Protein Skimmer Smell (Smells Like Death!) – How Do You Combat It?

[Chrism1330]

Alright reef fam… I need some advice because my skimmer cup smells absolutely HORRIBLE. I'm talking straight up death.
I know skimmers pull out all the nasty waste from the tank, but the smell is next level.

For those of you running larger reef systems:

• Is this normal for skimmate to smell this bad?
• Do you rinse the cup daily or let it fill?
• Has anyone used carbon filters on the skimmer lid or air line to reduce smell?
• Any tricks like adding carbon, ozone, or anything else to neutralize the odor?

Right now I'm just dumping it and rinsing it out, but the smell lingers in my living room since thats where my tank is. Curious what everyone else does to manage it.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Daymn. Newbie. 2 years in and still. Toss a bag of carbon on top and it will absorb the stank. You do know that a skimmer is constantly breathing poop into the air. Clean that cup once a month at least.

 

[Chrism1330]

Daymn. Newbie. 2 years in and still. Toss a bag of carbon on top and it will absorb the stank. You do know that a skimmer is constantly breathing poop into the air. View attachment 78047

Hahaha alright I’ll give that a try.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

The worse it smells, the better it’s working!