odor from sump/refugium

I am starting to notice a fishy odor coming from my refugium and sump. The fuge has a chaeto ball and a deep sand bed (around 5 inches). It has been running for 4 weeks, and is now also full of diatoms. How can I eliminate the smell? Should I vacuum out the diatoms, and should I disturb the sand?

 

Are you running carbon? If not, start. If you are, it's probably time to change it.

Don't ever disturb a deep sand bed unless you want a real mess on your hands.

 

I've got a phosban reactor in my return section of the sump which has activated carbon as well as rowaphos - just added it 2 days ago, so it should be fresh. The smell is coming, I think, from the fuge section and the things growing in there. Not sure how I can add carbon to the fuge, or if I should do so.

 

I had an odor once, but it was b/c I used mud and didnt last long thou. Luna

 

Carbon should not be used in the same reactor as the ferric oxide ! The carbon will beat the oxide up to the point the red rusty mud looking stuff will clog the carbon . I would simple get a cup and allow the PO4 reactor outlet water to run through the cup full of carbon if thats the best you can do ? Or get another reactor for the carbon would be the best deal .