Stinky Tank

[sparklefuzz]

The tank has been set up 2 weeks. I have liverock that had no dieoff, nothing is dead in the tank, the water stats are perfect... but my tank really doesn't smell good. I read that it should smell like fresh seaweed... does fresh seaweed smell bad? LOL

 

[Mr Miagi]

It should smell like the ocean, or just fresh. If you ever smelt your tank and it was un-pleasant, theirs something wrong! When you say perfect, whats Ammonia, NItrite and NItrate? Is their a discolouration to the water? Is there a dirty surface on the water? Done water changes? Using RO?

 

[sparklefuzz]

It should smell like the ocean, or just fresh. If you ever smelt your tank and it was un-pleasant, theirs something wrong! When you say perfect, whats Ammonia, NItrite and NItrate? Is their a discolouration to the water? Is there a dirty surface on the water? Done water changes? Using RO?

Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate are all 0. No discolouration, but there is a film on the surface which appears everytime I feed algae flakes. Water changed 10% after the first 5 days, then another 10% after the next week. Using RO water

 

[Redstratplayer1]

Aim a powed head at the sufice to get rid of the film

 

[Ranger]

Aim a powed head at the sufice to get rid of the film

Yeah, just something to disrupt it so its not calm.

 

[Mr.September15]

Yeah you wouldn't want standing water on the surface. My filter sputs a tiny cascade so that helps with surface movement.

 

[sparklefuzz]

I have a powerhead at the surface, it just films over one end where the water doesn't get disturbed as much. I did have both my PH aimed at the surface, at opposite ends, but the film still stayed in the centre and around the edges. Stubborn film I guess. Is it that that smells then d'you think?

 

[Mr Miagi]

But that might not be the cause of the smell. If its only flake food causing the surface layer increase surface aggitation as mentioned, and feed sparingly. Your water params seem to suggest no waste, but if you have a smell, I fail to see anything else that would cause the odor. Only feed however much the fish would eat in a few minutes, 2-3 times a day. Increase your cleanup crew if you find food sitting on the floor of your tank a while after feeding. Anyone else from the brains trust got an idea as to what could smell from a marine tank, if not the water?

Edit: You could always stop feeding flake, to see if the smell goes away. Use frozen.

 

[Ranger]

Is there any1 with access to your tank who might want to... stink it up?

 

[sparklefuzz]

But that might not be the cause of the smell. If its only flake food causing the surface layer increase surface aggitation as mentioned, and feed sparingly. Your water params seem to suggest no waste, but if you have a smell, I fail to see anything else that would cause the odor. Only feed however much the fish would eat in a few minutes, 2-3 times a day. Increase your cleanup crew if you find food sitting on the floor of your tank a while after feeding. Anyone else from the brains trust got an idea as to what could smell from a marine tank, if not the water?

Edit: You could always stop feeding flake, to see if the smell goes away. Use frozen.

I think they inhabitants would hunt me down in my sleep if I stopped feeding the flake, they love it. They all go crazy for it. LOL. At the moment, I feed pellets every morning, flake around mid afternoon, and then a little frozen brine shrimp early evening, but not everyday. I need some different frozen stuff I know, but LFS didn't have much in when I went.

It might be overfeeding I guess, still getting used to how much I need to give them, and also I don't have enough clean up crew as yet, wanted to get more as I needed them... was worried about having too many in a new tank and them starving...

Is there any1 with access to your tank who might want to... stink it up?

LOL nope! It just smells kinda foisty.. not nice, but not horrendous.. just baffling really.

 

[Redstratplayer1]

maybe the flackes are giving your fish gass


jk

 

[sparklefuzz]

maybe the flackes are giving your fish gass


jk

LOL I don't see bubbles coming from my fishes butts... so gas ruled out