For my winter stock tank, I made a DIY filter out of a large plastic bucket, PVC piping, and a 256 gph pump (the tank is 100 gallons). The inside of the filter contains a couple of coarse filter pads, followed by some finer sponge. The sponges are separated by an egg-crate shelf from the biological media.
It's been functioning quite nicely for several weeks (clear water, good flow, et cetera), but today I was walking past it and noticed a strange odor coming from the tank (as well as the filter, upon closer examination). It's not the typical swampy smell that plagues turtle enclosures, but rather more of a nauseating chemical/plastic-like scent, combined with a minute dash of typical tank-water smell (not really swampy, but you can tell that it's not drinking water). The plastic-like smell begins to permeate the room, when I take the lid off the top of the bucket. When I put the lid back on, the smell decreases but is still noticeable.
Are there any other DIY-ers who have experienced a similar problem? I am willing to try anything!
