Tanks smell real bad, help me out please

[BlueV6]

Just as the subject says, basically.

I have a 10 gallon fish tank with about 14 goldfish (which I know are smelly fish as it is) and a 29 gallon with a plecostomus and an albino channel catfish. I have an eclipse 3 (on the 29 gallon), but the lid over the filter and biowheel has been missing for some time. The water didn't smell at first, I started feeding them a few tetra min flakes cause he wouldnt eat the feeders. The water started smelling soon after and now my entire room stinks and is getting worse by the day..

Has anyone had this problem before? I am now sleeping with a window cracked and the door open to circulate the nasty smell out.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
Thanks.

[sumpthinfishy]

Have to ask a few questions to know what's going on.

1. What are your water parameters? Ammonia, nitrites, etc?

2. How long have you had these tanks and fish?

3. How big are the fish right now?

4. Are the tanks cycled?

Both tanks are REALLY overstocked and the smell could be an accumulation of ammonia.

All of those fish are really big bioloads by themselves, nevermind all in one (or two) tank. How big are the goldfish?

Sorry for all the questions. But it's hard to know what's going on without knowing the specifics.

[BlueV6]

1. Not sure about the parameters
2. The 10 gallon, about a year, the 29 gallon, about a month
3. The big tank has one 3 inch plecostomus and a 3 inch albine channel catfish
The 10 gallon has 6-1 inch fish, one 4 inch plecostomus, a 6 inch shubunkin, a 7 inch comet, a 3 inch betta, 2-1 inch black moors, and a 4 inch black moor. That tank has always smelled a little, but I have never had a problem with the smell getting out into the room. The 10 gallon is extremely overstocked, I know. The big one only has 2 small fish, though.
4. Cycled... meining a filtration setup? Yes

[Rory Bury]

My tank can get quite smelly as well its a tropical one with a selction of small fish a plec a snail and a crab. I usually wipe off the top of the tank and do a water change i syphon some water out of the top this seems to work i dont know if its the same for goldfish maybe itsworth a try

[buddah101]

try activated carbon and waterchanges, that should work.

[Cichlid Man]

Water change, water change, water change, it's the best remedy for any crisis like this.
Also the less you feed them the better.
And lastly, some of those goldfish have to go.

[Ownager2004]

lol 14 goldfish in a 10 gallon. way to go

[Mr Aquarium]

Well my best guess would be your way under filtered for the amount your over stocked,
You ever think about moving some of that into the other tank?

[Rory Bury]

I am a bit worried about how many fish you have in that tank bare in mind that on average goldfish grow to 30cm so make sure they have a lot of room to grow to there full size or they may become unhappy after a while and slowly die out and not live there proper lifespan

[fish_doc]

As has already been stated. Water changes with a gravel vac and carbon in the filter. Keep up on the changes with your tank overstocked you probably need to be doing almost daily changes.

[sumpthinfishy]

Cycled is if the good bacteria has built up to get rid of ammonia and nitrites. If you have a water test kit, it'd be a great idea to test the water and see if there are any nitrites. If there are no nitrites, but you do have nitrates, your tank is cycled. I'm talking about the 29 gallon. The 10 gallon would be, but is, as you know, really overstocked. If you don't have a test kit, you can get a 5 in 1 dip stick test kit from Wal-Mart or your lfs. I think that's one of the cheapest ways to do it until you can get another type.

Yeah, gravel vac and definitely water change, water change, water change as already mentioned. And I'd seriously see about moving a bunch of those fish too. The 29 gallon isn't bad with the fish that small, I was thinking they were bigger - but they're gonna grow. Alot. May want to start thinking about a 100+ tank now for some of these fellas. LOL

I have a 6 inch goldfish in a 46 gallon tank with only one gourami and two swordtails and she looks cramped to me. (this is temporary, guys, so don't blast me for mixing the goldy with the gourami and swords)

Good luck.

[BlueV6]

I would gladly get rid of some of my goldfish, not into the other tank, though, the big tank is going to be agressive fish (2 oscars, one more channel catfish, another plecostomus, and 2 clown knives)

I have had my goldfish for a couple of years, they have always been lively and none of them have died. Like I said, I would get rid of some of them, but I don't want to give them away to some crappy home where they would soon die, and I dont have room or the money for a bigger tank.

If there was somewhere I could give them a good home, I would give them away.

And I will changing out half the water tonight in the big tank.

Thanks for the info.

[fishfreaks]

when was your last water change? both tanks are overstocked imo. channel cats get huge and so do goldfish!

[Imbrium]

You can't keep two oscars in a 29 gal. You seriously need to get rid of some of those fish. They don't have a good home with you living in those conditions.

[fish_doc]

If you are willing to give them away. Try listing where you live (generally) and maybe someone here is close enough with a big enough tank to take them in.

[boroughmal]

One doesnt like to be rude so dont get offended.
The answer to your problem is not that you are overstocked (which you are) but that your filtration is too small.
Many a time this smell problem comes up . It is caused by the nitrifying bacteria that change ammonia to nitrate. In the cycle of the tank there are a more or less static amount of these bacteria. They take six weeks to mature & do their job and multiply at a rate of about 15% per day if food is available. If food is not available,they die off at the same rate. The smell is caused when too many of them die off at one time & their rotting flesh is the smell.they cannot eat each other as they feed on a diffrent part of the chain(Ammonia).
To rectify the problem, first be consistant on the ammount you feed them(Food for fish that is) secondly try a larger filter to allow a greater ammount to grow and not die off, Thirdly increase the oxygen levels in your tanks & this will make the bacteria grow quicker,consuming more waste.
As an interim measure to can buy bacteria in bottles these days and this will help to jump start the process.
Regards
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