[LeafHammock]

So, maybe two days ago, I started noticing how Draka's water started smelling a little like garden soil. I didn't think much of it, as everything in her tank looks fine (apart from the white-ish fluff that I figured out was harmless, but I'm still working on getting rid of). Then, maybe a day later, the soil smell got stronger and started hanging around in the air of my room, where the tank is. I've been doing 50% water changes once a week with filtered water, but it doesn't help the smell much (I use Prime water conditioner after bringing the water up to 76 degrees Fahrenheit -- before I empty it into the tank.). It's so bad now that every time I come home, and open my room's door, the smell hits me in the face.

It's a 5 1/2 gallon with a filter, heater, one real plant, two fake, a leaf-bed, some gravel, and a chunk of driftwood. It's been like this for about two months now, and everything's been peachy prior to this stench.

Is it related to the remaining fluff? Is it the filtered water I'm using? The conditioner? My little Draka, herself?

Is the smell harmful? Can I get rid of it?

 

[givemethatfish]

I have noticed that the white algae/fungus stuff that grows on new driftwood kind of stinks. You could add a little bag of carbon to your filter until the stuff clears up.

It could also be a case of either debris/rotting food/poo stuck in the gravel or a buildup of algae under the inside rim of your tank. I'd try running a paper towel around the inside rim, wiping down the inside of the hood, and doing a good vacuuming of the gravel. Come back if that doesn't help!

 

[LeafHammock]

I found no traces of algae, and my filter cartridges already come with pieces of carbon in them, so I decided to do a complete tank scrubbing.

I took everything out, decided to ditch the real plant and the drift wood, then continued to scrub and soak everything in a mixture of vinegar and scalding hot water. I was sure to rinse everything thoroughly.

I've got the tank filled-up with fresh filtered water, and I replaced the cartridge I had in my filter (just in case anything decided to already grow on it).

Nothing seems to smell right now, but I guess I'll figure out in a day or two whether it worked or not.