Question: Bad smell in tank

[Tasha H]

This might seem like a bizarre question but it really has me puzzled. I got my first tiger salamander about 2 months ago (called squishy). I then got another one about a month ago (called goober). They are in separate tanks and I clean them often and change their water every other day. Tonight I cleaned the tanks as usual and squishy's was the same as always. But goober's tank smelled like death warmed over. It smelled absolutely awful, like rotten flesh. I feed them both the same and I was hoping to put them together soon in a large tank, but now am worried. They both shed this past week and they both have been pooping normally for the most part. I keep them in exactly the same set up except Goober has a rock hide and squishy has a stump hide. Why does Goobers tank smell so horrible?!

 

[Otterwoman]

Could you have fed him a worm that escaped and is now rotting? Nothing smells worse than a rotting worm.

 

[Tasha H]

I didn't. But my boyfriend may have. He feeds them when I'm not looking. He thinks they are starving all the time because they are always looking for a handout. So it is possible one or five may have gotten away. I swear I even have to put "Do not feed" signs on their cages. I'm glad nothing is wrong with Goober. I didn't think about worms because I hand feed, but who knows what he does.

 

[JoshBA]

Yeah the usual nightcrawlers die after a few days at room temperature. Also your soil may be too moist which can create low oxygen conditions, which creates a nasty bog smell.

 

[Tasha H]

Definitely not bog smell. More like something very large is now dead, or perhaps the smell when you have chicken in the fridge for a year in a container and then you find and open the container. But I redid the whole set-up and she smells just fine now.