# Smells of Nature...



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

... and I want it to stop! :-s

Have you ever been near a natural body of water, river, lake, pond, and noticed that smell they have? My mom describes it as a frog smell. I have never been brave enough to ask her if she's actually smelled a frog before. Mostly because I don't want to know. But getting back to my point... That is what my aquarium is starting to smell like. Yes, it's wonderful, it's nature, and I want it to stop!

I noticed that smell on the cabomba, when I first opened it. The HC, which I ordered from the same place, also had that smell, but not as strong. Recently when I was working with my Alt. R. I noticed they smell like that too. The HC now smell more like cut grass, than that "frog" smell. Now that, the fresh cut grass smell, is a smell I can live with.

... And as I'm typing, I just had another thought. I moved the air stone to behind the cabomba. I wonder if the bubbles are carrying the smell out. Hmm...?

Anyways, does anyone else notice that smell in their planted aquariums?


----------



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) has a distinct earthy smell like that. Perhaps you have some growing in the tank?

Other than that each plant has its own smell. Some smell good like limnophila aromatica.


----------



## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

In general, healthy planted tanks have a slightly earthy smell. Think of the odor of freshly turned healthy topsoil, but not that strong. I've never had cyanobacteria in any of my tanks, but I suspect the smell I am describing is different from the one Zapins describes.

For me, warning odors are rotten egg (hydrogen sulfide--very bad!) and any type of spoiled food or carrion smell.


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

I added frog bit and my tank smelled like the back of a toad, no cyanobacteria visible anywhere though. The smell might be different than cyno though. I have never been sure if I ever had cyno, had something weird on driftwood once that the snails ended up taking care of, it smelled aweful like a rotten starfish (not any fish but starfish in particular which I have smelled rotting when trying to figure out how to dry a specimen when I was a kid--never will I try that again) I find purigen tends to soak up most odors if they are slight. As for if the smell is bad or not, I have no idea. Do your fish and inverts seem fine? Plants growing well or wilting? If everything looks good I wouldn't worry about it too much, maybe do a small water change once in a while If you are really worried about it.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

Everything looks fine in my tank. Right now I only have the amano shrimp, and mystery snails. The plants are growing better, and they continue to produce better looking colors. The Cabomba is starting to turn golden, again. I worry, because yellowing is a red flag, but cabomba normally turn golden. I felt the stems today, during a water change, and they're crispy, and strong; not soft, or mushy.

I did have a tiny amount of bluegreen algae some time ago. I wanted to keep it, but I didn't realize I threw it away with some trimmings. But that was about a month ago.

I had been doing three 30% water changes, each week. Now that my nitrates are under control, and that my system is older than a month, I will only be doing two water changes a week. This past week I did forget, and ended up doing only today's water change.

The smell definitely is earthy. That is a very good way of describing it. This of really moist potting soil that has been out in very hot weather. I don't like the smell.

I'm not sure anyone else notices it when they walk into my room. I tend to notice odors, and flavors much sooner than anyone else I know. So it could just be me.

Do I need to remove the soil to inspect for hidden cyano?


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

Soil? I thought you had plain flourite as substrate? If you have dirt in there you don't want to disturb it. If I remember your set up correctly, it is a high tech tank without co2 or insane lighting that needs regular water changes and substrate vacuuming. 

Isn't cyano the kind that moves towards the light floating on the surface as bluish green sludge, or am I thinking of another bacteria/algae species? If it is what I am thinking, it wouldn't be under the substrate, possibly on leaves, but normally as close to the light as it can get.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

I have Flourite, and Flourite black sand, sorry for the confusion. I have only seen the bga on the tops of tall stem plants. I've seen it once in my new tank.


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

I was reading earlier about some kinds of bacteria and algae that are semi motile excreting fluids to push themselves towards sunlight in order to photosynthesize. It was weird, I didn't bother recording the link though.

Everywhere I read "earthy smell" but nothing that describes the distinct frog/toad skin smell, not even articles about toads. Driftwood tends to get white slimy bacterial or fungal growth that smells to high hell, but snails devour it so I doubt that is cyano. 

Nitrifying bacteria supposedly give off odors when breaking down organics, also anaerobic bacteria tend to make things smell bad too, but I believe they give off rotten egg smell.

I am at a loss after trying to figure this out as well.


----------



## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Try putting an air stone in the tank for 24 hours. When you first start the air the smell is likely to get worse, but it may improve after a day. It sounds like the tank is basically doing well. If you start extreme measures to remove the smell, you could wind up with bigger problems.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

I have had an air stone running for several weeks, now. I'm guessing it's just the normal smell. I just don't like it.


----------



## devilduck (Sep 7, 2012)

Have you tried carbon and or purigen in the filter?


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

I found purigen works well. Sometimes driftwood gives off a weird smell when cleaning the tank and disturbing stuff, but it goes away soon, in my experience anyway.


----------



## TankAaron (Aug 8, 2014)

Mystery solved.

#1 My sinuses have been swollen, because of allergies. It's been a bad season. So my sniffer hasn't been working like it's supposed to.

#2 It was leftover algae wafer bits. Nope; they don't smell earthy at all. But refer to #1 >.>


----------



## pandragon (Jul 10, 2014)

I hate it when my allergies act up too. I hope yours calms down so that you can stand having fish tank in the house.


----------

