# Aquarium plant smell



## Alex123 (Jul 3, 2008)

Ok, I am curious if this is common. I have two small aquarium in my room which are mostly covered to avoid evaporation. I also have a water pump with no filters for circulation. My tanks are heavily planted and I have duckweed covering the entire surface. Since I have hardly any algae, the duckweed are growing like crazy and my room started to have this plant/weed smell. It's still cold so the windows are closed. I wonder if this is common. I probably need to remove quarter duckweed periodically.


----------



## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

The smell can be that of blue green algae (cyanobacteria). See:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/algaefinder.php?do=view&id=12


----------



## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

If it is BGA then be careful as it contains hepatotoxins(liver toxins).

It is typically brought on by polluted tank water; mostly HIGH phosphates and will be able to feed off light heavy in the yellow/orange zone (~600nm)


----------



## Alex123 (Jul 3, 2008)

It's not BGA, I know what it smells like. I had an outbreak in the past. That was my last algae outbreak. Now the tanks are pretty much free of algae. Smell is pretty sure from duck weed. It's weed smell not earthy BGA smell. I think the smell is better after I remove a quarter of the duckweed cover.


----------



## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

It's the smell of victory 

It could very well be duckweed, personally I'm very anti-duckweed. I've had plants get shaded and melt off because of it. Now, every time I get new plants I dip them in a bucket of water to make sure there is no duckweed....


----------



## Travis.808 (Apr 2, 2009)

hooha said:


> It's the smell of victory


HA! I found this helpful caught me off guard and really did LOL sorry Alex I can't help as I'm a noob but, had to comment on hooha's response.


----------



## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

I just went around and tried to smell several tanks. 
Duckweed: No noticeable odor
Water Lettuce: Ditto
Tank with a dead fish: Dead fish
Tank with slowest moving water, emersed plants: faint earthy-plant smell. Not noticeable in the room. 
Brackish water tank: Faint 'oceanfront' fragrance, not noticeable in the room.
Tank with known Cyano: No noticeable odor. 
Several others: Faint earthy-plant fragrance, not noticeable in the room. Gotta open the lid and get really close to the water. 

Most of the time I have windows open for fresh air but this morning it is cold, house is closed up, trapping odors inside. 
Water changes are infrequent, I do not run carbon or other chemical media that might adsorb odors. 
Most tanks have glass covers, but not the plastic strip (one tank has this strip- fish are climbers)
I have never noticed any odor from duckweed, and I do harvest it often enough from several tanks that I would have noticed. 
Many plants smell like plants, but usually when the leaves or stems are bruised or cut. 
Most tanks have an assortment of algae, emersed and submerged plants. 
None have garden soil or potting soil. 

There are more than one species of duckweed. I wonder if you may have a different one that has a more obvious odor?


----------



## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

Alex123 said:


> Smell is pretty sure from duck weed.


All my tanks have duckweed and I have not noticed any odor coming from them - even when they covered the whole surface.

May be you can post a photo of what your duckweed looks like?


----------



## KraKen (Jul 17, 2008)

When I first got my water lettuce it was rotting very slightly and smelled just like spinach, so perhaps your duckweed going a little bad?


----------



## Alex123 (Jul 3, 2008)

Ok, it looks like it's just my tank. All the plants are healthy and free of algae. I have duckweeds that are going white but they are in the minority. It's too troublesome to remove one by one by hand. When I scoop up a handful of them, they have this smell. Oh well, I'll post otherwise if I find the source to be some other plant/origin.


----------



## Alex123 (Jul 3, 2008)

Here's the pics. I have a jungle look for now but it keeps the algae clear and yes, it's blurry.


----------



## ombcat (Sep 23, 2004)

This is not uncommon, especially when no fresh air is circulating. I often with all my tanks and windows closed, I will find an order such as this. Goes away when windows are open and fresh air is present. 
Better than the smell of cooked fish or cabbage. 
Wilma


----------



## Alex123 (Jul 3, 2008)

Alright, Wilma, appreciate the support. I am starting to think I am imagining this smell. I would not say it's a better smell than cooked fish. Cooked fish are more intrusive but at least it wets my appetite versus this weedy smell. I didn't know cabbage had any smell.


----------



## totziens (Jun 28, 2008)

Could it be rotten food or dead fish stuck among your duckweed releasing the smell? I could not smell anything in my tank with duckweed. I could not smell anything in my tank with Salvinia minima either.


----------



## newbie314 (Mar 2, 2007)

When I open my lids the tank smells like fresh salad that was run through hot water.
At least that would be the best analogy.
I have duckweed and lots of it.


----------



## colinsk (Dec 29, 2008)

I get a smell that bugs me from my aquariums that is vegital. I believe it to be 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). TCA is an off flavor in beer and wine production and I am pretty sensitive to it. I get it in my tap water for about 3 months a year. Without charcoal filtration I can not drink my tap water during winter. I believe it to come from decaying plant matter. I have decided it is part of the planted tank experience. I don't notice it unless I have the tank open. Once I touch the water I have to wash the sent from my skin.


----------



## OldMan (Sep 22, 2007)

I am no plant expert but have noticed a strong odor from a tank where the surface is covered with frogbit instead of duckweed. It does have an odor suggestive of decaying plant material but the frogbit looks great when I examine it.


----------



## Juergen (Sep 5, 2008)

some fishy smell occurs from my tanks, if I overfeed them...overfeed=more food/organics than the tank ecosystem can handle
and of course, if I stirr up the mud...but this is a different thing
regards


----------

