# fish tank smells of human poop



## eds (Feb 12, 2003)

dudleystinks said:


> I accidentally tipped a shrimp down the loo


I've got nothing to add, other than to ask, is this another one of those clever Brit sayings? Rhyming slang maybe.

"Angus tipped a bloody shrimp down the loo, what not!"


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## sarahbobarah (May 20, 2005)

Ewwwwww.... Could be an anaerobic pocket of substrate?


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## dudleystinks (Apr 9, 2005)

oh sorry yes loo = toilet i dont know why though. sarah you could be right i did just change the substrate to sand but i dont want to be stiring it up because its all planted. I dont know i will have to put up with it, the fish dont seem to care


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## Sorenweis (May 5, 2005)

Maybe someone upper decked your tank, just kidding I'm sure you would notice poo floating amongst your fish.

I have to agree with sarahbobarah, perhaps if you disturbed a old pocket of substrate it can smell pretty bad.

I work in salt marshes and tributaries with little oxygenation and i have to say that people say it smells like poop, butit really has a distinctive smell, not exactly like poop. This could be what you are smelling. no worries then, just do some vacuuming to get those nasty pockets of substrate mixed up.

If it IS bad bacteria from the toilet then I have no idea what to do.


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## Glostik (Dec 25, 2005)

Do you have a bottle of dechlorinator nearby?

Did you just do a water change?

That dechlorinator has a very strong smell of poo, at least the brands that I use do.


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

dechlorinator smells of sulfur, rotten eggs, not so much like feces. I'm betting on the anaerobic substrate, although that also smells strongly of sulfur. I used a peat and sand substrate once, and I put in too much peat, and too much sand.... YUCK! it took a month or two for the smell to start, but once it did, I had to take the tank apart (luckily it was only a 10g) and rinse it totally clean. That was brutal.

Oqsy


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## otter (Oct 22, 2005)

Could it possiby be a BGA smell? I could see possibly construing that smell as "poop-like".


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## dudleystinks (Apr 9, 2005)

i use RO water so its not dechlorinatior. And i have no bga. I might do a water change see if that will fix it when i have enough water


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

another suggestion... delete your current plantedtank.net account, and create a new one under the name "dudleysmellslikeflowers", and see if your tank's smell improves 

Oqsy


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## triple red (May 27, 2005)

my vote is for an anaerobic pocket....i used to get those in my fist tank every once in a while ...and boy did it smell bad...:icon_redf


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 28, 2004)

Someones got to ask, might as well be me.

O.K. Stinky Dudley, did you flush the loo before sticking your hand down there to get said shrimp?

Personally, once a shrimp has made that leap of faith, for me it would be "Bon Voyage write when you get work."


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## dudleystinks (Apr 9, 2005)

there was nothing down there before lol and i used a net


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## GreenerSideofLIfe (Dec 24, 2005)

dudleystinks said:


> oh sorry yes loo = toilet i dont know why though. sarah you could be right i did just change the substrate to sand but i dont want to be stiring it up because its all planted. I dont know i will have to put up with it, the fish dont seem to care



Its the sand.

Incase your not located near a saltwater ocean, its also known as the 'low tide smell' I recently got rid of the sand in my oscar tank for just that reason. I also had to throw away many of the items in the tank and bleach the rest of it due to the very persistant smell.

I was able to ease the smell a bit by THROUGHLY 'rakeing' the sand (clear the bottom) and realeasing the built up gas from w/in the sand. It made my whole room reak to high heaven, but after that smell went away it was hardly noticeable for about another two months. Then it happend again. After batteling the smell for about 8 months now.... I ditched the sand entierly. I may love living right on the ocean (Pudget Sound) that does not mean i want my room to smell like low tide! LOL

*pardon the spelling. When I get tired my dyslexia gets crazy...time for bed*


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