# Do terrariums and PDFs smell?



## raimeiken (Dec 24, 2006)

Obviously im a beginner. Im currently constructing a 40gal breeder paludarium and im planning on placing it in my bedroom. I was just wondering if all the soil/dirt, water and frogs in there will smell.


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## 41714049 (Feb 23, 2006)

To me it smells like a forest after rain... if that helps. But the smell does not really travel out of my tank.


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## titan501x (Dec 7, 2006)

if you have a glass lid, it won't smell, the only smelly part is fresh fruit fly cultures, they smell like old mashed potatos.


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## raimeiken (Dec 24, 2006)

thats great to hear. I will put a glass top on it but im going to have fans blowing in and out of it, will that affect the smell traveling out of the tank?


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## lacerta (Aug 27, 2004)

Please don't use soil or dirt in your vivarium. You'll likely end up with a big mess in any sort of false bottom setup. Also soil/dirt is not the best medium for proper drainage and if you want to grow tropical plants such as bromeliads and orchids they will rot on you. Rotten broms really stink.
Use any number of the commercial bedding materials, sphagnum, coco fiber, or good ol' Atlanta Botanical Garden Mix available at any good nursury. Cover that with live moss and dead leaves (high tannin). Check out the volumes of archived material on this website on proper setup and ideas. Have fun.
George


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## 41714049 (Feb 23, 2006)

Yes... it will make the rainy forest smell travel, but it will also lower humidity and possible temperature (depending on room temp) in your tank. And considering they need high humidity... I wouldnt recommend moving alot of air constantly through the tank.


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

personally, I dislike the smell from water features. The pond smell from my bombina tank can be very strong. If you don't have a carbon filter, you can smell "fish water" because the phenols from protein will add to the air. Its not necessarily a bad smell like hydrogen sulfide stink, but it can sometimes be a problem with established tanks.

I can really smell it because I have a sump on my bombina's vivarium to where the water is exposed to the air.

I recommend carbon filtering any water in a sump to cut back on the smell.


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## JBR (May 8, 2006)

usually the only smell I have is when i open the tank for feeding etc. (I have a water feature too) and even then I like the smell of it, smells like a summer rain.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

41714049 said:


> To me it smells like a forest after rain... if that helps. But the smell does not really travel out of my tank.


All of my tanks smell like that, and I wish it would spread throughout the apt...I love the woodsy smell.
I use power mix for my cultures (set up around 5-32oz'ers a week), and the smell is like rising dough, and never overpowering.


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## 41714049 (Feb 23, 2006)

Agreed Dancing Frogs, I love the smell too.

My cultures have a slight hint if vinegar if you put your nose to it... and when they get old kinda smell like wet soil... almost no smell.


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## Rambo67 (Jun 12, 2006)

Joshs media smells like oatmeal and cinnamon when its freshly made lol, and I havent had any negative smells in my apartment from the tanks.


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## raimeiken (Dec 24, 2006)

yeah, i didnt mean to say dirt. i meant like whatever substrate is commonly used like orchid mix and so on. Is having 3 fans on a 40 gal breeder an over kill?


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## rbrightstone (Apr 14, 2004)

Anytime you get an unpleasant smell from the tank usually means an area is stagnat, and not getting oxygen to it. Also, the bombino tank has that odor because the frogs deficate in the water as a habit. The darts do not use the pond that much to the best of my observations. My matamata tank also has a "fishey" smell to it. If I could make an incense that smells like my tanks, I could make a fortune from it.


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

If a dart tank that is properly set up ever stinks, something is amiss or dead in it. Mostly it's anaerobic bacteria that cause the sour stink of dead flesh. As long as water is draining and circulating, you won't ordinarily smell anything but the woodsy/rainforest smell. 

I don't use any kind of ventilation from fans in my dart tanks, and they do just fine. They are pretty much sealed rather tightly except for opening the hinged lid for feeding or maintenance, or in rare circumstances, for cooling in hot weather. I do circulate the water in those that have waterways, and drain off excess water in those that have only a drainage area before it reaches the substrate layer.


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## O2 Plastics (Jun 28, 2006)

No offensive smells from mine so far, and my FF's smell like cookies for hte most part :lol:


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## PDFanatic (Mar 3, 2007)

I enjoy the smell of my tanks but you can use soil in the bottom of your tank it will do just fine and drains just fine too, I mix coco fiber about 50/50 with soil and use that never once had a problem with anything rotting!!


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## zaroba (Apr 8, 2006)

only smell that comes from mine is the same humid forest smell you get from a forest near a pond right after it rains or on a cool, very humid day. its a nice natural smell.


i to use soil in my tank. no problems yet.
although it is mixed with spagnum and pine bark chips.


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