Help with cloudy and smelly tank

[Gloriak26]

Hello guys! I’m finally at my wits end about the situation of my axolotl’s tank and I’m hoping someone here can give me a solution. I’ve had my axolotl for around two months now. At some point my tank started getting cloudy and smelly (smell like sulphur, rotten eggs) and after searching online I concluded that a lot of debris had accumulated in my sand substrate and anaerobic bacteria started to form( parts of the sand had started turning black too) even though I would weekly vacuum it. Also along the cloudiness and smell some sort of disgusting yewllow-y slime would form on the plants, surfaces and even when I cleaned the filter media everything was full of the stuff and everything, and I mean everything in the tank, even the moss balls, reeked like rotten eggs. At some point I removed the sand (but I didn’t rinse anything else so as not to kill good bacteria) and did a massive almost 95% water change. After that I hoped that the problem would be solved but slowly after 5-6 days the cloudiness came slowly back and so did the smell but not as strong. I did my last water change 5 days ago. The tank is cloudy as ever(though surprisingly not as smelly, almost no smell) and I honestly don’t know what to do. This has honestly taken all the fun out of keeping my little friend and I just can’t bear to look at the tank like that anymore. My parameters have always been good during this time, no ammonia, no nitrites, nitrates low, so it couldn’t have been a parameter problem. I even put shrimp inside the tank and those that didn’t become snacks still survive and I know how sensitive shrimp can be. Water temperature is always between 15-19 degrees celcius so I really don’t know what the problem is! Here are some photos of my tank(sorry for any reflections) Thank you for any advice you may have!

 

[AMurry24537]

I would recommend doing a partial water change, around 30-50% every day until your tank stabilizes in a healthier way. Obviously, you should continue to do a full tank clean (take out around 30% of the water, rinse/scrub everything off in the old water, and replace with fresh, clean water) every week. Hopefully this will get rid of whatever is going on.

 

[AMurry24537]

Hello guys! I’m finally at my wits end about the situation of my axolotl’s tank and I’m hoping someone here can give me a solution. I’ve had my axolotl for around two months now. At some point my tank started getting cloudy and smelly (smell like sulphur, rotten eggs) and after searching online I concluded that a lot of debris had accumulated in my sand substrate and anaerobic bacteria started to form( parts of the sand had started turning black too) even though I would weekly vacuum it. Also along the cloudiness and smell some sort of disgusting yewllow-y slime would form on the plants, surfaces and even when I cleaned the filter media everything was full of the stuff and everything, and I mean everything in the tank, even the moss balls, reeked like rotten eggs. At some point I removed the sand (but I didn’t rinse anything else so as not to kill good bacteria) and did a massive almost 95% water change. After that I hoped that the problem would be solved but slowly after 5-6 days the cloudiness came slowly back and so did the smell but not as strong. I did my last water change 5 days ago. The tank is cloudy as ever(though surprisingly not as smelly, almost no smell) and I honestly don’t know what to do. This has honestly taken all the fun out of keeping my little friend and I just can’t bear to look at the tank like that anymore. My parameters have always been good during this time, no ammonia, no nitrites, nitrates low, so it couldn’t have been a parameter problem. I even put shrimp inside the tank and those that didn’t become snacks still survive and I know how sensitive shrimp can be. Water temperature is always between 15-19 degrees celcius so I really don’t know what the problem is! Here are some photos of my tank(sorry for any reflections) Thank you for any advice you may have!

Any updates?

 

[Gloriak26]

Any updates?

Unfortunately nothing yet...still cloudy..the smell subsides after every water change, but the ornaments and plants, when I take them out, still smell horribly.

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

Hello guys! I’m finally at my wits end about the situation of my axolotl’s tank and I’m hoping someone here can give me a solution. I’ve had my axolotl for around two months now. At some point my tank started getting cloudy and smelly (smell like sulphur, rotten eggs) and after searching online I concluded that a lot of debris had accumulated in my sand substrate and anaerobic bacteria started to form( parts of the sand had started turning black too) even though I would weekly vacuum it. Also along the cloudiness and smell some sort of disgusting yewllow-y slime would form on the plants, surfaces and even when I cleaned the filter media everything was full of the stuff and everything, and I mean everything in the tank, even the moss balls, reeked like rotten eggs. At some point I removed the sand (but I didn’t rinse anything else so as not to kill good bacteria) and did a massive almost 95% water change. After that I hoped that the problem would be solved but slowly after 5-6 days the cloudiness came slowly back and so did the smell but not as strong. I did my last water change 5 days ago. The tank is cloudy as ever(though surprisingly not as smelly, almost no smell) and I honestly don’t know what to do. This has honestly taken all the fun out of keeping my little friend and I just can’t bear to look at the tank like that anymore. My parameters have always been good during this time, no ammonia, no nitrites, nitrates low, so it couldn’t have been a parameter problem. I even put shrimp inside the tank and those that didn’t become snacks still survive and I know how sensitive shrimp can be. Water temperature is always between 15-19 degrees celcius so I really don’t know what the problem is! Here are some photos of my tank(sorry for any reflections) Thank you for any advice you may have!

I know you said your water parameters are good, but lets get an update on that.
Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, pH?
What size is the tank?
What kind of filtration do you have on the tank?

Everything you're describing points to a bacteria bloom. Generally this occurs when there is too much organic waste in the tank. Even in a cycled tank, it can still happen. It can also happen if the water is not filtered properly.

 

[Gloriak26]

I know you said your water parameters are good, but lets get an update on that.
Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, pH?
What size is the tank?
What kind of filtration do you have on the tank?

Everything you're describing points to a bacteria bloom. Generally this occurs when there is too much organic waste in the tank. Even in a cycled tank, it can still happen. It can also happen if the water is not filtered properly.

Nope, everything is normal when it comes to parameters, has been for a long time now! Ammonia is 0, nitrite 0 and nitrates are always bellow 10. Ph is between 7.6-7.8. That's what always seemed strange to me! How can a tank so cloudy and murky have such good parameters!? Plus, my axie never exhibited any signs of stress(no curled gills, no curled tail). My tests are liquid and new, I always shake them before use, so it can't be that they are the problem. My tank is 63 liters long. My filter is an internal fluval u2 , but after someone's advice on facebook I bought an extra hob filter (niagara 370), that I started using two days ago and added seachem purigen as media. I too thought that it was a bacterial bloom at first, but the cloudiness and smell have lasted for so long that I really am at a loss!

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

Nope, everything is normal when it comes to parameters, has been for a long time now! Ammonia is 0, nitrite 0 and nitrates are always bellow 10. Ph is between 7.6-7.8. That's what always seemed strange to me! How can a tank so cloudy and murky have such good parameters!? Plus, my axie never exhibited any signs of stress(no curled gills, no curled tail). My tests are liquid and new, I always shake them before use, so it can't be that they are the problem. My tank is 63 liters long. My filter is an internal fluval u2 , but after someone's advice on facebook I bought an extra hob filter (niagara 370), that I started using two days ago and added seachem purigen as media. I too thought that it was a bacterial bloom at first, but the cloudiness and smell have lasted for so long that I really am at a loss!

Its definitely bacteria. You don't get that smell or the slimy coating on everything otherwise. As I said before, you can have bacteria blooms even if your water parameters are testing within normal limits. Internal filters aren't the best thing to use with these guys because of the amount of waste they produce. You'd honestly be better off using the HOB and adding a large sponge filter. Sponge filters offer a large surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow which can help keep bacteria blooms in the water to a minimum. They're also pretty inexpensive.

In addition to the sponge filter, I would suggest doing 30% changes daily for 3 changes. wait 3 days and do another 40% change.

My other question is: What are you feeding your axolotl? How much? and how often?

 

[Gloriak26]

I am now running both (internal and hob) filters. Do you think I should remove the internal and just go with the hob? I am feeding live nightcrawlers (1-2) every other day.

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

I am now running both (internal and hob) filters. Do you think I should remove the internal and just go with the hob? I am feeding live nightcrawlers (1-2) every other day.

Id remove the internal and add in a sponge filter. It will be a lot more beneficial that the internal.

That's good for the food. Sometimes that can be a contributing factor so just wanted to make sure.

 

[Gloriak26]

Id remove the internal and add in a sponge filter. It will be a lot more beneficial that the internal.

That's good for the food. Sometimes that can be a contributing factor so just wanted to make sure.

Thank you so much for your help! I was considering a sponge filter but opted for the hob, because the tank is in my bedroom and, being a light sleeper, I was afraid the air pump would drive me crazy. If you have any suggestions for a quiet pump I’d be grateful! If the sponge filter does the trick I’ll just find a way to deal with the noise.

 

[GulfCoastAxolotls]

Thank you so much for your help! I was considering a sponge filter but opted for the hob, because the tank is in my bedroom and, being a light sleeper, I was afraid the air pump would drive me crazy. If you have any suggestions for a quiet pump I’d be grateful! If the sponge filter does the trick I’ll just find a way to deal with the noise.

You're very welcome. I use whisper air pumps usually. They're really quiet and just make a soft humming sound. HOBs are good because they offer chemical, biological, and mechanical filtration. Sponges lack the chemical part so using both is generally a good balance. Sponges also only need to be changed maybe once every 6 months or so. When you do water changes, just rinse them gently in a bucket of old tank water to remove any debris, then pop them back in the tank.

Please feel free to send me a direct message anytime if you have any questions