the smell...oh the smell. about to take down one of my tanks... and go planted FW!

[Devaji]

Hi, I'm no expert here but did you think of ozone? Im running it 15mins per day past midnight and I can say even as skimate doesn't have a smell

funny you should say that. I have ozone tech for the large FOWLR just waiting on the ORP controller to come in.

was thinking I could use it on both tanks. or get a cheao ozone generator and give it a go.

 

[TheTipsyDragon]

venting talking aloud here to others that "get it"

for what ever reason I cant seem to win with this tank. RS 300XL was going to be a seahorse tank but decided to just go classic reef focusing on LPS corals.
over sized skimmer, UV had a roller mat but never used it.

log story short when deciding of I wanted to go SH or reef all my macros melted then came the problems. one problem after the other. the latest is GHA so much long and stingy GHA. all my numbers are in check as the GHA is soaking it up.
reduced lighting by 50%
manual removal/WC

then there is the smell. you know that smell when you go to the tropics and get a house/hotel that smell musty/moldy
its making the whole house smell so bad. every time I come back in from being out side for 15 min. I am oh GOD.

I was thinking about replacing the skimmer to a better size one for the tank, current is 3-4X over sized. so its not going a good job IMHO over sizing does not work.
then got to thinking might just shut down the tank and set it up as a simple planted FW tank. seems less maintenance cheaper and cleaner...well maybe
the fish from the tank (4 wrasses ) can go in to the FOWLR I am still stocking.

was looking at the tank then felt guilty about giving up. maybe I should give it dose of fluconazole for the GHA and stick with it. take coming up on the year old mark so be a shame to start a new project. but on the other hand a house that does not smell will be nice to.

another reason is my job after 17 years of contracting is close down for 2 years for a remodel so my funds will be unstable for a while. might even spend a few months abroad normally spend one month a year. but might spend 2+ IDK


with all that said I am leaning towards a planted FW tank. easy plants small fish and call it a day. but then there is that felling of giving up I cant seem to get out of my head.
be reefing on and off for 20 years now and it seems more tanks problems nowadays...I blame the lack of LR

anyway what do you classy folks think?
I gotta do something about the smell at the very least never had a smell house or tank before.

​

I personally run the biggest Hathaspace filter they make right next to my 112 gallon tank, but honestly never really noticed a smell from my tanks and was always surprised by that. The filter was bought because of my dogs not my fish lol. However, I keep all my tanks super clean though and I don't run a skimmer so it could be the skimmer. Take that thing out and put it outside or somewhere not in your house, wait a week and see if the smell is gone.

 

[Faurek]

First things first, do you have any LPS? Second ofc you will get problems with macroalgae and a skimmer, probably you got your macro to die without much feeding for the amount of macro.
Third you don't need to spend that much money now, if you want to keep SW on the cheap do this:
1. Grab a bag of carbon and put on your filtration and shut down the skimmer.
2. Grab some Inexpensive mollies and acclimate them to sw over a full week, grab a nice group and they will look like anthias.
3. Grab free macros from local reefers, they are the best source of free macros.
My thinking: you still have LPS, so all you need to do for 2 years is shut down the skimmer feed some mollies and coral at the same time, mollies will keep algae controlled and they die in 2 years, then when you get more stable finances you upgrade the tank in these two years your LPS should have grown and become impressive af.

 

[Devaji]

First things first, do you have any LPS? Second ofc you will get problems with macroalgae and a skimmer, probably you got your macro to die without much feeding for the amount of macro.
Third you don't need to spend that much money now, if you want to keep SW on the cheap do this:
1. Grab a bag of carbon and put on your filtration and shut down the skimmer.
2. Grab some Inexpensive mollies and acclimate them to sw over a full week, grab a nice group and they will look like anthias.
3. Grab free macros from local reefers, they are the best source of free macros.
My thinking: you still have LPS, so all you need to do for 2 years is shut down the skimmer feed some mollies and coral at the same time, mollies will keep algae controlled and they die in 2 years, then when you get more stable finances you upgrade the tank in these two years your LPS should have grown and become impressive af.

I did think about the mollies...no LPS right now just 4 wrasses and a few gorgs.
I did decide to keep the tank SW tho. so LPS are coming.

 

[Faurek]

I did think about the mollies...no LPS right now just 4 wrasses and a few gorgs.
I did decide to keep the tank SW tho. so LPS are coming.

And how old is the tank?