Stinky fish tank, HELP PLEASE!!!?

Question

i just got a 30 gal fish tank 3 days ago and when ever i walk into my room (where the fish tank is) it smells horrible! there is no dead fish or any thing! i try spraying things in my room when i go in but it wares off!

and there's no way it's gotten that dirty in 3 days!

i don't know what to do! i can't move it cause it weighs over 200 lbs and i don't have the time to take every thing out and move it!

what do i do? please help!

Answer 1

could be the gravel try replacing the gravel

Answer 2

How many fish and of what kind do you have?

Normally, bad smell is because of bad water quality.

Get a test kit and check your levels.

Try doing a 50% water change and see if it helps.

Answer 3

I've had similar problems with tanks and usually it will ware of in a matter of time

Answer 4

have you ever thought about cleaning out the water...you must do your research before buying yourself a fish tank! arrggghh!!!!!!

Answer 5

Can you describe the smell?  Does it smell like:

Urine? (That's probably ammonia)

Mildew/mold? (you may have a leak)

Musty? (could be several things)

Something else?

Answer 6

Did you clean the tank before you set it up? If it was used, that may be the problem. Try doing a 25-50% water change and see if that helps. Stinky water generally means dirty water. Try getting a better filter.

Answer 7

It needs a complete water change and you need a more powerful filter. You need an underground filter with a pump and a two-head filter system with bio-weels. Your tank does need cleaned though. Remove the fish and scoop the water out with a pitcher or large cup and then add new water the same way. Be sure to rinse off the gravel too. Good luck.

Answer 8

you did not cycle it

some of your fish may die

Answer 9

I don't think the problem could be poor filtration if you only set up the tank three days ago.

If the fish are healthy, maybe give the tank some time to settle down.

If you have pieces of wood in the tank, they can smell funny, because they are (slowly) decomposing.

you might want to be careful with 'spraying things' (I guess you mean deodoriser?) because they may contain chemicals that are bad for the fish.

Answer 10

I had the same problem when my ammonia levels were off the chart.  Are your fish gasping for air at the top?  You need to check your water.  If your levels are high keep doing 15-20% water changes until your levels are zero.  Feed your fish only once a day until the issue is resolved.  Some people say not to feed for a couple of days.  I think my problem started whenever I was overfeeding my fish.  I was still changing out 20% weekly and it still happened.  The sooner you test your water the better.  Most local fish store will test for free.  

Answer 11

Did you cycle your tank first, or did you just fill it up and put the fish in right away?  If it's the latter, the smell is probably from ammonia buildup due to all the fish waste that's suddenly being produced.

First, read up on tank cycling:

http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

Then, get test kits for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.  Test your water.  If you get ammonia or nitrite readings, you need to do small water changes every day until the levels go down and your tank finishes cycling.  That will clear up the smell.

Also, it's never a good idea to get fish you know nothing about--how will you know if they'll outgrow your tank or how to care for them properly?  And if your "cleaner fish" is a plecostomus or a chinese algae eater, they are not suitable for your tank and you need to return or rehome them.  Both grow very large, and the CAE will get aggressive as it gets older.