 20-30 minutes before washing. Then wash it in the washing machine with the addition of regular powder and conditioner.
Light-colored clothing requires special care. Use a coarse grater to grate a piece of laundry soap and dissolve it in warm water. Boil your clothes in the resulting solution for 30-40 minutes. After this, rinse it well, adding a little table vinegar.
You can get rid of the smell of rotten fish on clothes using citric acid. To do this you will need: 1 tablespoon of citric acid, 10 liters of water. Dilute citric acid in water and wash clothes in the resulting solution. It's simple enough, but effective method. You can also replace citric acid with detergent or washing powder with the appropriate scent. The only condition is compliance with proportions.
And, of course, do not forget about proper drying of clothes. Very often, an unpleasant odor from clothes appears in poorly dried items. Immediately after washing, hang the laundry on the balcony or loggia. If you don’t have them in your apartment and you dry your clothes in the bathroom, do not close the door under any circumstances. Remember: the room in which you dry clothes must be well ventilated.
Sources:
- smell of rotten fish
Very often, after preparing a particular dish using garlic remains quite specific smell in room. There are several ways to eliminate it.
You will need
- - table vinegar (9%);
- - water;
- - lemon;
- - salt;
- - Rye bread;
- - juniper;
- - towels;
- - mustard (powder);
- - potato;
- - detergent.
Instructions
Delete smell garlic You can use table vinegar. To do this, pour 1 liter of cold water into a small saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar (9%). Heat this mixture over low heat without covering the container with a lid. After 5-10 minutes, open the windows in the room to ventilate the rooms.
Also eliminate specific smell garlic You can use lemon zest. This method great if the aroma is coming from the kitchen. To do this, pour 1-2 tablespoons of table salt onto the preheated oven stove. Place lemon slices on top. Within 10-15 minutes the kitchen will smell a pleasant, refreshing aroma. By the way, you can replace lemon with orange or any citrus fruit.
Effectively ventilate the room from unpleasant smell A garlic You can if you put wet towels in different rooms. After this, open all the windows wide. Towels will quickly absorb unpleasant smell.
If smell garlic comes from the refrigerator, place a piece on different shelves rye bread or juniper branches. This method will quickly eliminate the unpleasant aroma.
If smell garlic left on the dish in which you prepared the dish, rub it with dry mustard and leave for 10-15 minutes. After this, rinse it with warm running water. This way, you won't need detergent and the specific aroma will quickly dissipate. In the same way, you can use a raw potato tuber by rubbing it on the absorbed unpleasant smell dishes
To smell garlic did not remain on the cutting board, grate it with lemon zest before using.
If smell garlic left on a kitchen utensil (knife, fork, spoon), heat it over the fire. After this, rinse it with warm water and a little detergent.
Beautiful water world It relaxes you at home and adds variety to the usual interior of your apartment or office. However, you need to be able to properly care for the aquarium, otherwise plaque cannot be avoided.
Instructions
If mucus forms in the aquarium, it means which fish has died and is decomposing. It could also be a plant. You need to find and remove the source of mucus, and then replace the water. If you cannot find the source of mucus and contamination in your aquarium, you can go for radical measures: resettle the fish and plants, dry the aquarium thoroughly, boil all the stones and only after some time try to populate the aquarium with residents again.
The time comes, and the novice aquarist suddenly feels the unpleasant smell of a swamp in the apartment and the source of the smell will be the home aquarium.
It is difficult to say that the smell from an aquarium is a common occurrence, but it is also difficult to call it rare. I will analyze the main reasons for the appearance of unpleasant odors from the aquarium: swamps, mud, rotten meat and other odors.
An unpleasant odor from an aquarium appears when there is an abundance of rotting and decomposing bacteria. Bacteria decompose organic matter in the aquarium to hydrogen sulfide, which has a rotten smell. In an aquarium with a stable biological balance, bacteria are integrated into the nitrogen cycle, promoting the decomposition of dead organic matter, and their number is regulated by the vital activity of aquarium plants and colonies of beneficial bacteria.
In the absence of equilibrium in home aquarium, the amount of organic dirt increases and the number of anaerobic bacteria increases, which leads to the appearance of a swamp smell with the subsequent death of aquarium fish and plants. This happens in the following cases:
- Lack of aquarium maintenance
- Weak or no aeration
- Low power aquarium filter or no filtration
- Overfeeding or expired food
- Overpopulation of the aquarium with fish
The main causes of aquarium odor are lack of aquarium maintenance, excessive feeding and poor aeration.
What to do if the water in the aquarium smells like a swamp and stinks
First of all, thoroughly clean the aquarium from accumulated dirt:
- Siphonim soil
- We remove dirt from artificial plants, stones and decorations
- Changing the water
Don't forget to change the water. Changing the water reduces the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the aquarium and prevents the death of fish.
The next step in combating odor from the aquarium is to increase aeration. Anaerobic bacteria do not live in water saturated with oxygen, therefore we add power to the compressor. If your aquarium does not have a compressor, then it is time to buy one.
We remove and wash the aquarium filters from accumulated dirt so that the filter does not serve as an additional source of rotting bacteria.
We stop feeding for a few days aquarium fish or we feed the minimum amount of feed. We exclude live food in the form of bloodworms completely.
We resettle an overpopulated aquarium or increase aeration and add power to the aquarium filter. With proper care of the aquarium, overcrowding does not lead to stagnation of water and the appearance of a rotten smell.
After completing these steps, leave the aquarium alone and perform a quarter-volume water change every day. It is necessary to re-establish a biological balance in the aquarium, which prevents the aquarium from rotting and prevents the appearance of unpleasant odor.
When a fish pestilence begins in an aquarium, the owner’s first reaction is to run to the aqua store in search of a remedy for this disease and misfortune. But, by doing this they only worsen the already unstable situation in the aquarium, and the dying of the fish begins to occur faster....
The question is, of course, interesting for a novice aquarist. There is a lot of data on the Internet, often incorrect, explaining how many fish can be put into an aquarium, based on the displacement of this aquarium. Beginners, having picked up such data, release fish and have no idea how overpopulated their aquarium is....
With the help of an aquarium, your home will be filled with the beauty, comfort and warmth of exotic bodies of water. An aquarium is a great place to watch beautiful fish and relax in meditation. However, a damaged tank can ruin both your mood and the health of its inhabitants. Sometimes the water goes bad and smells like a swamp. Muddy water spoils the impression and makes the nursery unsuitable for further use. The problem requires an immediate solution, which involves identifying the cause and its immediate elimination.
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If the water in the aquarium stinks - reasons
The main reasons why aquarium water smells unpleasant are listed below:
- Irregular cleaning of the tank or poor quality cleaning (filtration);
- Improper aeration, due to which the water is not saturated sufficient quantity oxygen;
- Unsuitable aquarium plants;
- Overpopulation of the nursery - not enough water is allocated for one adult animal;
- Overfeeding fish, reptiles or amphibians;
- Feeding pets with low-quality food;
- Sudden death of the inhabitants of the reservoir, the body rots and decomposes;
- The appearance of silt in soil and water.
Muddy water that smells like a swamp - what to do?
If the aquarium liquid has become rotten, has become very stinky, and even smells like a swamp, you can establish the causes of the imbalance in the aquatic environment through practice and observation. In the process of research, it will be possible to determine the method by which muddy water that goes bad and smells unpleasant will be neutralized. To solve the problem, step-by-step actions should be taken.
- install a compressor with high power;
- replace the filter with a new one, with a forced circulation system;
- Find out from a specialist how to adjust the oxygen supply to an acceptable level.
See how to change the water and clean the aquarium.
The liquid in the aquarium is rotten and smells like a swamp - how to clean the water?
- at least a 5-10 liter jar of infused water with the appropriate parameters for the temporary settlement of fish;
- net, scraper and sponge;
- large bucket;
- thermometer;
- a special liquid for removing dirt from aquarium glass (available in stores);
- aquarium pump;
- pH level regulator.
Remove all animals from the nursery using a net, placing them in a jar of water. Disconnect the tank from the power supply, light, turn off the filter and aerator. Rinse and clean the filter sponge. Using a scraper and sponge, clean the glass, removing plaque, algae and other debris. Take the pump, lower one end into a bucket, the other into a container with dirty water, then pump out 20 to 50% of all the water, depending on when it was last changed. Put gauze on the pump and move it along the bottom of the soil; the air will siphon the bottom. After cleaning, remove all decorations.
The decorations should be removed and processed, leaving them in a separate container with slightly salted water (1 teaspoon per 20 liters) or scalding them with boiling water. If plaque has formed on them, scrape it off with an unnecessary toothbrush or gauze. After processing, place the decorations on a clean cloth to dry, and then reinstall them in the aquarium.
Pour new, clean water into the aquarium with the same parameters to which the fish and plants are accustomed (temperature, pH, hardness). The infused water needs to sit for three days for the chlorine to evaporate. Polish the outer glass of the tank (with aquarium glass cleaner) and then reconnect all devices. After the procedure, gradually introduce the fish. Cleaning can be done in a few hours, the main thing is to be careful.
Experienced breeders strongly advise placing in the nursery the “orderlies” of the reservoir - freshwater snails, speckled catfish, mollies, ancistrus, girinocheils, labeo, Japanese pond shrimp. Fish living in the lower layers cope well with half-eaten food that has fallen to the bottom, snails feed on carrion, and shrimp and other above-mentioned fish cope well with algae. When settling, you should take into account compatibility with each other, then your aquarium will begin to resemble a natural biotope, with crystal clean water and beautiful living creatures.
A very interesting activity for many people is observing the life of fish. And there are people who organize for themselves the opportunity to go to the sea, the ocean and there to plunge into the life of sea inhabitants, but after that they have an even greater desire to get themselves pet fish. Others immediately set up aquariums at home and enjoy this observation without encouragement.
The life of fish is really interesting, but whether it will be interesting in your home depends only on you. In order for your pets to live comfortably with you, you will have to pay a lot of attention to them and devote your time to caring for them. And in order to properly care for you, you will always need knowledge.
In this article we will talk about the problem of unpleasant odor from the aquarium. How to deal with this phenomenon, what to do if the water becomes cloudy, etc. So, let's begin.
Let's talk about the unpleasant smell from the aquarium
First of all, you need to emphasize that if the water smells bad, this is only a consequence and a sign that you are doing something wrong in your care. After all, when the aquarium is normal, its water should have fresh smell clean lake. The second thing that is important is the obligation to remove the reason why the water smells. If you simply change the water, but do not understand the cause and do not eliminate it, then the smell will return to your pond again and again.
The water in the aquarium stinks - reasons
At this point you can see a lot of reasons why the smell appeared in the aquarium. Some reasons can be considered elementary, but in many cases it is their correction that produces results.
- Irregular water purification, no replacement, and simply not proper care behind the tank.
- Insufficient saturation of water with oxygen, this causes the water to age and develop an odor and quickly become cloudy.
- Wrong selection of plants for the aquarium.
- Too many residents in one nursery. The fish and other residents do not have enough space to live.
- Overfeeding. The living creatures do not have time to eat all the food, as a result the food spoils and brings negative consequences.
- Feeding with food from manufacturers of dubious quality.
- Death of one of the inhabitants of the reservoir. If the body was not noticed, but sank to the bottom and began to decompose, then the smell cannot be avoided.
- When installing the reservoir, the necessary bacterial cultures were not introduced.
- The feed is clogged in the filter or the filter is faulty for some other reason.
Unpleasant smell of water in the aquarium and how to deal with it
And so, we figured out why the water in the aquarium stinks, but we still have to figure out what we should do and how to get rid of the smell that spoils the whole picture.
In order to determine what exactly caused the smell in the aquarium, you will have to check all the reasons one by one. For each reason, you will need to change the water separately.
- That is, if you clean the aquatic environment more often, and you see that there is no more smell in the aquarium, then this was the reason. What to do if you still can’t get rid of the smell? The answer is, look further.
- Try changing food. Just before trying to feed turtles and fish with other food, you will have to change the water and clean the tank again. Yes, you will have to work hard, because there is no other way to get rid of it.
- Are you overfeeding? Also an option. Conduct an experiment on the fish, do a fasting day, try giving less food or giving food in smaller granules so that the granule particles do not fall off when eaten, and the piece is small enough to be eaten whole.
- Consult with a specialist whether all the fish that live in your aquarium can live together, since with insufficient space and incompatibility of the species of fish, snails, turtles, amphibians and reptiles, someone can often die. If it does not die, then the inhabitants of the aquarium excrete feces from the crowded conditions. characteristic aroma. As a result, within a day or two the water becomes cloudy and begins to smell like a swamp.
Muddy water that smells like a swamp.
- Another reason why the water has spoiled may be incorrectly selected decorations. Because decorations for aquariums are living plants, they live their own lives and if you don’t help them the right conditions, they will spoil your fun. As a solution to this problem, to determine why the plant reacts this way, we recommend consulting a botanist or a store clerk. You may have to move her to a large aquarium or, conversely, a smaller one.
- The next reason why water becomes cloudy is excessive activity fish. This usually happens due to a lack of oxygen in the reservoir. Fish often lie on the bottom, thereby muddying the sediment on the bottom. The solution is to further wash the tank, thoroughly clean the filter and set up proper aeration.
Prevention
In many cases, it is easier to prevent muddy, swamp-smelling water than to get rid of it. As a precaution, experienced aquarium owners recommend adding so-called orderlies to the nursery: snails, speckled catfish, labeo, Japanese pond shrimp, ancistrus, etc. Thanks to such live cleaners, you will be able to for a long time keep your artificial biotope clean, beautiful and healthy.
Some novice aquarists are faced with this situation: recently changed water suddenly begins to emit a whole bunch of unpleasant odors. The solution to this problem depends on the cause of the stench, and there may be several solutions.
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Instructions
1. The first thing you can do is to thoroughly wash the aquarium again and everything that is in it (stones, shells, decorative locks, houses, etc.). Rinse the inside glass thoroughly, as even if it appears clean at first glance, it may still have a slippery residue from water. If after a few days the aquarium smells unpleasant again, you need to look for the reasons in more detail.
2. First, determine what kind of odor is coming from your aquarium. If it smells a little muddy or swampy, you can calm down. This aroma only means that everything is fine with it and its inhabitants. A real aquarium should smell like a river.
3. If you smell completely different unpleasant aromas - rotten eggs, onions or garlic, drastic measures must be taken. The smell of onions can be emitted by some aquatic plants. For example, if in your aquarium cryptocarines live, such a smell may appear. In this case, add a couple of ambulia bushes, some hornwort and a few hemianthus bushes. The unpleasant odor should disappear.
4. Cause of unpleasantness smell there may be sewage that accumulates at the bottom of the “reservoir” - these are fish waste products and food residues. If the aquarium is too large and it is not possible to wash it completely, simply siphon the soil. To do this, a special device is used in the form of a hose with a tip through which water flows, taking with it all the accumulated dirt.
5. Together with the soil siphon, it is necessary to carry out the process of partial water replacement. This will also help improve the atmosphere and remove substances harmful to fish. This should be done twice a week, and you need to replace 20 to 30% of the aquarium water. You can use regular tap water, but it must be left for 24 hours.
6. Determine whether the fish have enough oxygen. To do this, look to see if they are swimming close to the surface, gasping for air. In this case, you need to buy a good air compressor, which should constantly work, providing good aeration.
Why does my fish's water become cloudy quickly?
Causes of cloudy aquarium water
Why does the aquarium water quickly become cloudy if the tank is equipped with a filter? The main problem is that on the very first day of launching the aquarium there is no holistic and constant biological environment in it. The so-called “bacterial explosion” is caused by an active increase in the number of single-celled microorganisms that constantly multiply. IN in this case You should not stock the fish; it is better to do it another day. When the microflora in the container is balanced, then the water will become crystal clear. There is no need to do anything serious - this sediment will go away on its own. If you decide to change the water, it will again become cloudy and unsuitable for life.
In 4-7 days, the aquatic environment will be completely restored, and plants and fish can be introduced into it. To speed up the process, you can add water after the old aquarium with “residential” water.
Another common problem of rapid clouding of water in an aquarium is poor filtration of the reservoir. The cleaning system should be carefully thought out, and this should be done quickly, while the fish are young and have not had time to get used to their new home. A bad filter does not allow grains of dirt, feces, and food debris to pass through, causing the formation of decay products. Such rotten water constantly stinks and can cause illness.
Watch a video about filtering water in an aquarium.
Why else does the water become cloudy quickly? If it has become an unpleasant green color, has become cloudy in short terms- this means that microscopic blue-green algae develop in it, which leads to blooming of the reservoir. At good development organic matter and strong lighting, they make themselves felt already on the fifth day. When there is not enough light, the cyanobacteria will turn brown and begin to rot. A green color of the liquid with turbidity and an unpleasant odor are signs of the growth of blue-green algae.
Cloudiness of aquarium water: actions
Improper fish settlement as a cause of rapid water turbidity
How to change aquarium water correctly?
A complete water change is required only in the rarest cases, for example, during general quarantine or water poisoning. Why can't this procedure be done often? Because the next day after a complete change, you will notice how the water has become cloudy again. A significant loss of its volume is stressful for all inhabitants of the reservoir. Even when some fish die, the water is not changed. But there are a number of recommendations, after studying which you can understand why substitutions are necessary.
- Replacements are necessary after the introduction of pathogenic microorganisms;
- Replacements are required after visible blooming of the reservoir;
- Urgent water changes are necessary when fungal mucus is detected;
- Renewal of water is required due to severe soil contamination.
You can add water to the tank as it evaporates, but not more than 20-30% of the total volume. It is best to update 1/5 of the aquarium once a week. After the procedure, the biocenosis will be restored in 2 days. When changing the water, the glass is cleaned of plaque, debris is removed from the bottom, and snags and decorations are cleaned.
It is better to plan water changes for both small and large tanks in advance. Fill a glass tank with tap water and leave it for several days, covered with gauze. Chlorine and gas will evaporate, the liquid will become safe for fish. And it should be remembered that in the first week of operation of the aquarium, the water is not changed until an ecosystem is formed in it.
Cloudy water in the aquarium is one of the most common problems faced by even experienced aquarists. The cause of a violation of the biological balance may be a bacterial outbreak, improper feeding of the fish, changing the water in the aquarium and other factors. In some cases, it is enough to eliminate the cause, and after a few days the balance will be restored. But sometimes cloudy water in an aquarium can lead to the death of fish and plants. In any case, first of all, it is necessary to establish why the water in the aquarium becomes cloudy or blooms. And only based on the reasons for the violations, it will be possible to take any action.
Why does the water in an aquarium quickly become cloudy?
When starting an aquarium, a bacterial outbreak occurs within a few days, caused by the excessive proliferation of single-celled organisms. Therefore, it is not recommended to stock fish immediately after launch. You must wait until balance is established and the water becomes clear. At the same time, there is no need to change the water. Changing the water will only cause it to become cloudy again. Usually the fish are restocked after 5-7 days, and to speed up the process of restoring biological balance, it is recommended to add water from the old aquarium.
Cloudy water in an aquarium may be a result of overfeeding the fish. If the food is not eaten completely and settles at the bottom, the water will quickly deteriorate.
Also, cloudy water in an aquarium may indicate poor filtration. If there are a large number of fish, you need to think very carefully about the water purification system, otherwise very soon the fish will begin to be poisoned by decay products, which can cause the death of the inhabitants of the aquarium.
Why does the water in the aquarium turn green?
Water blooms occur due to the rapid growth of microscopic algae. This may be caused by too much light or accumulation at the bottom organic matter. With a lack of lighting, the algae begin to rot and turn brown. If the water in the aquarium is cloudy and smells, then the cause may be the proliferation of blue-green algae.
What to do if the water in the aquarium is cloudy?
First of all, of course, you need to eliminate the cause of the cloudiness. If the problem is overpopulation of the aquarium, then you need to either increase water filtration or reduce the number of fish. If food residues accumulate at the bottom, then you need to reduce the portions, and you can also introduce bottom-dwelling fish that eat food that has settled on the ground. When flowering, you need to darken the aquarium if there is an excess of lighting, or vice versa - install a more powerful lighting system if there is not enough light. To prevent excessive algae growth, it is recommended to introduce fish or snails that eat excess vegetation. It is also worth paying attention to the filtration system. Having good filters is a prerequisite for maintaining an aquarium and maintaining biological balance. Sometimes it is recommended to add to water special additives, but most aquarists do not support this method of restoring balance. In any case, it is necessary to understand that living water in an aquarium is the result of the interaction of many living beings, so it takes time and certain conditions to restore balance. Wrong actions can lead to even greater disruption, so the main task is to create conditions for stabilizing the balance.
How often should you change the water in your aquarium?
Proper water changes in the aquarium play an important role in maintaining balance. A common mistake is changing too often or replacing too much water. With a small displacement, such mistakes can result in the death of the fish. Before changing the water in the aquarium, you need to check the water quality, acidity and temperature. With a large volume, it will take about 2 days to restore balance; with a small volume, water is needed 
change very carefully. After starting the aquarium, the water should not be changed for 2-3 months until equilibrium is established. Subsequently, up to 1/5 of the total volume is replaced every 15-30 days. With a good filtration system and a small number of fish, the water is changed less frequently and in a smaller volume. If you replace more than half of the water in the aquarium, then the entire formed environment, including the fish, may die.
In order to avoid problems, you should take care from the very beginning about the correct equipment, starting and populating the aquarium. If you follow all the rules, achieving and maintaining biological balance will not be difficult at all, and caring for the aquarium will not cause problems.
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