About a week ago, I noticed a stronger than usual smell from my breeding and fry tank. This tank usually smells a bit of fish food, due to the higher feeding rates, but this time it didn't feel right.

I did a 50% water change expecting to solve the problem. No luck. I did the same the next day. The Cory's began doing more surface runs than normal. I was doing 50% changes everyday. I noticed a strange slime build-up on the glass, and a cloudy look to the water.

I continued the daily water changes, scrubbing the glass, and vacuuming the gravel. And a lot of this stuff is difficult with several floating fry traps. Anyway, after this had gone on for a week, the smell began dissipating.

And there was one last corner of the tank to vaccuum. Under the logs and stumps where the young Bristlenose hang out. So I began clearing that away, when I discovered my last remaining Apple Snail. Emphases on 'Remains'. I'd forgotten it was still in there.

The young Bristlenose' were darting in and out of the shell, so I guess they were helping me clean up. Overall, I only lost 1 juvenile Cory, who came down ill during that time.

I hear you mate.....

NOTHING smells as bad as dead snails

It's strange, I've never had one pong like this before. Maybe for the others, there were fish that got into the remains a bit quicker.

Think you were just lucky before not having the smell.....I have bred golden apple snails before and boy do they stink bad when they die

Hmmm, maybe. A lot of my snails get the execution treatment, when I feel the hoards are up for a treat.

But it's good that you can confirm the likely source of the smell. 'Cos I'd be buggered if I could attribute it to anything else.

ever watched ur corys f... eh pass wind?

not that i realy want to know, but i bet it smells fishy and a bit foul.