What's that smell!?

[ItsAName]

Just for a frame of reference, my tank is about 2 months old. In the last 2 weeks I've been fighting an algae outbreak, first cyano, then hair algae, now some bright green algae. Also, a fish died about 5 days ago.

First smell:
My protein skimmer is reeking of sulfur, rotten eggs. Is this common? I clean it out and the smell goes away, but it's pretty much back in 2-3 days. So cleaning it that often is a little consuming.

Second Smell:
I've been doing a lot of water changes to combat it. The tank started to get a "low tide" smell, I'm assuming that's from the algae, because that's when it started. I've been replacing the carbon once a week but it only seems to help a little. Anything else I can do? Is it from the algae?

Thanks!

 

[40B Knasty]

Tank size, live rock amount, filter, and protein skimmer? Need info to help.

 

[wkscott]

Protein skimmers are mini sewage plants. They remove fish poop and other organics from the water and will stink unless you remove the skimmate and clean the collection cup. Not pleasant but has to be done. Image how your house would smell if you only flushed your toilet once or twice a week.
If the smell is coming from the water, carbon will definitely help. How much carbon to use will depend on your water volume and also on how you are using it. Do you have it in a bag in your sump or in a reactor ?

 

[kenandmoose2]

The rotten egg smell is H2S and that is a product of decay. The skimmate is breaking down creating H2S. Carbon may help with other smells but it wont pick up H2S.

 

[ItsAName]

Tank size, live rock amount, filter, and protein skimmer? Need info to help.

75 Gallon with 40 gallon refugium (20 gallons of water)
Reef Octopus Skimmer, Filter socks, marine pure in the refugium, and about 50-70lbs of rock in the DT, live sand

 

[ItsAName]

Protein skimmers are mini sewage plants. They remove fish poop and other organics from the water and will stink unless you remove the skimmate and clean the collection cup. Not pleasant but has to be done. Image how your house would smell if you only flushed your toilet once or twice a week.
If the smell is coming from the water, carbon will definitely help. How much carbon to use will depend on your water volume and also on how you are using it. Do you have it in a bag in your sump or in a reactor ?

I have the carbon in a bag in the sump mixed with GFO. It's next to the skimmer to pick up water flow.

So just clean the skimmer more to get rid of the smell?

 

[wkscott]

I have the carbon in a bag in the sump mixed with GFO. It's next to the skimmer to pick up water flow.

So just clean the skimmer more to get rid of the smell?

Cleaning the skimmer collection cup (not the whole skimmer) will get rid of the smell from under the tank.
Carbon in a bag passively removes odors from the water. Since your water has a strong odor, you may need to filter it more aggressively, using a canister filter or carbon reactor. These devices force the water through the carbon for more effective odor removal.
Have you checked your ammonia and nitrite levels lately? You may have a dead creature in the tank.

 

[gtbarsi]

How often are you changing your filter socks?
If you are not already I would change them every 2 days to insure that things are not rotting in them adding to the problem.
Just think about how much stink and rot raw seafood makes after sitting in the trash for a couple of days!

 

[Jimbojames]

Enjoy that skimmer smell, its just doing its job. Your job is to clean it, i clean my collection cup at least once weekly during a water change, i just use the water i take out of the tank

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Have you checked your ammonia and nitrite levels lately? You may have a dead creature in the tank.

+1

I have the carbon in a bag in the sump mixed with GFO. It's next to the skimmer to pick up water flow.

I would put it over the return pump. better flow.
Find the source quicly and you may want to get an airstone in there.

 

[Jimbojames]

Or buy something like this:
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-octopus-4-waste-collector-with-auto-shut-off.html

 

[sithrico]

What model of skimmer? I would say either skimmate is too dry or your skimmer is too small for the tank size. I only get the smell when I clean the skimmer out never well it's working in the tank. Give it a green tea color, not a dark brown coffee color.

 

[40B Knasty]

Sounds like you did everything right. Now to figure it out. Carbon will help. Make sure it is fluffy since you have the GFO in there. Otherwise it will harden up, but the carbon will help keep it from binding. Check the system for dead critters for sure. Is the Marine Pure newly added? Just want to know if it is cycled yet. You will have to rinse that out here and there during tank water changes with then used tank water.

 

[ItsAName]

What model of skimmer? I would say either skimmate is too dry or your skimmer is too small for the tank size. I only get the smell when I clean the skimmer out never well it's working in the tank. Give it a green tea color, not a dark brown coffee color.

It's got a dark brown color, how do I get the green tea color going? Should I increase the flow iin the skimmer?

 

[ItsAName]

What model of skimmer? I would say either skimmate is too dry or your skimmer is too small for the tank size. I only get the smell when I clean the skimmer out never well it's working in the tank. Give it a green tea color, not a dark brown coffee color.

It's a Reef Octopus 150SSS

 

[ItsAName]

How often are you changing your filter socks?
If you are not already I would change them every 2 days to insure that things are not rotting in them adding to the problem.
Just think about how much stink and rot raw seafood makes after sitting in the trash for a couple of days!

I'm changing them every 5 days since the smell started, I'll up the change rate!

 

[ItsAName]

Cleaning the skimmer collection cup (not the whole skimmer) will get rid of the smell from under the tank.
Carbon in a bag passively removes odors from the water. Since your water has a strong odor, you may need to filter it more aggressively, using a canister filter or carbon reactor. These devices force the water through the carbon for more effective odor removal.
Have you checked your ammonia and nitrite levels lately? You may have a dead creature in the tank.

I have a goby that died in the tank about 7 days ago. I can't find it anywhere, I've searched for hours. I even tried taking some rock out to find it. Would one tiny fish add so much smell?
I'll check the ammonia levels tonight.

 

[sithrico]

That's more than enough size then. I would go back to being too dry maybe. You've got to have loads of mess in your water column right now with all that is happening. Try manually remove algae scrub rock, and get rid of as much as you can. Or even do a 3-day blackout to kill off algae. Run so really good carbon also. Something with low silicates and phosphates. Good Luck man. You got a battle here.

 

[sithrico]

I have a goby that died in the tank about 7 days ago. I can't find it anywhere, I've searched for hours. I even tried taking some rock out to find it. Would one tiny fish add so much smell?
I'll check the ammonia levels tonight.

Yeah, it will. Any die off causes the tide smell even snails. The skimmer smell you can tone down once it's dialed in.

 

[brandon429]

I would enjoy seeing an ammonia test on this water sample, preferably not from API ammonia but would take anything