What Does A Tank Normally Smell Like?

[Zyden]

So I had a whiff of my sister's 3 yr old established tank, and I thought Peeee-eeew. I couldn't see any growth inside, she keeps a spotless tank. But seeing as she just had a baby, I thought I'd do her a favour, did a water check and it all came back 0 except nitrates which were 25-30. I did her a water change, but the tank to me still smelt like an old pond.

I even scrubbed the lid down just in case!

So what should a tank smell like? We all know wiffy tanks indicate bad water conditions, but what is an OK smell for a tank?

 

[Caprichoso]

My tank has a mild aroma of earthiness mixed with a hint of plant and mildly spicy scents. I think I should patent it and sell it as cologne, lololololol!!!

 

[Fyurae]

They ideally smell like fresh water, in my opinion. However, my tank usually smells like B.O. because I think it was used for salt in a past life and the light fixture smells awful if you happen to get close.

 

[micko]

Uuuuuuum, I have a terrible sense of smell.
My girlfriend is constantly asking "do you like this purfume?" She knows I can't smell it but still asks me anyway.

I don't know what a bad tank smells like, I don't know what mine smells like.

 

[Geoff-]

tank should just smell mildly earthy. if it has a pong about it then something's wrong, maybe the filter is overdue for cleaning or the water is stale and needs changing.

 

[colleen0309]

Depends alittle on your substrate. My dirt tank smells like a creek. My gravel tank has a bit of earthy smell, but my sand tank doesn't have any odor.

 

[Tizer]

fish tanks always smell a bit manky, cant be helped to be honest.

 

[hanny93]

yeah mine smells a bit bad, sort of like wet soil mixed with a fart

 

[marieukxx]

My filter smells like mud to me. The actual tank water smells like a pond

yeah mine smells a bit bad, sort of like wet soil mixed with a fart

lmao great description

 

[StandbySetting]

It should smell earthy, similar to that smell you get when you open a new bag of compost.

Cyanobacteria and disturbed anaerobic pockets can cause rotten egg smells, it's the Sulphur.

 

[AdamHawk]

Mine smells like a fertiliser bath So I've quite giving plant any additional flirtiliser for few days

 

[XeroTolerance]

Mine sometimes has a stench. Other times none. The stench is kind of earthy. I'm doing a fishless cycle so I think that bacteria are causing it.

 

[Geoff-]

^^ a fishless cycle is the very beginning of your tank's ecosystem. for the first few months the smell may vary until everything reaches equilibrium and various processes settle down.

the main thing is that an established tank never smells of ammonia

 

[willowstwin]

mine smells like a bag of compost like Standbysetting said. Earthy.. I quite like the smell