Musty smell

[Terri9967]

I have noticed in past few days a musty smell from my tank. I do 20% water change daily as my tank is still cycling.

Any idea what might be causing this smell?

My levels are a bit on the high side as I am in middle of cycle, water temp is at a steady 55 degrees.

 

[blueberlin]

Hi Terri!

What are you feeding them? I've noticed that the little baggies of live food I use get smelly by the end of the week. You may also need to clean your filter; they get pretty nasty after awhile.

-Eva

 

[ali000]

are you spot cleaning under all the rocks/ornaments as well as doing your water change? there mey be uneaten food trapped somewhere.

 

[gr33neyes]

Terri you may get this from time to time. Try doing a bigger water change now and then. See if that helps.

 

[Terri9967]

Hi Terri!

What are you feeding them? I've noticed that the little baggies of live food I use get smelly by the end of the week. You may also need to clean your filter; they get pretty nasty after awhile.

-Eva

I feed my babies cut up earthworms. I do cleaning everyday, messy little guys, including under any items I have in the tank.

Has for cleaning filter, how do I do this as I am in middle of cycle. Do I just remove the filters and rinse them with water from the tank???

 

[oregon newt]

Yep that's exactly how you do it.

 

[blueberlin]

Do I just remove the filters and rinse them with water from the tank???

Hi Terri!

I can't remember what kind of filter you have. Do you have an external filter - a canister that sits on the floor (or whatever) with these short ceramic tubes or lava rocks or something and a sponge mat inside, in two or three different layers? I meant to clean that part of the filter - it is a mechanical filter; that means that it doesn't make dirt go away, it just collects it all in one place (i.e., for removal). The dirt collected in the canister has to be emptied now and then (I'll go out on a limb here and suggest once a month, but others might have something else to say about that). I didn't know that at first and you can imagine the lovely surprise waiting for me the first time I opened the canister.

The hoses leading from the intake/output pipes can also be cleaned; you can buy a cleaning "snake" for that. This is particularly recommended if you have to suck on the hoses to get your filter running again and strangely have an aversion to a mouthful of axolotl poo.

I imagine it must be possible to clean the filter material (ceramic, lava, sponges) in a bucket. Me, I just rinse them well in the sink but then don't clean the rest of the aquarium. (Here is another opportunity for the input of those more experienced. )

-Eva

 

[Terri9967]

Eva I have a Aqua-Tech filter, it hangs on the side of the tank. Says on the box it has a bio-fiber filter that eliminates toxic ammonia and nitrite on contact and never needs to be replaced. (I typed it straight off the box) So not to sure now if I should remove it and clean the filter. But I can smell that musty smell in the whole room. Its not a "foul" smell just musty.

 

[madeve]

Terri.
if your filter is like mine (I have marineland Penguin) it has a bio-wheel, which means there is a filter and then a little wheel where the water comes out right? If so then you do need to change the filter about once a month but not the bio-wheel (it's what mine says).
Eve