Anyone regularly smell your tank?
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Forum Name: General Discussion
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URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=83462
Printed Date: April 23 2024 at 2:47am
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Topic: Anyone regularly smell your tank?
Posted By: shaggydoo
Subject: Anyone regularly smell your tank?
Date Posted: October 25 2017 at 5:40pm
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My wife caught me the other day sniffing my tank and thought I was a weirdo. At least once a day I'll put my nose directly over the top of my tank to smell it, and I do the same thing with my sump. If it doesn't smell fresh to me, I'll stop feeding for a day or 2 until things smell right again. I'm wondering if anyone else does this? ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Replies:
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 25 2017 at 6:09pm
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Yep, I'm a weirdo too and I often recommend it to hobbyists. Many years ago, before I had yet lived in Hawaii, a New Zealander visited my home, commenting that my reef smelled like the ocean. That was a proud day for me.  I've been to a few places where I felt it necessary to tell the hobbyist or client that the tank didn't smell right. Olfactory inspection is just as important as visual inspection. Of course when there is a skimmer in the sump it's pointless to sniff there, although depending on what's been skimmed, the aroma can give varied indications.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: evan127
Date Posted: October 25 2017 at 6:12pm
| I do. I smell mine before every water change. If it doesn't smell "fresh" I will do a larger water change. I don't want to be stinking up the house! |
Posted By: sleepingdeep
Date Posted: October 25 2017 at 6:58pm
| i smell mine all the time. if it stinks, it means its time for a water change. |
Posted By: MadReefer
Date Posted: October 25 2017 at 7:10pm
| Yes |
Posted By: Marcoss
Date Posted: October 25 2017 at 7:59pm
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I do it. I smell my RODI and mixed saltwater too. And live rock as I buy it. ------------- RedSea Max S400 - 90G Rimless Frag Tanks x2 - 185 Lookdown Bin |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: October 25 2017 at 8:49pm
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Well looks like I'm in good company. Lots of tank sniffers out there. I'm curious what you are smelling for in ro water and new salt water marcoss? ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: Marcoss
Date Posted: October 25 2017 at 9:00pm
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I get busy at work and sometimes don’t use mixed salt water for days. I like to smell it to make sure it’s not funky smelling or smell like plastic. More often then not I’ll be mixing water and get distracted to only come back to it days later. ------------- RedSea Max S400 - 90G Rimless Frag Tanks x2 - 185 Lookdown Bin |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 26 2017 at 8:13am
Date Night. Woohoo! ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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shaggydoo wrote:Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: October 26 2017 at 8:52am
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They have a smell? 30 years in the hobby, still learning new things here. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: sleepingdeep
Date Posted: October 26 2017 at 11:26am
they typically don't have a strong smell if they're clean. but if you've ever walked into a dirty LFS, you're kinda overpowered with the smell of low tide.
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Posted By: evan127
Date Posted: October 26 2017 at 11:57am
Hahaha. I think only one of two people would really enjoy that date. Unless a gift and wine are involved  
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Posted By: evan127
Date Posted: October 26 2017 at 11:58am
Give it a try Adam. All the cool kids are doing it. |
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: October 26 2017 at 1:27pm
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This is normal. Something smells funny ... time to check the tank! Also, when I had my big tank running, I could tell if a pump or something was off based on the sounds. Even before I came in the house, standing at the front door, I could tell if something major was wrong. You get used to the same sounds day after day and it's surprising how even a small difference is noticeable. |
Posted By: Wrogers
Date Posted: October 27 2017 at 12:20pm
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I have Cold could someone come sniff my tank?? Just kidding.. I glad to see I was not the only one out there that sniffed there water.. ------------- William Rogers |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 27 2017 at 5:44pm
 William and Adam both make me laugh. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 27 2017 at 6:29pm
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Oh sorry, Evan, I laughed at your posts too. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: October 27 2017 at 8:54pm
I agree on sound. If my skimmer shuts off in the middle of the night, the silence will wake me up! Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 27 2017 at 11:15pm
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I know women that wake up to sounds in the night that might be their child (even after the children have left the nest). Is this kind of like that, but different? What if I'm going deaf and because of an industrial accident, can't smell? What then? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: speyside712
Date Posted: October 28 2017 at 7:35pm
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Yep I do too. I often smell the sump to gauge if a water change is necessary. I agree with the sound too. I've detected a few problems due to a funny noise. Once I thought the tank sounded a little funny so I inspected it and found a turbo snail blocking my skimmer output. It was a HOB skimmer so the water coming out was going straight to the floor. Another time I heard a bang, inspected and found that same turbo on the floor behind the tank. I think he was crawling along the top edge and touched some salt creep, causing him to shrivel up and let go. Luckily he lived through the fall! Might as well use as many senses to keep things running as smoothly as possible right? I used to stick my finger in the tank to check temperature in my first tank. I had a thermometer but it was sure hard to read (one of those stick on ones that dimly lights up multiple temperatures...) Oh how far we've come wkth an apex running the show these days. I will say I have never used taste to monitor things though (other than a few mouthfuls of water starting a siphon to acclimate a new fish, but that hardly counts
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