djoon7 Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 I'm new to fishkeeping and have noticed that there is a horrible 'stale' smell in my tank, even though the water quality is good and the fish are fine. The smell returns even after doing a partial water change. Is this normal and if not, what could the problem be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 Tanks have a slight 'earthy' smell but should not smell stale. How do you know the water quality is good? Have you tested using proper testkits? I gather you have 2 fantails. How big are they and what size is the tank? Have you got plants and/or gravel in there too? What sort of filter are you running? How long has the tank been set up? All these questions will help pinpoint possible trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoon7 Posted December 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 Tanks have a slight 'earthy' smell but should not smell stale. How do you know the water quality is good? Have you tested using proper testkits? I gather you have 2 fantails. How big are they and what size is the tank? Have you got plants and/or gravel in there too? What sort of filter are you running? How long has the tank been set up? All these questions will help pinpoint possible trouble. I had the water tested at Jansens and they said it was 'perfect'. I have got plants and gravel and a internal power filter (the one with the sponge medium). The fantails are about 3.5cm long excluding the caudal fin and my tank is 10L - is it a bit small? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 10L is a bucket! Way too small for goldfish to grow in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 I agree with Caryl, 10ltrs is way to small, i would suggest at least a 2ft tank which will do until they get bigger. The smallest tank i have is 40ltrs which has 4 platties in it and i won't use a smaller tank as i think it is cruel. To be comfortable and healthy they need a bit of room to move and swim around. Think of them the same as you would yourself, would you be comfortable living in a wardrobe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoon7 Posted December 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 but isn't it okay if you have enough surface area? my tank is approx. 30cm (length) x 17cm (width) = (510cm sq) surely that is enough for two fairly small fantails? of course I will be getting a bigger tank as they grow larger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 It is fine when they are little but you were also talking about getting more. Goldfish need a lot more surface area than tropicals and produce a lot of waste. What depth is your tank? If it is 30 x 17cm I am sure you have more than 10L in it but we need to know the depth to be able to work it out. A reasonably sized goldfish needs 38L of water. Each additional fish needs the same. Or you can have 30sq cm of water surface to every 2.5cm of fish. Theoretically your tank would hold 17 goldfish each 2.5cm but as they grow they poo more so need even more surface area per fish. Stocking levels vary depending on filtration and tank maintenance. Do not believe people who say a fish will only grow to the size of the tank. Their growth certainly slows down in cramped conditions but it also stunts the fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Practical Fish Keeping magazine has a website that has some very usefull calculators (must be registered (free) for some of them) and here is what they say is recommended for cold water fish in a tank measuring 30L x 17W x 20H... "We would recommend keeping up to 1"/3cm of small to medium-sized fish in your system. However, depending on the type of fish, your filtration and your maintenance level you may be able to exceed this to a suggested maximum of 2"/5cm of fish. " Hope this helps with getting a suitable sized tank for your fish : -)> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djoon7 Posted December 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Practical Fish Keeping magazine has a website that has some very usefull calculators (must be registered (free) for some of them) and here is what they say is recommended for cold water fish in a tank measuring 30L x 17W x 20H... "We would recommend keeping up to 1"/3cm of small to medium-sized fish in your system. However, depending on the type of fish, your filtration and your maintenance level you may be able to exceed this to a suggested maximum of 2"/5cm of fish. " Hope this helps with getting a suitable sized tank for your fish : -)> could you please tell me the address of this website thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Easy - www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chakuna Posted February 4, 2006 Report Share Posted February 4, 2006 I also have 2 fantails :bounce: My tank used to smell now it dosen't :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 4, 2006 Report Share Posted February 4, 2006 You need your own test kit - Ammonia - Nitrite - and Ph kits minimum. Especially with ten litres - you need to test everyday at different times especially if you are having problems. When did Jansens test your perfect water? It is a bit of an outlay but... you can't really do without this in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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