Is the smell of your reef tank a health indicator or not?

[brandon429]

hey can someone here do the cycling test as well, take a gallon of water and pour it off into a sniffer's pail heh

input some cycling ammonia and mix it up, can you smell that water or not any different than normal water

I need more than one sample size to evaluate if its possible to smell a stuck reef aquarium cycle. as in help, my aquarium is certainly 8ppm but it smells literally as pure as water...can that occur is the test/thresholds etc

 

[sealife4life]

I’m only 11 months so far and catch myself sniffing things lol but like many said a not so good stench is either filter socks or skimmer. I’ve also noticed that doing a weekly (Sunday’s for me) socks swap and skimmer cup cleaning reduces any kind of smell.

 

[Diesel 2021]

You have like a super hero sense or something? Lol. Now I'm smelling my tank when I get home!

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Last week i noticed the tank smelled worse than usual. Took a closer look only to find out my powerheads never came back on after a recent power outage.

So i would say a change in smell could mean something but i don't know if i would say it directly correlates to the tanks condition. If it smells worse id be for sure checking out the system to make sure the skimmer isnt overflowing, filters are clean, etc.

 

[Diesel 2021]

This is getting very interesting peeps!

 

[Tundra Cuttle]

Last week i noticed the tank smelled worse than usual. Took a closer look only to find out my powerheads never came back on after a recent power outage.

So i would say a change in smell could mean something but i don't know if i would say it directly correlates to the tanks condition. If it smells worse id be for sure checking out the system to make sure the skimmer isnt overflowing, filters are clean, etc.

Was it a slightly sulphurous smell, faintly of eggs?

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Was it a slightly sulphurous smell, faintly of eggs?

Pretty much like a dirty beach, smelled like the jersey shore haha

 

[Tundra Cuttle]

Pretty much like a dirty beach, smelled like the jersey shore haha

I know the smell thanks!

 

[PhotonBlue]

I'm not sure one can determine the health of a tank purely by smell (other than obvious rotting death smell) as much as be able to tell something has changed or out of the norm by a different smell.

 

[Tundra Cuttle]

I'm not sure one can determine the health of a tank purely by smell (other than obvious rotting death smell) as much as be able to tell something has changed or out of the norm by a different smell.

I don't think it comes without a pretty extensive level of experience, AKA fixing a lot of messes.

 

[Bpb]

I can also usually taste if my salinity is right.

 

[RocksNStuff]

I love the smell of my tank, it's like a day at the beach. Is that weird? My husband thinks it's weird.

Not weird at all! San Diego guy here so I love the smells of salt water. Even the ones other people might consider stinky!

 

[TnFishwater98]

Can I smell your tank please!
Ummm Did you just smell my tank...?

 

[RocksNStuff]

Pretty much like a dirty beach, smelled like the jersey shore haha

Like axe body spray?

 

[Diesel 2021]

I guess I still have a ways to go here. I've never experienced any smells like that. Just the salty beach smell with the slight bit of a dirt smell if that makes sense at all. Lol!

 

[Tundra Cuttle]

I know that smell exactly. Makes sense to me

I guess I still have a ways to go here. I've never experienced any smells like that. Just the salty beach smell with the slight bit of a dirt smell if that makes sense at all. Lol!

 

[Tundra Cuttle]

Can I smell your tank please!
Ummm Did you just smell my tank...?

I don't go around smelling people's tanks but now I feel like I have to.

 

[Justin Swinney]

I voted other because I added ozone to my tank and don’t really have much odor to the tank anymore except when I open the skimmer lid. I have carbon over the skimmer lid so it has to be open to smell

 

[Diesel 2021]

So I guess if I start smelling Sulphur I should be worried then.

 

[Diesel 2021]

Ya'll got me so curious about this I'm definitely smelling the tank when I get home! Lol! And if I vomit that's a problem!