Do Reef Tanks Stink? Top 5 Tips To Avoid Unwanted Aquarium Smells

Do Reef Tanks Stink?

In Short...no, reef tanks shouldn't smell. A bad smell emanating from your aquarium is a warning that something is wrong. Poor water quality is the main reason why reef tanks smell terrible. Organic matter accumulation in the water might encourage the growth of unfavourable bacteria and algae that give off unpleasant scents.

Top 5 Saltwater Aquarium Smell Reduction Strategies

1, Keep Water Quality Tip Top

The secret to keeping your reef tank's water quality in check is to prevent unpleasant odours. This entails routinely testing the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and salinity levels and taking action to address any imbalances. Also, you should do routine water changes to clear the tank of surplus nutrients and organic waste.
Salter water test kits

2, Avoid overfeeding

Overfeeding is a frequent error that can cause unpleasant odours in a reef aquarium. Unconsumed food can quickly decompose and increase the amount of organic materials in the water. Feed your fish and corals only as much food as they can ingest in a few minutes to prevent this, and remove any leftovers from the tank.

3. Make Use of High-Quality Filtration


With a reef tank, effective filtration is crucial for preserving water quality and avoiding unpleasant odours. Use a protein skimmer, which gets rid of organic substances before they decay and emit smells. To remove particles and organics from the water, you could also wish to use a mechanical filter, like a Filter sock, flosscanister filter or hang-on-back filter.

4, Insert activated carbon.

A reef tank can benefit from the effectiveness of activated carbon for odour removal. In order to make the water clean and transparent, it adsorbs organic molecules and other contaminants from the water. Activated carbon can be used in a media bag in your sump or filter compartment or added to your filtration system.

Red Sea Reef Spec Carbon

5, Frequently Clean the Tank

Finally, it's critical to routinely clean your reef tank to avoid the accumulation of organic matter and other trash. Use a syphon to remove debris from the substrate, and use a clean, algae-scraper to clean the tank's walls. To eliminate dangerous germs and algae from the water, you might also want to think about utilising a UV steriliser.
DD Algae Magnet Scraper

BONUS TIP! There are a number of products containing Beneficial Bacteria and Enzymes that break down unwanted organics before they accumulate. ATM Outbreak is a great Example.

Leave a comment

All comments are moderated before being published