Want to know how to get rid of fish tank smell?
This is a serious concern for fish owners and it can start to create vomit-inducing odors after a while. This is why it’s important to be proactive and start implementing an odor removal strategy.
What should be done when it is time to get rid of the fish tank smell?
It’s recommended to start by analyzing the fish tank, finding the root cause, and then figuring out what needs to be done moving forward. Until you have a good grasp of the troublemaker, it’s difficult to come up with a viable solution.
This detailed guide is going to offer insight on how to get rid of fish tank smells, the causes of fish tank smell, and why it’s smart to invest in a good water change for your fish tank. It’s essential to take this information into account right away.
Best Water Changer for Fish Tank (EDITOR’S CHOICE)
- Makes routine water changes easier, eliminates spills and heavy lifting!
- Attaches to faucet: removes dirty water and can return clean water
- Vacuums out the debris in gravel right down the drain
Last update on 2023-05-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Aqueon Aquarium Water Changer is the perfect option for improving your fish tank’s quality. This is a wonderful cleansing option all fish tank owners need to take advantage of as soon as possible. With a state-of-the-art setup and well-tested quality, this is a water changer that gets the job done.
Simply attach this product to the faucet and watch as dirty water is filtered out in minutes. It’s a simple, well-regarded water changer that is proven to offer value to fish tank owners.
Causes of Fish Tank Smell
Leftover Fish Food
This is an unfortunate cause because it’s difficult to regulate. In general, the premise involves your fish not eating enough of the food once it has been sprinkled into the tank. This is a natural reality all fish tank owners have to deal with, however, it can lead to an unwanted stench.
If this food is left over and continues to sit in the water, it will start to stink up the room. This happens because fish food isn’t supposed to settle into the water and remain there for long periods. Instead, it needs to be consumed right away once it has been poured into the aquarium.
A good solution to regulate this concern is to start figuring out whether there’s a pattern to how much food is consumed. This can allow you to start reducing how much is poured into the fish tank in advance.
Otherwise, this problem is going to linger on and it will become harder to control. Your goal should be to assess what’s going on with your fish and whether or not you are overdoing the feedings.
Dead Fish
This is a startling reality that can happen. When a fish isn’t doing well, it is going to go belly up and pass away. This happens from time to time, especially, when the fish owner isn’t paying attention to the fish’s health. Your attention should always be on the health of your pet fish but that’s not always possible depending on what’s happening in your life.
Unfortunately, when a fish passes away, the body begins to decompose in the water and that can lead to an odor developing in your room. To counteract this, you have to remove the dead fish as soon as possible before changing the water.
Unchanged Water (MOST COMMON)
To the surprise of many, unchanged water in the fish tank is a leading cause of this problem. When the water is allowed to sit for too long, it’s going to age and that’s when a stench develops. You have to schedule routine water changes throughout the month to make sure everything is functioning as desired.
A lot of fish owners don’t realize but the water is going to age quickly. This has to do with the fish spending time in the water, fish food, and even oxygen in the room. Everything has to be accounted for, which makes changing the water imperative.
If the water isn’t changed, it is only going to worsen with each passing day. Plus, this is also going to put your fish in harm’s way depending on what is causing the water to age rapidly.
How To Get Rid Of Fish Tank Smell
Change the Water Regularly
When learning how to get rid of fish tank smells, begin with changing the water regularly. This means setting up a monthly schedule and changing the water at least 2-3 times.
To do this, you should be using an effective kit such as the one developed by Aqueon.
If you start changing the water consistently, these issues are going to go away on their own. Remember, this is the most common cause of fish tank odors, which means you have to tackle this issue as soon as you can.
Please note, changing the water doesn’t mean doing it once a month. You will have to do it frequently, especially if the dirty water has become a source of unwanted or lingering smells. Your goal should be to keep an eye on this and getting rid of the dirty water immediately.
If you use the right tools, this is going to take no more than a few minutes to complete.
Reduce the Food Until the Smell is Gone
As mentioned before, reducing the amount of fish food in the tank is essential.
This is a great way to regulate whether or not the fish food is a root cause. If you start to see the smell go away as you reduce food servings, it may be time to take a look at why your fish isn’t eating the way you want.
This is going to vary situation by situation but it’s best to take a look at what’s going on right away.
It’s also recommended to take a look at what type of fish food you’re sprinkling into the fish tank. In some cases, you may be using a specific brand that is known for causing issues when it comes to odors.
As you learn how to get rid of fish smells, this might be a good starting point. It’s a simple change anyone can make and it will allow you to test whether something else is causing the problem or not.
With time, you can gradually increase the amount of fish food going into the tank. This will allow you to find the “sweet spot” for your setup.
Clean the Fish Tank
It’s important to clean the fish tank from time to time.
If you aren’t cleaning the fish tank, it is going to start to have issues involving gravel and/or algae. This is a serious concern numerous fish tank owners mentioned after a few years go by and their aquarium begins to show signs of aging.
A good solution is to clean the fish tank routinely. This means more than simply changing the water (which is important!) because you have to be thorough at least once a month.
In this case, you are going to empty the fish tank and clean every inch of it with your hands. This manual cleaning is going to allow you to get into those problem areas that can lead to odors spreading in your room.
Your goal should be to go through the fish tank and make sure nothing is left behind. This can be something as simple as a fish accessory that has been set up at the bottom of the aquarium. If that is causing issues then you have to know about it right away!
This is the only way to make sure you are on the right path as you learn how to get rid of fish tank smells.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to learn how to get rid of fish tank smells, it’s important to find the root cause before everything else.
Setting up a good air pump for your aquarium, quickly cleaning the aquarium gravel, or choosing a good fish tank are all important steps, but it’s also smart to think about what is causing the fish tank to smell.
When you begin to understand what’s going on, you will learn how to get rid of fish tank smells. It’s all about changing the water and investing in a good water changer for your aquarium. As long as you do this, the fish tank is going to remain in great shape year-round.
Use the tips mentioned here as a way to improve how your fish tank functions. With time, you are going to understand how to maintain the fish tank and proactively get rid of these unwanted odors.