Skimmer Smells Disgusting

[DAS212]

My skimmer smells like pure filth, its so disgusting, sometimes it makes the whole room smell. Its even worse when I drain the liquid from it. Sometimes I use a papertowel and gloves to scape nasty sludge out of it. Any ideas or is this just how it goes.

- Dave

 

[Joe5688]

I've never smelled my skimmer until i go under my stand or empty the cup. But it is pretty gross

 

[jm23]

I've never smelled my skimmer until i go under my stand or empty the cup. But it is pretty gross

I agree, mine doesn't smell unless I am inches from it and even then its not bad until the lid comes off. Maybe you need to stop feeding your fish beans...

 

[KeishaKornbread]

It's doing it's job then...really well. It pulls out the organics and organics rot and smell like booty. You can try having the skimmer skim wet and that might help a little but you'll be emptying out the cup more often.

 

[DAS212]

It's doing it's job then...really well. It pulls out the organics and organics rot and smell like booty. You can try having the skimmer skim wet and that might help a little but you'll be emptying out the cup more often.

Wont that effect salinity in my tank? Pulling out water that fast? or does skimming remove salt somehow?

 

[jm23]

Wont that effect salinity in my tank? Pulling out water that fast? or does skimming remove salt somehow?

You do need to watch your salinity if you skim very wet. Depending on how big your tank is depends on how quickly it will change your salinity. I normally just put an extra bucket of saltwater in when my salinity gets low and allow the evaporation to slowly bring my salinity back to where it needs to be. Some people put saltwater in their autotop off when they need to raise it. Either way works.

 

[KeishaKornbread]

Wont that effect salinity in my tank? Pulling out water that fast? or does skimming remove salt somehow?

Skimming wet shouldn't pull all that much water out your tank. I skim wet and I empty my cup once a week. At the most, it's an inch deep.

 

[thinkfuture]

Sprinkle some baking soda in your skimmer cup, but make sure the cup does not over flow into your tank. Or you can even try a cup of vinegar in the skimmer collection cup.
Worst case, get a bag of carbon & leave it on top of your skimmer (covering the holes on the lid)

 

[jm23]

Skimming wet shouldn't pull all that much water out your tank. I skim wet and I empty my cup once a week. At the most, it's an inch deep.

+1, People have different definitions of skimming wet. Some people actually use it to do water changes and others just skim wet enough to fill the collection cup weekly. All just depends.

 

[Top Water]

I notice less smell feeding pellets than if you feed mysis shrimp and other meaty foods.
Still stinks when you clean it but smell doesn't leave the skimmer as much when in use.
I try not to breath that suez pool when cleaning can't be good for you.

 

[madjoe]

Skimmers suposse to stink its fish chit so unless u fish chit roses its gonna stink. I skim really dry and do notice it can stink out whole room if not cleaned regularly. Problem with dry skimming is cup looks empty but all the chit is in the neck . So once a week i pull it off and clean it. Hey just remember chit happens lol

 

[Tank2379]

Skimmate smells great.... But Seriously it smells like a big pile of Dog Sh!t

 

[EricTheRed]

I notice less smell feeding pellets than if you feed mysis shrimp and other meaty foods.
Still stinks when you clean it but smell doesn't leave the skimmer as much when in use.
I try not to breath that suez pool when cleaning can't be good for you.

I've noticed this too and also an extra nasty smell when I feed phyto.

Also, if your room is stinking up it may not be the skimmer. Sometimes the water gets funky. I have a fowlr in my office and every so often I'll walk in the room and smell the funk. I'll run a little carbon and it freshens up the room within a day or so. Do you run carbon?

 

[KeishaKornbread]

I've noticed this too and also an extra nasty smell when I feed phyto.

Also, if your room is stinking up it may not be the skimmer. Sometimes the water gets funky. I have a fowlr in my office and every so often I'll walk in the room and smell the funk. I'll run a little carbon and it freshens up the room within a day or so. Do you run carbon?

Skimmate from Phyto is THE WORST. I stopped feeding Phyto because of that. Nothing that putrid could be good.

 

[DAS212]

I've noticed this too and also an extra nasty smell when I feed phyto.

Also, if your room is stinking up it may not be the skimmer. Sometimes the water gets funky. I have a fowlr in my office and every so often I'll walk in the room and smell the funk. I'll run a little carbon and it freshens up the room within a day or so. Do you run carbon?

Yeah I run the BRS reactor with carbon and GFO

 

[Lil BamBam]

Skimmate smells great.... But Seriously it smells like a big pile of Dog Sh!t

Why is your skim green? What are you growing

 

[Tank2379]

Weed....

 

[DAS212]

put a bag of carbon on top to cover the holes, no more smell.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Ya know, that might be a thought... Are you running carbon/Purigen on that tank?

 

[RedDevil.258]

Why is your skim green? What are you growing

Probably his fuge light making the skimmate green. I put up a black partition in my sump area to help light spillage!