Habitat - Indoor :: water odor

[christu]

I'm not sure if it is new tank syndrome or what, but I recently bought a filter for my tank. I have a 20 gallon tank and only fill it up with about 15 gallons of water. I have a filter that processes 120 gph. But there is an odor to the water. I don't know if it is ammonia/nitrates/whatever. but if I clean the filters daily, it helps reduce the smell for a little while. I think the smell is only confined to the water. The blue carbon filter often has brownish-green spots in it. . . but it is recommended to change it every two weeks. . .

[Chrisbarnett]

what type of filter is it?

Try putting carbon in your filter, that will help take out odor.

[christu]

It's an aquatech. . . And add carbon? in the blue filter?

[Chrisbarnett]

Um, can you give a better description of your filter or a link to it so I can help you more? I'm having trouble finding it.

But you buy pre activated carbon which is the size of small gravel. When I see what your filter looks like I'll help you with where it goes.

[steve]

Could you be smelling the chlorine in the water?

[christu]

Ok, I did the best I could on searching, but like you, its hard to find anything. so, ebay was a link I was given, and this is the best picture i could find: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Deluxe-Aqua-Tec ... dZViewItem

it shows the filters that go inside. i know the blue one has those black carbon things in them.

And I don't think it's chlorine. If it is, then its a different smell than i remember chlorine being.

[TheComputerGremlin]

How big is your turtle? 20 gallons only work for a very small turtle, and they quickly outgrow that size. Often, even if your filter is adequate for the size tank, with a turtle, they may produce more waste than a small filter can handle.

[thegrandpoohbah]

FYI, an Aqua-Tech filter is just a Penguin minus the Bio-wheel.

Odds are your problem is new-tank syndrome and the smell should go away after the tank cycles and the filter is able to break down all the ammonia. If it gets really bad then just do a big water change.