Odor in tank

[lw0117]

My 55 gallon began getting cloudy a week ago, so I changed water (as I do every few days). I then noticed white eyes, and though amonia. After some more water changes, I noticed more white eyes. Last night I noticed a smell in the room where the tank is and more white eyes.

I did a 60% water change. This morning two clown loaches were dead and all 5 discus were burned and on their way toward death. The tank smelled like a dump.

Not knowing if it was the water, I used supermarket water to fill a quarantine tank. So far the discus are improving.

The smell was horrible and it is possible something decomposed. I all but broke the tank down (my discus dealer told me to leave the gravel), but I took out half of it and refilled the tank. I am thoroughly cleaning all of the filters, cartridges, etc.

Is there anything else I should do with:

1. The discuss in the quarantine tank
2. The 55 gallon.

I did get the smell out of the water. Any advice would be helpful.

[Ardan]

I would siphon out all gravel, I would do daily wc's on the discus at least 50% with aged heated water.
Do the discus have a good filter (ie cycled)?
hth

[Carol_Roberts]

Get rid of the remaining gravel. What type of filters are you running in the old tank and the new tank?

If you have a brand new filter in the old tank you may be able to use half the media fron the old filter . . .

[lw0117]

I have a hot magnum in the 55 gallon, and I am only using a corner filter in the 10 gallon.

I am using a carbon cartridge in the 55 now. I have half of the gravel still.

How long should I run the 55 before I reintroduce the fish

If I take out the rest of the gravel, should I redrain the large tank.

How high should I heat the water?

This has never happened to me before. I've had my tank since april with no problems at all.

[Carol_Roberts]

Do you currently have all your discus in a 10 gallon tank with an uncycled filter?

If yes, get the gravel out of the 55 today, refill the tank with dechlorinated, warm tap water, run the magnum filter in the tank for 4 or 5 hours to stabilize pH and reintroduce the discus.

Be sure to rinse out the media from the cycled filter (on the 55) in dechlorinated tap water before you put it back on the 55.

You don't want to run a cycled filter in an empty tank very long. All the good bacteria die.

[Carol_Roberts]

. . . .just heat the water to 86 for now

[lw0117]

Thank you very much for all of your help. I will try that. What a nightmare this has been.

[ronrca]

Just curious! What kind of odor? Like a sulphur odor? Or rotten eggs? Or ?????

[lw0117]

Hard to say, but I would have to say more like sulphur. I think I got it all out. Just waiting a few more hours to reintroduce the fish. Actually, the only thing it could be is some brine shrimp that decomposed.

I thought I lost them all, but they are actually doing pretty well in the makeshift tank I set up.

[ronrca]

Are you sure that it is sulphur? It kind of smells like rotten eggs!

[lw0117]

I am happy to report that the discus are doing much better. Unfortunately there was some fin damage from the burning. Should I treat with salt or furan? One of the discus is still healing from the burn in his eyes.

Thanks for all of the advice

[Carol_Roberts]

Salt alone will work - 2 or 3 tablespoons per 10 gallons. Don't forget the daily water changes that helps too ;D