Smelly Tank?

[SkiFletch]

Ok, I'm back for more knowledge here and need some advice guys. I've been reading a lot about horror stories of people coming home to smelly tanks. Usually, a smelly tank is associated with something dying, rotting, or something horribly wrong with the tank...

What I haven't been able to get a feel for is how bad this "danger" smell is. My tank is in my bedroom and generally admits a slight odor. It sorta smells like my room is a harbor front or sometimes there is a light shrimp sorta smell. The ventillation in the room isn't the best so it kind of lingers around and its pretty much smelled like this for the better part of the last 2 montsh (tank is 3mo old)

The tank is a 45 tall with twin PCs (192w total), a custom sump with refugium, and a seaclone 100 skimmer. Other details can be provided if you need, but its stable and healthy minus the receeding cyanobacteria I've got. Should I be worried about this or is a slight odor normal? And either way, are there any tricks I can go into to keep the smell down over time or should I just get used to it?

 

[dalbrecht]

The slight ocean smell is ok, If it smells like something rotting you have a problem.

 

[Sk8r]

If it ever smells rotten, I think you'll know it. At that point run carbon, hyper oxygenate, check your skimmer-inflow, and do a 20% waterchange immediately, while searching for the dead.

 

[chrisguy]

IMO the air circulation could be the issue. Try putting a small osculating fan in your room just to move the air. Also open a window on a nice day.

My house has an semi-open floor plan and I've never had any issues with odor, but I think that is due to the floor plan, lots of cross ventilation and an open top canopy. Plenty of breathing room.

 

[bigkev76]

you can also run carbon before you have problems, and it may even help with the slight odor now. i also agree a little air movement will help distribute it as well.

 

[SkiFletch]

Chris, I've seen your house with the tank between open rooms there and I can see why your ventillation isnt a problem and how it could comparatively be mine. I do run pre-emptive carbon that I change on the 1st and 15th of the month. Now that the weather's a little nicer the windows are wide open so hopefully a little cross ventilation will help, we'll see what happens

 

[dalbrecht]

Skifletch

That seems rather frequent for carbon changes. Some of the books I've read talked about as much as a 6 month replacement schedule but that was specifically to counter the gelbstoff. Personally, I've found that I need to change every 2 or 3 to deal with the nasties my soft corals put out.

How much & what brand do you use that it needs changed that frequently?

 

[Arik]

Tanks with smaller skimmers do emit more odor IMHO. I used to have a 75 and a 40 hex setup concurrently, and the 40 smelled more due to a much smaller skimmer (it was a seaclone). I never had water quality issues with either tank, but there was definitely a discernible difference in smell.

 

[SkiFletch]

Dalbrecht, I honestly just decided on that changing schedule myself on a whim. No real reason for it... Frankly didnt read the manufacturer's instructions (I think its Kent). I just run a bunch in a knee-high stocking in one of my sump bubble walls. You're thinking I can get away with a longer duration between changes? I was just paranoid about having the carbon be used up and leeching things back into the tank.

Arik... Thats an interesting thought, I wonder if the same thing is happening to me.

 

[parkavenuereef]

Also., I just figured out due to the fact that my skimmer went crazy and I to had a small oder it was my bottle of " DT's " Phytoplankton that was toast even thought it was good for months according by the exp. date.. After a good water change and the non usage the smell is gone and the tank looks alot better!

 

[SkiFletch]

Heh, that doesnt sound good... I dont use DTs but thanks for the warning if I ever decide to

 

[jdieck]

Well I think most of the smell shall be comming from the air vented from the skimmer, not the tank. If you can adapt it try a canister of activated carbon hosed to the vent of the skimmer.

 

[LFS_worker]

none of my reefs ever smelled .. the only time was the crash...
B

 

[SkiFletch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7446939#post7446939 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jdieck
Well I think most of the smell shall be comming from the air vented from the skimmer, not the tank. If you can adapt it try a canister of activated carbon hosed to the vent of the skimmer.

Interesting thought... And you're talking to the king of adapting . Time for some fun with the lathe :bum:

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7448740#post7448740 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SkiFletch
Interesting thought... And you're talking to the king of adapting . Time for some fun with the lathe :bum:

Before you go trough the trouble have you tought of replacing the seaclone for something more efficient?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, but my checking account says no-dice for the time being. Lathe time and fittings are free on the weekend

 

[belgian_waffleman]

DT's

DT's

In regards to DT's

DT's live plankton always smells.
In correspondence with Dennis himself, he told me that the smell is pretty bad, although there is some sweetness to the odor.
As long as it doesn't smell like rotten eggs, it's OK

Waffleman

 

[DTagrin]

I do not believe that I was quoted correctly. DT's does have a bit of a sulfide odor and if the odor is perceived as "rotten eggs" that is according to the individual who smells it. Almost everything smells and will smell worse once you have used some of it because the air that is trapped in the bottle picks up the odor and makes it more intense. At one time I thought it had a slightly sweet odor and now I believe that was the slight sulfide odor as I perceived it. The following link is to the section on storage and odor for DT's Phytoplankton.
http://www.dtplankton.com/phytoplankton/storage.html
As far as the odor from your aquarium, there are any number of possible causes but I would think the skimmer is the most likely source.

 

[SkiFletch]

If the skimmer is the source, how come when I waft the skimmate, it smells nothing like the slight odor in my room? humm....

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7456728#post7456728 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SkiFletch
If the skimmer is the source, how come when I waft the skimmate, it smells nothing like the slight odor in my room? humm....

May be there are other sources but the skimmer will be one of them in any case.
If you can find a way to direct either the vented air or the waste to another container were the air is passed trough activated carbon, at least that source will be gone.
Here is a link to the waste collector I use, it might give you some ideas.