Horrible smell when feeding specific aquarium

[MooseTheWizard]

I have a 65g stocked with a Hoplo cat and a Raphael catfish, filtered by an AC110 and a sponge filter. The AC110 is growing a ton of plants out of it. I feed this tank every other day, about 6-8 Hikari Massivore (which I also feed to every other aquarium I own).

Within about an hour of feeding, and lasting for about 12-14 hours after, this tank smells and it fills my entire house with an overwhelming earthy/bitter smell. I have tested the water and it is not an ammonia spike, there's no nitrite, and it doesn't result in a massive and immediate increase in nitrates. The water is liquid rock, and has been running for ages. I have cleaned the AC110 out (it is filled with nothing but ceramic rings to act as a planting medium) and I have cleaned the sponge filter.

This does not happen to any other aquariums. Tonight I am going to pull all the driftwood out and do a deep clean of any debris, but to me it doesn't make sense for it to be this as the smell will be 100% gone after those 12-14 hours. There must be some reaction or bacterial process upon feeding, but I have no idea what it could be or how to address it.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Rocksor]

Hikari Massivore is the culprit. That's a lot of pellets and feeding for a hoplo cat and raphael catfish. 1 for each should suffice.

 

[MooseTheWizard]

Hikari Massivore is the culprit. That's a lot of pellets and feeding for a hoplo cat and raphael catfish. 1 for each should suffice.

The food is clearly the cause, but there's not a chance it's breaking down that rapidly and causing a smell that fast. There's got to be something specific to the tank. I have thrown the identical pellets into my bichir tank and had some trapped on anubias leaves for 10+ hrs, and there's no smell. That tank is a 125g.

 

[Jexnell]

I had the same issue when I used Hikari Carnisticks. Switched to NLS and the no more awful smell.

 

[1 2many]

Odd, I use massivore and carnisticks for years and never noticed any foul smells during or after feeding.

 

[Ulu]

After I started feeding NLS my fish don’t like Hakari, yet most of them were raised on it.

 

[altums85]

Yeah its the massivore. It smells and dirty the water pretty fast. That's why I stopped feeding it to my plecos. I think its fine if u have big fish and they eat it right away. But if it stays in the water lil long without getting ate its a messy food.

 

[RD.]

Anyone have any ideas?

As suggested by Rocksor - cut back the amount. If that tank still has a strong odor after feeding, try a different food.

 

[1 2many]

Odd, I use massivore and carnisticks for years and never noticed any foul smells during or after feeding.

The key to this is not to over feed. If fed the proper amount there shouldn’t be any problems.

 

[MooseTheWizard]

I am almost certain this is not the cause. There is very little left after an hour aside from crumbs that go to the MTS. Again, tanks have had entire pellets resting on Anubias leaves for 24hr before I remove them and it doesn't smell. The same food is fed across all my aquariums. This is an immediate odor within about an hour, which isn't long enough to foul the water even if I was feeding frozen.

I will put in 2 pellets worth on Wednesday and see if it generates the same smell and then report back.