bad smell from the sump

ramirifi · 05/19/2009, 12:33 PM

hi, i have crushed coral 4-6mm in my refuge, 10 -12 cm, flow is medium to slow. it is about 2 month old, now it is smelling like bad eggs. what am i doing wrong ? how to fix the problem ?

rendogg · 05/19/2009, 01:24 PM

Are you sure the smell is coming from there, not your skimmer collection cup?

ravedood · 05/19/2009, 01:29 PM

make sure nothing died in there.

ramirifi · 05/19/2009, 01:36 PM

what i think is i am having Hydrogen sulfide poduced in the dsb.
so how to stop it ? the smell is tippical for the rotten egg!

rendogg · 05/19/2009, 01:54 PM

2 months doesn't sound like enough time to build a significant amount of hydrogen sulphide, and why would it be released? Hydrogen sulphide in a sand bed is created in an anaerobic environment, it would not release it's self so early in the development of the sand bed. If it's not your collection cup, I would say something has rotted.

rendogg · 05/19/2009, 01:59 PM

Actually one other possibility, and is probably true, is that your sand bed is too coarse and it has trapped to much waste causing hydrogen sulphide to form and easily flow through the coarse gravel. DSBs should consist of fine sand.

ramirifi · 05/19/2009, 02:06 PM

this is what i wanted to be sure of , so tomorow i have to change it with finer on !
thanks

rendogg · 05/19/2009, 02:15 PM

Sorry, I just had to read it a little more closely. Hope that helps you.

Nanz · 05/19/2009, 02:19 PM

Are your tubes and plastic parts yellow?

ramirifi · 05/19/2009, 02:34 PM

no!!

r-balljunkie · 05/19/2009, 02:39 PM

pull it. it serves zero purpose, not a DSB and does nothing to increase filtration. i prefer to run my sump with chaeto only.

they're reefers in Lebanon?? Cool. i have a few buddies in the lebanese mafia....they can get you ANYTHING........for a price.

luther1200 · 05/19/2009, 06:40 PM

What kind of mechanical filtration do you have before the fuge? Maybe you could try to beef it up so that much detritus doesn't get there in the first place.

Or maybe you just need to change/clean your filter socks or what ever you have more often. If you have anything, that is.

ramirifi · 05/20/2009, 12:38 PM

i just changed the crushed coral with sugar size sand , the smell while removing the old sand was awful !!
hope that will end the problem !
no mecanical filtration
no mafia or terrorists pls , i had my part , and i was enough !!!!LOL
thanhs for the inputs

05/19/2009, 12:33 PM	#1
ramirifi Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: lebanon Posts: 138	bad smell from the sump hi, i have crushed coral 4-6mm in my refuge, 10 -12 cm, flow is medium to slow. it is about 2 month old, now it is smelling like bad eggs. what am i doing wrong ? how to fix the problem ?

05/19/2009, 01:29 PM	#3
ravedood Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Pembroke Pines, FL Posts: 1,540	make sure nothing died in there. __________________ Florida Marine Aquarium Society Member --Ben

05/19/2009, 02:19 PM	#9
Nanz Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,389	Are your tubes and plastic parts yellow? __________________ S.G. = 1.025, Temp = 78.5, pH = 8.00 Ca = 550 ppm, Alk = 176 ppm (9.85 dKH), Mg = 1300 ppm NO3 = 0.97 ppm, PO4 = 0.07 ppm Nuvo 30, Razor Nano LED, Tunze ATO, Tunze 9004 skimmer, Vortec mp10,

05/19/2009, 02:39 PM	#11
r-balljunkie Registered Reefer Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Doha, Qatar Posts: 2,059	pull it. it serves zero purpose, not a DSB and does nothing to increase filtration. i prefer to run my sump with chaeto only. they're reefers in Lebanon?? Cool. i have a few buddies in the lebanese mafia....they can get you ANYTHING........for a price. __________________ ▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀ 58G Oceanic Illuminata rimless with GH overflow , Mazarra LED x 3, Tunze 6095 x 2, Eheim 1260, BM-180 skimmer, TLF reactors, Apex LT .

05/19/2009, 06:40 PM	#12
luther1200 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NJ, shore Posts: 4,376	What kind of mechanical filtration do you have before the fuge? Maybe you could try to beef it up so that much detritus doesn't get there in the first place. Or maybe you just need to change/clean your filter socks or what ever you have more often. If you have anything, that is. __________________ Matt, 65G reef tank Current Tank Info: 65g reef, mix of sps, lps, few softies. Hoping to upgrade within the year.

05/19/2009, 01:24 PM	#2
rendogg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Abbotsford, B.C. Posts: 578	Are you sure the smell is coming from there, not your skimmer collection cup?

05/19/2009, 01:36 PM	#4
ramirifi Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: lebanon Posts: 138	what i think is i am having Hydrogen sulfide poduced in the dsb. so how to stop it ? the smell is tippical for the rotten egg!

05/19/2009, 01:54 PM	#5
rendogg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Abbotsford, B.C. Posts: 578	2 months doesn't sound like enough time to build a significant amount of hydrogen sulphide, and why would it be released? Hydrogen sulphide in a sand bed is created in an anaerobic environment, it would not release it's self so early in the development of the sand bed. If it's not your collection cup, I would say something has rotted.

05/19/2009, 01:59 PM	#6
rendogg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Abbotsford, B.C. Posts: 578	Actually one other possibility, and is probably true, is that your sand bed is too coarse and it has trapped to much waste causing hydrogen sulphide to form and easily flow through the coarse gravel. DSBs should consist of fine sand.

05/19/2009, 02:06 PM	#7
ramirifi Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: lebanon Posts: 138	this is what i wanted to be sure of , so tomorow i have to change it with finer on ! thanks

05/19/2009, 02:15 PM	#8
rendogg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Abbotsford, B.C. Posts: 578	Sorry, I just had to read it a little more closely. Hope that helps you.

05/19/2009, 02:34 PM	#10
ramirifi Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: lebanon Posts: 138	no!!

05/20/2009, 12:38 PM	#13
ramirifi Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: lebanon Posts: 138	i just changed the crushed coral with sugar size sand , the smell while removing the old sand was awful !! hope that will end the problem ! no mecanical filtration no mafia or terrorists pls , i had my part , and i was enough !!!!LOL thanhs for the inputs