Skimmer Stank

[lmm1967]

How does everyone deal with the skimmer smell?

I've been kind of battling nitrates in one of our tanks for a while now. As high as 80 - currently down to around 20. Doing so with a denitritor (or whatever you wanna call it) and moved to a more consistant skimmer for my particular setup.

Sump is out in the open - and over the past 2 weeks or so I'm able to notice that wonderful smell of skimmate when I walk in the front door.

Anyone have any creative solutions that have worked for you?

 

[lmm1967]

I already considered picking up smoking again to just kill my sense of smell - but that seemed counterproductive overall.

 

[Adam]

Are you using a skimmate container or letting it just collect in the cup?

 

[bhodges82]

You could buy or build a skimmate locker with a vent that runs through carbon. Google it “skimmate locker”

 

[lmm1967]

Just collect in the cup - I'm paranoid about an overflow outside the tank and haven't thought about fashioning a container that would direct an overflow back in to the sump.

 

[Adam]

Are you using any type of controller, Apex?

 

[lmm1967]

Yep - Apex. And have sensors and switches programmed in for other shut offs.

I guess I never looked at a skimmate locker as a stink reducer - I always thought it was just a way to not have to deal with cleaning the skimmer cup as often.

Now that you guys have prompted me to look at it as a way to prevent that stench - I'm seeing where it wouldn't be all that hard to run a drain line (skimmer already has a port in the cup) to a container, float switch on the container, overflow tube from container to sump just cause I'm paranoid - and vent the container through some filter floss / carbon.

 

[bcavalli]

+1 on a skimate locker!  Ugh thanks for reminding me I need to clean mine today.  

 

[Adam]

I see your other post about an Apex now. It's simple with an Apex. All you need is a breakout box and some float switches. You can also make your own BoB, lots of info on doing that on RC & R2R.

Here's pic of mine. The gallon container on the floor is my old skimmate container with a float switch in the lid. The 5 gallon bucket is my new container. It has a double switch in it that I haven't wired up to the BoB yet. The 1st one will send an alert the the bucket is getting full & needs to be emptied. When the 2nd switch is tripped it will send an alert and shut down the skimmer. The way they're setup the 1st one trips at about 3 gallons with the 2nd a little less than 4 gallons. The center pcv fittings are for holding carbon. I basically made an Ahttps://www.avastmarine.com/collections/avast-built/products/djsl-xl">vast Skimmate Super Locker</a>[/B]</em> for $30. :D

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[lmm1967]

Here’s pic of mine. The gallon container on the floor is my old skimmate container with a float switch in the lid. The 5 gallon bucket is my new container. It has a double switch in it that I haven’t wired up....

I can only imagine in my worst nightmare what 3+ gallons of that crap smells like!  I'll be doing this fairly soon. I have most of what I need sitting around already.

And - I REALLY wish we had a basement. My downstairs tanks are along the wall adjoining to the garage - but I'm worried about summer and winter temps too much to move the sump to the garage.

 

[lmm1967]

OK - wanna know how dumb I am ?  I found the true culprit of the stench.

About a month ago I built a "Donovan's Nitrate Destroyer". Basically a reactor of sorts that allows an anerobic area for a bacteria colony to help reduce nitrates. Well - as it turns out - it's been working a little too well. Actually I had the flow turned down a little too low. Apparently, the bacteria colony will generate hydrogen sulfide if the NO3 level gets too low.

I pulled the top of the denitrator yesterday and about passed out. Measured nitrates in the tank vs the outflow of the denitrator. Left is tank - right is from outflow. Looks like I'm finally very close to a system with less than 5 ppm nitrates - finally.

Turned the flow up a bit and as of this morning - no more stench! Hoping the tank itself measures as low as the output within the next week or so.

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[bcavalli]

Very interesting.  Ill have to look that up.

 

[lmm1967]

There's a really long thread on one of the other forums. When I have time to sit down for an hour I'll do a write up here on how I built mine and my experience so far.

 

[danh]

Is it weird that I don't mind the smell of skimmate??? It's not like I want a it in cologne.... but it's not bad.

 

[lmm1967]

gotta say I don't dig it - it gets pretty rank. The stench coming out of that denitrator was a step above the skimmer. I seriously am so dumb I thought "wow, that skimmer is really doing one hell of a job - I can smell that fish crap when I walk in the front door".

 

[Adam]

Lmm1967 December 1, at 9:12 am
I pulled the top of the denitrator yesterday and about passed out.

That had me laughing pretty hard. That had to suck, bet it curled you nose hairs.

Danh December 1, at 10:34 am
Is it weird that I don’t mind the smell of skimmate??? It’s not like I want a it in cologne…. but it’s not bad.

Dan, you must not have your skimmate draining from the cup to a container. If you do then... Yes, that's weird. If you do like the smell you're more than welcome to come over and dump mine for me! LOL

 

[Adam]

Leo, are you running the output from the denitrator directly into the skimmer?

 

[lmm1967]

Leo, are you running the output from the denitrator directly into the skimmer?

No - it's sitting in the return pump area of my sump. It draws from the chamber my 60 gallon tank drains to and dumps into the return pump chamber.

Skimmer is in the chamber that my 40 gallon tank drains to.

I have a non-conventional sump. It is shared between 2 tanks. Each tank drains into opposite sides of the sump and the return pump, which feeds both tanks, is sitting in the middle section. VERY VERY crude diagram below.  I'm going to try to get some pics and descriptions of my current setup on the forum sometime this weekend.

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[enderg60]

There is an air hole on top of your skimmer cup.  Put a bag of carbon on it, problem solved.

 

[Adam]

No – it’s sitting in the return pump area of my sump. It draws from the chamber my 60 gallon tank drains to and dumps into the return pump chamber.

Skimmer is in the chamber that my 40 gallon tank drains to.

I have a non-conventional sump. It is shared between 2 tanks. Each tank drains into opposite sides of the sump and the return pump, which feeds both tanks, is sitting in the middle section. VERY VERY crude diagram below.  I’m going to try to get some pics and descriptions of my current setup on the forum sometime this weekend.

Cool, I look forward to seeing it. I haven't run a denitrator and up to this point haven't needed to. But I've done some reading on them and what I've seen is the ones that use sulfur need to have the output directed directly into the skimmer input to get the bacteria skimmed off. I did a quick glance at the Donovan and it looks pretty interesting, much better than needing sulfur bead media and DIY to boot.