Big Tank Smelly House

Merge_595 · Nov 21, 2024

WvAquatics said:
I have the same issue time to time. Always just refill a filter bag with carbon. I also do some husbandry and it goes away. It's a musty smell. Not bad smell just like when a room has moisture sitting.

Bingo

kenchilada · Nov 21, 2024

If it is the water that smells, run ozone.

If its the air, get a dehumidifier.

Take a cup of water out and smell it. Let the water sit for an hour, does it still smell?

Merge_595 · Nov 21, 2024

Treefer32 said:
Two things:
1. Humidity can smell in a home and can be dangerous.

Had a friend that had a 220 gallon in a small duplex. When he went to move out and was cleaning the walls around the tank, the ceiling caved on him. The insulation in the ceiling above the tank had become sodden and picked that day to be too heavy and caused the sheetrock ceiling to cave. Humidity from a tank or any reason can make a home smell. I notice this if I'm gone away from the home for 1-2 weeks and come back I can smell a mildewy smell if the dehumidifer stopped or if I have the home temp get above 70. Warmer air mixed with humidity equals mildewy stuffy smells.

2. a healthy operational tank should never smell rancid! nor make a home smell rancid. I had this happen 1-2 times in 6 years of running my 340 gallon. I found my pump in my plank auto feeder had jammed up due to a snail getting stuck. This Caused food to pile up and over weeks start to rot. This made the entire house stink badly. I cleaned it all out and in a day or less the house smelled fresh again.

I would suggest as a first step, getting a dehumidifier or Air exchanger. I would also get a reliable humidistat. My dehumidifer keeps the fish room at around 48% humidity. Still higher than I'd like, but keeps the rest of the house mildew free both summer and winter. I should spring the $3,000 on an air exchanger for health reasons for humans and ph reasons for fish. But, it's spendy and hard to know the real impact without having it.

The other thing I do is I have a massive April Aire high, merv rating installed on my furnace. The filter runs $110 but has carbon meshed into the air filter to further purify any mold / mildew smells due to the increased humidify in the home.

Ideally a home should be around 30% humidity I believe is the recommendation. I'm lucky to get it down to 48%.

Great information I'm going to invest in a dehumidifier.I'm in South Florida the home is usually between 48%-52% daily. I also open the sliding door by the tank daily for 1 hour to get some fresh air circulating. But definitely definitely definitely will be purchasing a dehumidifier THANKS!!!

WvAquatics · Nov 21, 2024

Treefer32 said:
Two things:
1. Humidity can smell in a home and can be dangerous.

Had a friend that had a 220 gallon in a small duplex. When he went to move out and was cleaning the walls around the tank, the ceiling caved on him. The insulation in the ceiling above the tank had become sodden and picked that day to be too heavy and caused the sheetrock ceiling to cave. Humidity from a tank or any reason can make a home smell. I notice this if I'm gone away from the home for 1-2 weeks and come back I can smell a mildewy smell if the dehumidifer stopped or if I have the home temp get above 70. Warmer air mixed with humidity equals mildewy stuffy smells.

2. a healthy operational tank should never smell rancid! nor make a home smell rancid. I had this happen 1-2 times in 6 years of running my 340 gallon. I found my pump in my plank auto feeder had jammed up due to a snail getting stuck. This Caused food to pile up and over weeks start to rot. This made the entire house stink badly. I cleaned it all out and in a day or less the house smelled fresh again.

I would suggest as a first step, getting a dehumidifier or Air exchanger. I would also get a reliable humidistat. My dehumidifer keeps the fish room at around 48% humidity. Still higher than I'd like, but keeps the rest of the house mildew free both summer and winter. I should spring the $3,000 on an air exchanger for health reasons for humans and ph reasons for fish. But, it's spendy and hard to know the real impact without having it.

The other thing I do is I have a massive April Aire high, merv rating installed on my furnace. The filter runs $110 but has carbon meshed into the air filter to further purify any mold / mildew smells due to the increased humidify in the home.

Ideally a home should be around 30% humidity I believe is the recommendation. I'm lucky to get it down to 48%.

Idk why i didn't think about humidity. Looks like the vivosun dehumidifier is going to be ordered. I was thinking of adding this to my build.
https://vivosun.com/vivosun-10l-23-...tm_source=unknown&utm_term=138262151171775071

Merge_595 · Nov 21, 2024

kenchilada said:
If it is the water that smells, run ozone.

If its the air, get a dehumidifier.

Take a cup of water out and smell it. Let the water sit for an hour, does it still smell?

Will be investing in a dehumidifier THANKS! I'll try the cup trick today also. Heard great things about ozone I'm a little nervous lol

Merge_595 · Nov 21, 2024

WvAquatics said:
Idk why i didn't think about humidity. Looks like the vivosun dehumidifier is going to be ordered. I was thinking of adding this to my build.
https://vivosun.com/vivosun-10l-23-...tm_source=unknown&utm_term=138262151171775071

I'm going to have to do some research on which one is the most silent!

Treefer32 · Nov 21, 2024

Merge_595 said:
Great information I'm going to invest in a dehumidifier.I'm in South Florida the home is usually between 48%-52% daily. I also open the sliding door by the tank daily for 1 hour to get some fresh air circulating. But definitely definitely definitely will be purchasing a dehumidifier THANKS!!!

If you have low airflow in the home wet air will become stagnant. I run my furnace fan 24 /7 to keep air circulating. If the door open helps the dehumidifier should help a lot too. You may need generally more air movement. Fans, ceiling fans etc. Just in general may help reduce smells. Treat the right symptom though. If the tank itself smells bad that's a different issue than stale air smells.

Merge_595 · Nov 21, 2024

Treefer32 said:
If you have low airflow in the home wet air will become stagnant. I run my furnace fan 24 /7 to keep air circulating. If the door open helps the dehumidifier should help a lot too. You may need generally more air movement. Fans, ceiling fans etc. Just in general may help reduce smells. Treat the right symptom though. If the tank itself smells bad that's a different issue than stale air smells.

From everything you've said I'm definitely thinking stale air smell tank have 0 issues. I had the Red Sea 750 2018-2020 it had the same smell. Upgraded to the 900 same smell..sold everything(thanks to the pandemic) went smaller NO SMELL..back up to the 750 again(recovered from the beat down the pandemic gave me)& the EXACT same smell back..literally exactly!

Miami Reef · Nov 21, 2024

I’ve never received a complaint about odors from my tank.

The only times it will smell bad is if I open the bag of LRS frozen food or if I have an anion DI resin out.

Merge_595 · Nov 21, 2024

Miami Reef said:
I’ve never received a complaint about odors from my tank.

The only times it will smell bad is if I open the bag of LRS frozen food or if I have an anion DI resin out.

Ever left the house for 3+ day's returned to an unusual smell?

Miami Reef · Nov 21, 2024

Merge_595 said:
Ever left the house for 3+ day's returned to an unusual smell?

Nope. My sense of smell doesn’t work, but I have lots of family and guests that visit our house, and I’ve never received a complaint, ever.

My mom goes insane when she smells the LRS food. I used to use separate anion resins, and she complained of a rotten fish smell even if I sealed it in a plastic bag.

But even with her not being home for 3+ days, there was never a complaint of a tank odor.

Oh, I forgot, my mom HATES when I dump skimmate down the sink to wash the collection cup. Lol

I don’t even know what skimmate smells like. Haha

AydenLincoln · Nov 21, 2024

I use these around my tank/in the sump area! Amazon product ASIN B06XWHWQVX

Troylee · Nov 21, 2024

I never smell my tank it’s 300 with a 120 gallon sump.. rarely do I run carbon..

Merge_595 · Nov 21, 2024

Miami Reef said:
Nope. My sense of smell doesn’t work, but I have lots of family and guests that visit our house, and I’ve never received a complaint, ever.

My mom goes insane when she smells the LRS food. I used to use separate anion resins, and she complained of a rotten fish smell even if I sealed it in a plastic bag.

But even with her not being home for 3+ days, there was never a complaint of a tank odor.

Oh, I forgot, my mom HATES when I dump skimmate down the sink to wash the collection cup. Lol

I don’t even know what skimmate smells like. Haha

Wow..that's a Gift & a Curse! So you're telling me you can't smell a JUICY STEAK with some MELTED BUTTER! Aww man!