Tank smell

[wkeliipuleole]

I have a dsb, 150 gallon tank. First tank.

Low population tank. 3 fish, 2 shrimp, 1 crab and then a CuC that is about 20. Working on a hair algae issue that has plagued me for a bit. I dropped feeding every 3 days to every 5 days about a month ago and started clearing it manually.

Last night I went to sleep and my tank seemed fine. I woke up and it smelled bad. Real bad.

I checked my levels. 0ppm for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite.

I did a 20% water change and it subdued the smell but didn't really help. I have also noticed it smells worse in one part of the tank compared to others.

Outside of one fish ( a lawnmower blenny who looked really good the last time I saw him) I have seen them all. Everything looks normal and thriving but the smell is awful. It smells familiar maybe rancid but I can't really say.

Any ideas? I am worried this a precursor to something bad happening and I want to get ahead of this before something worse happens.

Thank you for reading and responding.

 

[VB313]

I have a dsb, 150 gallon tank. First tank.

Low population tank. 3 fish, 2 shrimp, 1 crab and then a CuC that is about 20. Working on a hair algae issue that has plagued me for a bit. I dropped feeding every 3 days to every 5 days about a month ago and started clearing it manually.

Last night I went to sleep and my tank seemed fine. I woke up and it smelled bad. Real bad.

I checked my levels. 0ppm for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite.

I did a 20% water change and it subdued the smell but didn't really help. I have also noticed it smells worse in one part of the tank compared to others.

Outside of one fish ( a lawnmower blenny who looked really good the last time I saw him) I have seen them all. Everything looks normal and thriving but the smell is awful. It smells familiar maybe rancid but I can't really say.

Any ideas? I am worried this a precursor to something bad happening and I want to get ahead of this before something worse happens.

Thank you for reading and responding.

Dead snail had one escape and die behind my stand couldn’t believe the stench of one dead snail

 

[Saltyreef]

Dead snail had one escape and die behind my stand couldn’t believe the stench of one dead snail

Even pulling them out of the water and their bodies just liquify out of the shell. Worst smell ever!!! Those big mexican turbos are the worst!!!! OP id run some GAC asap. For the smell and for whatever may be causing it.

 

[EmdeReef]

What does it smell like? Rotten eggs smell would be cause for major concern otherwise it’s likely algae.

You can run carbon and it should take care of the smell until you figure out the cause.

 

[LadyMac]

Is it fishy or “green”? My hair algae gives my tank a green smell.

Also, snails stink soo bad.

 

[homer1475]

What does it smell like? Rotten eggs smell would be cause for major concern otherwise it’s likely algae.

You can run carbon and it should take care of the smell until you figure out the cause.

Was just going to post this same thing since the OP reports a deep sand bed.

 

[wkeliipuleole]

I finally realized what it smells like. It smells like walmart fish tanks or an aquarium store that isn't really on the up and up. It doesn't smell sulfiric.

I also want to note that my sump doesn't smell bad at all. It has that algae smell.

I naturally run carbon. Is there something else I could do with the carbon?

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

I would think a snail as well. I've had a snail die... the smell wasnt awful. Once I pulled it out if the water.. oh my god

 

[EmdeReef]

I finally realized what it smells like. It smells like walmart fish tanks or an aquarium store that isn't really on the up and up. It doesn't smell sulfiric.

I also want to note that my sump doesn't smell bad at all. It has that algae smell.

I naturally run carbon. Is there something else I could do with the carbon?

Only thing I can think of is to replace carbon and see if that does the trick.

 

[VB313]

“Walmart tank smell” ;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious I’m guessing algae smell then

 

[Dom]

You said the smell was local and not throughout the entire tank.

Is the overflow located on the same side as the smell? If so, perhaps something died down there...

 

[JCOLE]

+1 on carbon

 

[BeejReef]

Unrelated, but that's a really stingy feeding regiment.

Is it a brand new tank? If so, you may get various bacterial blooms as it stabilizes. Maybe u got a stinky one?
How does your skimmer look? They can funk a house pretty easy, especially if snails spawn.

 

[jtl]

Run some GAC. All tanks smell but most reefers don't notice it because they are used to it. Other people visiting you likely can smell a tank, at least my friends could and I ran GAC 24/7.

 

[Crossfire]

From what I noticed a tank shouldn't really smell at all unless something has died and is rotting in the tank. My first priority would be to find that lawnmower blenny. They are pretty large fish and if it died, that will surely cause a smell. Hopefully that isn't the case.

Check around your tank for anything that may have gotten wet and is decaying. I once had a smell and I found a wet microfiber cloth under my stand that stunk. It was loaded with tank water and skim mate.

In the meantime run extra carbon. Using more won't hurt anything. I use Seachem carbon- cheap and works great.

 

[SeaJay]

Dead snail is an awful stench, but I haven’t ever really been able to smell them until removing the remains from the tank.

 

[wkeliipuleole]

I found it out. I feel real stupid. I wasn't thinking or someone else wasn't. But someone placed my frozen food with my dry food above the tank...above the top right of the tank and it was slowly dripping into the tank from the right side. So I am going to do another water change tonight and everything should clear up soon. Thank you for all the help.