rotting egg smell

[donkey_mittens]

my tank has been set up for about a week i have a couple of fish to cycle it but im getting a rotting egg smell... I can't tolerate it much longer .. .was wondering if anyone has any ideas or what i could do... ive tried doing a water change and it seemed to make it worse...

thanks
jean

[HappyGuppy]

Are you on well water?  If so, is there lots of sulphur in the water?

Hydrogen sulphide (or was it sulphate) gas is a by product of anaerobic decomposition, also known as swamp gas.  Smells like rotten eggs.  Is there something decaying in your tank?

[Malyon18]

You might wanna try and get some bottled water to help save the poor little fish until you can get things figured out

[leemay]

sounds like live rock die off / curing to me.

Is it a saltwater tank?

[donkey_mittens]

its a fresh water tank.. i've been trying to find anything about it but i can't seem to find out what's doing it

[Yams]

What part of the city are you in? (For the city vs well water)

Old used gravel or stone or ornaments or something?

Bring some water into your LFS and get them to test it, they might be able to help more with the actual water there.

[donkey_mittens]

im in the gloucester area yah i got the gravel from someone do you think it could be that... it hasnt used it for about 5 months but i rinsed it for about 15 mintues under really hot water

[sas]

im in the gloucester area yah i got the gravel from someone do you think it could be that... it hasnt used it for about 5 months but i rinsed it for about 15 mintues under really hot water

That could be it, rinsing alone especially on hot water is questionable.

Can you give us more info on how you set up the tank, details on other used equipment,
filters, media etc., all play come into consideration with setting up a new tank.
Tank cycling has a lot of controversy, with regards to using fish.

I like to use grungy filter media,the dirtier the better to help cycle a tank.
When I first started back in the hobby I saw all these pristine tanks with crystal
clear water, and soon learned to get to that stage you needed to introduce some dirty material to
the tank.

[donkey_mittens]

I was always told to have everything clean  I put in new carbon and filter into the aqua clear and i just put deliminator and that is it...

all levels are what they are suppose to be ie Ph and all that...

[Saltcreep]

im in the gloucester area yah i got the gravel from someone do you think it could be that... it hasnt used it for about 5 months but i rinsed it for about 15 mintues under really hot water

I was going to suggest stagnant water in a canister filter, maybe from a blocked inlet, but now the used gravel has definitely raised a red flag in my mind. How did you rinse for fifteen minutes under really hot water? The only way to do this is to constantly agitate the gravel, with the water running through it, not over it. Requires a lot of hand action, and if using really hot water, probably gloves. How big is your tank? I would think that to thoroughly clean used gravel to make it totally inert, for say a 20 gallon tank, would take constant water flow and agitation for at least a half hour.

[sas]

Okay well your tank is cycling still from the sounds of it, and rinsing
the gravel in hot water just got it cooking
If I was closer I'd give you some yucky filter material to help out.
Maybe someone closer to you will jump in here and help you out.

NOTE: Please to anyone that reads this, when posting questions, include
where you are, it makes it a lot easier to help .

What size is the tank?
How many fish are in the tank?

[Laura]

I would suggest doing some very good gravel vacuuming. The rotten egg smell would be something rotting - I've only gotten it with gunky stuff trapped under my gravel.

Perhaps the gravel you got had dead malaysian trumpet snails in it and it's them you're smelling?  Either way, a good gravel vacuuming can't hurt and the fish you have in there will need it. I would do large water changes (50%) daily until the smell goes away.

I'm downtown, but always happy to share filter material if you want to kick start your system.

[donkey_mittens]

thanks everyone for the help

I have a 30 gallon right now ... i washed the rocks in really hot water and moved it around with small portions at the time... when i got the rocks there were a few trumpet snails but got them all out..

I don't know if this would make a difference but i had borrowed a 30 from my friend prior to this from a leak and it was worse in that tank... ive gone through 5 tanks and all smell except the very first one that i had..

I think im getting either use to it or it calming down... And when i did a clean of it today i smelled the water has a small amount on sticky eggs but the major part is the canopy and lights

[Nerine]

no tank should smell!! ok goldfish have an odor haha but fresh water tanks in general should not have a rotten egg smell UNLESS you have used Prime, it gives a strong sulfur smell for the first few minutes then it dissipates quickly...I agree with the others, something dead/dying, and it could be snails or it could be something in your tank too...old algae that has been dried then re submerged tends to smell badly.

Good luck!

[C-Dog]

if u say ur canopy and lights smell then wash them really well