Skimmate. Ways to reduce smell brainstorm!?

[grom]

Ok so **** stinks theres to way around that. But I was thinking of ways to eliminate the odors (for the most part).

If any of you have been succesful in reducing skimmer skimmate smell in your sump please let me know.

It is a very faint smell, but my tanks in my bedroom and I notice it.



The way I figure it, you have 2 options:
1) Add something into the collection cup to eliminate smells.
2) Add something external, but still in the sump.

Some of these ideas may sound retarded, but its a quick brainstorm of mine. I am new so i really dont know if this would work or not.

Internal:
1) Add high proof vodka. something that stong has to kill bacteria right?
2) Add kalk. Ive only heard this once before, but it apparently works. Someone told me not to try it because it will destroy the plastic in my collection cup(I dont know how it will destroy it...maybe melt it? buildup?).
3) Add microbacter7 to the collection cup. It helps break down ammonia, but in such great concentration, the bacteria i add might just instantly 'melt'. Making the smell worse
4) Add some saltwater, RO/DI, high salinity saltwater. In essense, dilute it so it doesnt smell as bad? I dont know which of the 3 would be best to add

External:
1) Throw a bag of carbon on top of the lid. Most lids already have some carbon in them, might as well add more
2) Open a box of arm and hammer baking soda and place the box somewhere in the sump. Maybe on top of the lid?


If you have any idea on the best solution, let me know. There wont be a perfect solution, but theres probably a way to improve the smell!

[Canadian Reefer]

Try skimming wetter, the skimmate wont be as concentrated and shouldnt smell as bad.

[aleonn]

I'd add carbon to a reactor, and a box of baking soda in the sump area. Other than that, I'd clean the skimmer cup more regularly.

[reefWW96]

you could hang one of those christmas tree scented things in your sump!

[Eel Freak]

What I've done since my skim smells absolutely horrible was I ran the air intake of the pump into the cup. The cup had already been ported for an overflow drain so instead of it overflowing into the riser tube, I ran the overflow line which was the same diameter as the stock air intake on the pump to the intake so now the pump recirculates the odor-laden air. It seems to have helped significantly and my skimmer is a big external in my bed room...

[Blown76mav]

If you lay a media bag with carbon in it over the holes of the skimmer cup you won't have any smell. The carbon draws in the stink.

[lordofthereef]

I am sure the carbon would work, but for how long? I feel like the carbon would be exhausted in a matter of days, no? I have had good luck draining the skimmed product into a jug that just has a tiny airhole to prevent backpressure. There was definitlye a rotten smell in the room beforehand. Now it is completely gone! :)

[lucidheights]

i was going to ask about this too. That rotten egg smell really gets to me in the morning.

[xmadcowx]

Drill the bottom of the collection cup, put a fitting and attach some rigid air tubing on it with a valve and run the end into a old clorox bottle (or some other container) with a hole drilled in the screw on top just big enough for the tube itself. Leave the valve closed and only open when you need to drain the cup. If you leave it open, and your skimmer goes nuts for some reason, it will drain nonstop, flooding your sump area once the clorox bottle is full. This is bad.

Since I put this on, the only time I smell it is when I take out the tube to empty the bottle, and of course clean the cup and neck of the skimmer.

Edit: Found a pic
http://kthrutwelve.com/120Tank/Sump_0628.jpg

[Blown76mav]

I am sure the carbon would work, but for how long? I feel like the carbon would be exhausted in a matter of days, no? I have had good luck draining the skimmed product into a jug that just has a tiny airhole to prevent backpressure. There was definitlye a rotten smell in the room beforehand. Now it is completely gone! :)

I've left it on for two months at a time without any smell. I'm using a Octo 350 extreme and have to empty the cup every three days on my 400g system. Without it the smell is terrible.

[grom]

Anyone ever use kalk in the cup?

[Sharpie_]

Anyone ever use kalk in the cup?

Grom, you just got a bunch of other people telling you things that work, why do you still want to add kalk to your cup? Also reading that you will add water to your cup is silly, you may as well just empty it more regularly.

[dmarkham]

Drill the bottom of the collection cup, put a fitting and attach some rigid air tubing on it with a valve and run the end into a old clorox bottle (or some other container) with a hole drilled in the screw on top just big enough for the tube itself. Leave the valve closed and only open when you need to drain the cup. If you leave it open, and your skimmer goes nuts for some reason, it will drain nonstop, flooding your sump area once the clorox bottle is full. This is bad.

Since I put this on, the only time I smell it is when I take out the tube to empty the bottle, and of course clean the cup and neck of the skimmer.

Edit: Found a pic
http://kthrutwelve.com/120Tank/Sump_0628.jpg

I did almost the same thing with mine and there is no smell.

[grom]

I had tried that, it didnt work well for me =/

Unless you guys put something in the clorox bottle. Like clorox :)

[JeF4y]

I skim wet & clean the cup ~2-3x per week with no external stink...

If I were to try and cut down on the stink I'd go with a bag of carbon. Setting a box of arm & hammer on top of the cup would be a disaster if you knocked it off. Carbon, not so much...

[chimmike]

my lid on the skimmate cup pretty much kept the scent in there........on a rs80. but boy, you open that lid, and you get KO'd by the scent.

[grom]

Would the box of baking soda emit any CO2 by itself.

I know when you add vinegar it really outputs alot of CO2, but just in the box does it emit any?

If it does its going to get into the intake of the skimmer and cause a pH drop.

[PaxRoma]

my skimmate actually smell pleasant, like the smell of earth after the rain. I skim wet.

[oaksenov]

I'd build external waste collection container, and put carbon in its exhaust and on top of skimmer cup to cover those holes. Here is one example http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1328891