Oooooh, that smell.

[sequential]

For starters, it's water change time. I have 10 gallons of RO/DI swirling about some salt for a water change tomorrow. Tests still yield no change in water quality. Until later this week, I do not have a skimmer, so I'm just trying to get through the week without anything terrible happening.

That aside, yesterday, after a power failure, I spent a lot of time with my filter. It smells like the ocean at low tide. I sniffed the tank, thinking this isn't particularly good, but the odor was not coming from either tank, just the filter.

Tonight, after adding some empty snail shells for my hermits to use, I noticed that the larger tank had developed an odor. Out of curiousity, I checked the bottom tank only to discover an even worse smell.

The tank doesn't usually smell, so I'm looking for a potential cause and the right solution. Here's my guess:

I began bastering my live rock to get the layers of crab and snail poo off of it. This creates a heavier than normal amount of stuff getting sucked up by the filter. I assume this is the primary cause, despite having just changed half the carbon earlier this week.

The filter was off for an unknown amount of time Friday. The filter stopped working normally, producing lots of bubbles when previously it produced none. I futzed with it a lot to minimize the bubbles, but 36 hours later, the bubbles are only reduced, not eliminated. I intend to take the filter apart, scrub it and clean it. My LFS told me to never change or clean the sponge on my TetraTec PF300, but I assume that's where lots of the smell is coming from. Any thoughts on rinsing this under warm water or replacing it entirely? (For the record, I have a lot of LR, somewhere between 50 and 70 lbs if you include some new base rock.)

I have pebbles for substrate, which trap boat loads of poo. The snails love to swim in the substrate, but they hardly ever clean more than a 1/2" below the surface. If my understanding is correct, the stuff below the 1/2" mark is producing an excess of bad chemicals and should be cleaned regularly with a syphon.

Some combination of these things appears the likely cause of the odor. What are your thoughts on the cause or the solution?

Thanks.

 

[PatMayo]

I would clean the filter completely and replace the sponge on the filter weekly. Your rock will keep the filter system working. I would reduce feeding to very very little, do a water change and clean the crap out of that filter. FWIW I had a 46 gallon with CC substrate and a magnum 350 cannister filter, also an Aqua Clear 110. I cleaned and/or replaced the foam in each every week.

It's really the only way to keep the tank clean and nitrates down. My 46 even with CC substrate had zero nitrates, but it also had an Aqua C Remora skimmer. It critical that you get a skimmer as quickly as you can. I know it may be difficult to get one on a student budget. Save up for a skimmer even a good used one is better than nothing.

good luck my friend.

Regards,

Pat

 

[timmy_boy188]

you need to do a gravel vac, you should change your filter pads because that waste can create Nitrates to rise and will effect your water quality, are you running a protien skimmer?

 

[mcegelsk]

Definitely recommend the gravel vac. It will clean out those pebbles that the snails aren't taking care of.

 

[nemo g]

skimmers r da bestest

nemo g
<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/116775nmav.jpg"/>

 

[sequential]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6774621#post6774621 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PatMayo
I would clean the filter completely and replace the sponge on the filter weekly. Your rock will keep the filter system working. I would reduce feeding to very very little, do a water change and clean the crap out of that filter. FWIW I had a 46 gallon with CC substrate and a magnum 350 cannister filter, also an Aqua Clear 110. I cleaned and/or replaced the foam in each every week.

I'm not certain I was very clear. The PF300 has 4 carbon filters, which are rotated out two at a time ever week to three weeks.

It also has a "living filter" which is the last thing the water filters through before entering the tank. I've literally never replaced it or cleaned it in any way. Think I can run the filter without this "living filter" given my other biological filtration?

It's really the only way to keep the tank clean and nitrates down.

I have algae issues, but many likely causes that I am solving one at a time. However, my tank is reasonably clean and I haven't registered nitrates in a very long time, it just takes a lot of work and patience.

My 46 even with CC substrate had zero nitrates, but it also had an Aqua C Remora skimmer.

I'm so excited for mine to arrive!

It critical that you get a skimmer as quickly as you can. I know it may be difficult to get one on a student budget.

It's paid for and will be here this week! *dances like Snoopy*

good luck my friend.

Thanks, Pat. You rock!

 

[sequential]

As far as the gravel vac goes, I used to do all of my water changes with a gravel vac. Three weeks ago, however, I bought a new clean up crew. I stopped doing the gravel vac to see if they could handle it, but they clearly can't clean much below the surface. I'll switch back to the gravel vac method. I can't wait to switch back to live sand.

Thanks to RC, my instincts are getting much better, but I'm so glad that you're all hear to reinforce my weaknesses and limited experience.