Tank Smell

Just wanted to know, what should fish tank smell like once it's established? I get an earthy smell, that's non offensive and wanted to know if that's alright

 

Hi @DrNeoCortex.
I have also wondered once in my life how an established tank should smell like when I first started with fish. I have noticed if a tank is fully cycled and totally established, it will have an earthy smell. That is totally normal.
In my experience, I will say that your tank is established.
If you have a planted tank with fish or no fish, it will also smell like that.
Do you have plants in there? If so... that tank could also be established. Hope this helps you!

 

Honestly, I'm not one to gauge if a tank is cycled by smell alone - one should use test kits for that. The only time I'd judge a tank by smell is if it smells off in any way, in which case I would immediately think something is wrong!

 

Sorry let me rephrase it better, I know the tank is cycled I just wanted to know if fish tanks in general have a distinct odour to them. I mean you can only smell it upon going right up to the tank.

 

I dont know about heavily planted tanks but my tank has no smell but I dont have live plants at this stage

 

Wet grass / earth .... esp after a wc - if you get a fishy smell during a wc you left it too long.

This is made harder when the tank does not have enough ventilation or a cover and you start smelling the mold or other bits that seem to be dying in the cover.

It must be a slight faint hmmm wet grass smell - if it is heavy like when you rinse an open cell sponge then time for that WC for sure.

Pick a time of the day that is not directly after feeding time - all depends what you feed them.

Above is for planted tanks with a low to medium bio-load. I am almost sure a correlation can be drawn between TDS, DOC and tank smells - if only we had the snout of a blood hound.

Later Ferdie