Is there any liquid solution to remove/reduce the bad odor

[greenhorn]

This question may sounds absurd. Like cut flowers in a vase, the water smell after some time. Same for planted tank....the sand in the planted tank smell. Is there any solutions or ways to reduce/ rid of the odor ? Charcoal ? Thought charcoal is only for marine.
[:]

[greenhorn]

This question may sounds absurd. Like cut flowers in a vase, the water smell after some time. Same for planted tank....the sand in the planted tank smell. Is there any solutions or ways to reduce/ rid of the odor ? Charcoal ? Thought charcoal is only for marine.
[:]

[greenhorn]

This question may sounds absurd. Like cut flowers in a vase, the water smell after some time. Same for planted tank....the sand in the planted tank smell. Is there any solutions or ways to reduce/ rid of the odor ? Charcoal ? Thought charcoal is only for marine.
[:]

[greenhorn]

This question may sounds absurd. Like cut flowers in a vase, the water smell after some time. Same for planted tank....the sand in the planted tank smell. Is there any solutions or ways to reduce/ rid of the odor ? Charcoal ? Thought charcoal is only for marine.
[:]

[budak]

please provide the following data to help us answer your query:
tank size
number of fish (and what species)
number of plants (and species)
type of substrate/gravel and thickness
filtration and filter media
lighting
age of setup
frequency of water change
use of chemicals
what kind of smell exactly.

a planted tank will have a kind of mild organic, planty smell, like in a thickly planted garden. You can't expect it not to smell. Only if the smell is of something rotten, putrid, stale.... should there be a problem.

[greenhorn]

tank size
2 feet tank (as posted in my tank section)
number of fish (and what species)
18 x fishes
number of plants (and species)
about 10 x plant species
type of substrate/gravel and thickness
lonestar gravel
filtration and filter media
Overhead filter with ceramic rings as filter media.
lighting
1 x 36W PL light
age of setup
3 or 4 months
frequency of water change
fornightly
use of chemicals
If I remember correctly Melafix Green **if I got it right** to treat white spot on tetra.
what kind of smell exactly.
fishy smell

[juggler]

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On 10/2/2002 3:05:52 PM

This question may sounds absurd. Like cut flowers in a vase, the water smell after some time. Same for planted tank....the sand in the planted tank smell. Is there any solutions or ways to reduce/ rid of the odor ? Charcoal ? Thought charcoal is only for marine.
[:]
----------------

Is it because you pulled out some plant and the base fert accidentally came off and the smell came with it?
Correct me if I am wrong... I would suspect if the substrate is not well-oxygenated, there will be some rotting smell. The plant roots can help in this process.
My heavily planted tank don't have this problem so far. I uproot some plants, some soil came up and no smell.

[greenhorn]

I think you might be right juggler.[]

[budak]

hi greenhorn,

I can suggest a few possible reasons for the smell:
- your light may not be bright enough for the plants, so some stems/leaves are dying off and rotting.
- a fishy smell could be from dead organisms. Any carcasses? or foreign creatures (e.g. drowned cockroach, lizard)?
- blue-green algae, a horrid, stinky dark shiny green film. Anything like that?
- most likely could be the medicine, which in a planted tank will wreck havoc on the microorganisms/bacteria. The resulting die-off and rotting could be the source of the smell. White-spot is best treated by a regime of salt and water changes (check the AQ medical room for recent discussions), rather than those blue and green dyes (which incidently aren't very good for human health too). If changing the water more frequently (at least once a week till the smell goes off) doesn't work, I suggest you drain the tank almost completely and refill again, as well as clean out the filter. This will mean that you have to start cycling the tank (i.e. letting the biological filter develop) from scratch.

[greenhorn]

Thanks Budak!

[DEA]

carbon will remove the smell
but i strongly suggest u do what budak said
there's no reason for a planted tank to smell bad
mine all smell of the forest after a rain