Tank Smells! Don't know why!

[chenwon54]

My tank has started to smell alot like a tidepool for the last 2 months. Makes the whole house smell nasty. Tank is approx 2 years old. HEAVILY STOCKED - but has been for a while.

Currently 240G + 50G Sump+Fuge. I run carbon, GFO, zeolite, filter socks, G4x skimmer and poly in sump baffles. All socks/poly are cleaned every 3 days. Skimmer cup cleaned and scrubed daily. Carbon and GFO run 24/7. I also have a korallin bio-denitrator. Carbon and GFO changed every 25-30 days. I also use prodibio suppliments for over one year now.

The only thing that has changed is the use of Zeovit additives and changed to brightwell salt over the last month.

I cannot figure out why it smells. Should I double up on the carbon? Upgrade my skimmer? Start skimming heavier? Get rid of the mechanical filtration?

Any advise would be appreciated. Can't stand the stench much longer lol...

Also does anybody know if I should be mixing zeovit additives and prodibio additives?

I use the prodibio bioclean/and carbon source.

I use the zeovit Pohls Xtra 2ml per day, Sponge Power 6 Drops per day, Coral Vitalizer 6 drops per day, & Amino Acid Concentrate LPS 1 ml per day. I also add about 6 drops of vitamin c every other day.

 

[Harry_Y]

Are you keeping up with water changes?

 

[chenwon54]

water changes

Yes.. I normally change 40G per week. But have been changing 80G 1 or 2x a week and no help with the smell. Its so weird and nobody has any idea. Its honestly really strange. I keep my tank CLEAN.. cleaner than most reef tanks.

 

[myreef2reef]

Anything dead?

 

[Harry_Y]

I'm not really sure, could try skimming harder.

I usally way understock my tanks

 

[chenwon54]

Nope.. Nothing dead at all.... perfect water chemistry and everything is thriving. Thats really why I posted here. Nothing obvious is wrong.. just smells like butt lol

 

[EliteReefs]

hmmmm never had a tank smell unless i had a leaky skimmer, OR a fish that jumped out and was rotting behind the tank. got any kids that maybe spilled some skim mate around the tank or something??

we have alot of water around the house and hot very humid days it sometimes smells musty but its not a fishy smell. very odd. wish i could be more help

 

[noobreef408]

lol check if a fish died in the back of your tank or sometihng i had a fish jump out it was a six line wrasse and it smelled fora couple of day's until i found its dead body LOOK EVERYWHERE AROUND YOUR TANK!

 

[roscoe]

Do you have a deep sand bed? Sometimes that deep sand bed can harbour some nasty stench.

 

[Braves Fan]

I am just throwing this at you, everything else has been suggested. Couldn't be the skimmer some how?

 

[chenwon54]

No DSB.... no dead fish.. I'm at a loss here. Skimmer has not changed since day one so I know its not that? What about the biodenitrator? I have had the pump burn out and it smells like sulfur combined with butt lol. So its not that. I've pretty much ruled everything out. Smell is the worst in the sump under the cabinet. I have miracle mud in there that has never been changed or stirred. About 4". Also cheato and live rock. Can cheato cause that smell? I never changed it or take any out. Just sits in there. Should I toss it?.

How much carbon do you guys use? how often is it changed? I use about 4 -5 cups of black diamond changed every 30 days. Tank temp never changes from 78°. Does carbon even remove the smelly organic compounds?

 

[Harry_Y]

When my skimmer was under the tank it would smell, it is now
in the basement and some thins it gets funky smelling over there

 

[Stray32]

Rotting chaeto? Probably some funk in that mud as well dude, might want to investigate that a bit further, ie spoon some out and give a good whiff lol

 

[benny z]

Rotting chaeto?

+1

if you've had the tank running for some time, and have never pruned the chaeto, i'm guessing it is trapping a lot of rotting crap and maybe part of it itself is dying... personally, if you are running filter socks, carbon, gfo, a denitrattor, AND prodibio/zeo, i don't see any need for chaeto in your system (or "mud", for that matter). i'd delete all that crap.

also, do you "blow" your rocks off with a powerhead regularly? if not, i would start doing that weekly. could be lots of detritus rotting in the pores.

have you tested po4 with a hannah?

 

[AD87]

I notice a smell once in awhile have you tried running some carbon or changing it out. I can tell a difference when I change mine out.

 

[hawkfishman]

carbon can realy help with smell

 

[benny z]

guys. he clearly stated that he runs fresh carbon 24/7.

 

[Paul_N]

I ran mud in my sump for a year when I first set up my reef tank. I had a funky smell in the sump also. I got tired of the stuff settling in it so I pulled the mud. I never had any issues with smells after I pulled the mud. A buddy of mine uses mud and has no issues.

 

[chenwon54]

Hanna

I've never tested with a hannah meter since they are so expensive. if anyone in vegas wanna check for me that would be very nice. Salifert tests .03ppm so well within normal range. I am gonna get rid of the cheato since i notice it does nothing other than a good place for pods to grow. Should i remove all of the mud at once? Don't want bio filter to get out of wack since my tank has so much in it. I dust my rock about 2 a week with a turkey baster. I have a barracuda gold wide open on my little tank so its really hard for anything to settle. So basically the entire volume of the tank is turned about 350+ times every 24 hours. Overkill much? lol.

Thanks for your suggestions.. this actually makes sense. What is the point of even having miracle mud? Good to seed a new tank basically? There are a rediculas amount of little critters in it so I am hesitant to just kill em all...? I think I will try and remove slowly over a month.

+1

if you've had the tank running for some time, and have never pruned the chaeto, i'm guessing it is trapping a lot of rotting crap and maybe part of it itself is dying... personally, if you are running filter socks, carbon, gfo, a denitrattor, AND prodibio/zeo, i don't see any need for chaeto in your system (or "mud", for that matter). i'd delete all that crap.

also, do you "blow" your rocks off with a powerhead regularly? if not, i would start doing that weekly. could be lots of detritus rotting in the pores.

have you tested po4 with a hannah?