New Product Announcement: StinkSink Skimmer Odor Filter

[ReefEco]

ReefEco Launches the StinkSink, a Skimmer Odor Carbon Filter

Most of us aquarists at some point have experienced the waft of fish poop from our tank stand, conveniently reaching its apex just when guests stop by for a visit - or the stink bomb from an opened cabinet because we just can’t get to emptying and cleaning the skimmer cup in time. Skimmer stink can effect everyone who is around our tanks.

The StinkSink aims to be an improvement over what has typically been a DIY solution to address skimmer stink, and is a made-to-order custom vessel containing coconut carbon to filter skimmer exhaust. The StinkSink is guaranteed to reduce the stink from your skimmer. Each unit is sized specifically for your skimmer brand and model in a choice of colors, is precision CNC cut from cast acrylic and polycarbonate, and made in the USA.

Sitting on top of your skimmer lid, the patent-pending StinkSink design includes a closed cell foam o-ring which traps and forces all skimmer exhaust through the carbon media. After extensive testing, including with local hobbyists, we chose coconut carbon for its sustainability, lower dust content, affordability, and a particular particle size that provides good filtration without adding back pressure to your skimmer. Each StinkSink has an air hole pattern specific to that skimmer model, ensuring stink laden exhaust travels through the most carbon possible. Adjustable alignment pins make removing and replacing your StinkStink for skimmer maintenance quick and easy, while helping prevent knocking off the StinkSink when you inevitably bump your skimmer during sump maintenance.

The initial design of the StinkSink is compatible with the most common skimmer design - those with a flat lid and standard hole pattern, though we are actively working on a design to accommodate the increasingly common lid-mounted cup level sensors that are included in some DC-pump powered skimmers. The StinkSink is compatible with the magnetically-coupled level sensors that attach to the side of your skimmer cup. Compatibility for some skimmer brands that have thumbscrews or non-flat lids may also be tackled in the future.

ReefEco reached out to skimmer manufacturers for their precise skimmer lid dimensions, and many companies supplied them. Those hobbyists not finding their skimmer model at reefeco.com can submit their skimmer model and lid dimensions through the site and receive 25% off for being the first to request that model. It takes just a few minutes to adjust CNC files for a new skimmer model.

The StinkSink is the first of several planned products from ReefEco, a designer, maker and hobbyist, and is available for discounted pre-order through July 15 at reefeco.com.

For inquiries, please contact [email protected]

___________

ReefEco (Peter) has been an avid reef enthusiast for more than 20 years, and worked in education at the Steinhart Aquarium before choosing a career path in design. Like many hobbyists who sell coral or reefing solutions, ReefEco hopes to bring some new products to hobbyists that make it easier to maintain and enjoy our tanks. ReefEco recently setup his 900 gallon dream system, which includes a 400 gallon display, 100 gallon garden eel tank, 3 frag tanks, and dedicated fish room. Dozens of videos documenting the build can be found on his Reef2Reef build thread, or at www.youtube.com/c/ReefEco.

 

[VetReefer]

Super dope

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

@Chortanator , this is what I was trying to find last week...

 

[Miami Reef]

Pretty brilliant. At least one person said my skimmer stinks haha.

 

[carmodpg]

Awesome!

 

[ReefEco]

Thanks ya'll! Appreciate it. You can thank my wife for the inspiration to make this : )

 

[Brucealmighty]

Is there any reason why I don't have any odour from my skimmer? I have a good sense of smell too

 

[ReefEco]

You are a lucky reefer : ) There are a lot of variables, including how much air your skimmer pushes, how often you empty the cup, how much skimmate you produce, drier vs. wet skimmate, etc. Congrats on no smell!

 

[Brucealmighty]

Hey there's a smell, but I have to stick my head up my sump to smell it maybe it's because I have it directly next to my fleece roller, but all that's done is prolong the amount of time I have between each time to empty the cup, or maybe I'm lucky

 

[ReefEco]

If you have little or no stink, keep doing what you're doing!

 

[revhtree]

Very cool product!

 

[s_spowart]

You are a lucky reefer : ) There are a lot of variables, including how much air your skimmer pushes, how often you empty the cup, how much skimmate you produce, drier vs. wet skimmate, etc. Congrats on no smell!

I could never smell anything from my skimmer either, unless I was emptying the skimmer cup, but not at other times.
I found the bigger problem was every now and then it would boil over emptying all its contents back into the tank again. Sometimes when I am at work.

That problem is now solved by getting a device that collects the skimmate by draining from the skimmer cup into a larger collection chamber, and a float switch in the chamber shuts the skimmer off when the chamber fills up.
That way any existing skimmate will simply be diluted if it boils over and can be discarded before sorting the boiling skimmer out.
It often does that when I dose magnesium if my icp test comes up a bit low, but a dead fish might be enough as well.

 

[ReefEco]

Sure, waste collectors can be a great solution for some. I tried one before, but found that since I wasn't emptying my cup regularly, I was also cleaning my skimmer neck less often, making for less predictable skimmate/foam production. Weekly empty of the cup and neck clean seems to work best for me for skimmer performance, with the StinkSink being an easy, hands-off way to reduce any odors I might produce in the interim - which my wife appreciates : )

 

[ReefEco]

We've just completed testing on a StinkSink design to accommodate lid mounted float valves! First for the Maxspect Jump, but easily scaled to other skimmers like the Reef Octopus Regal and Elites lines. Now accepting new model requests to accommodate these float valves on your skimmers!

 

[slythy]

I purchased one for my reef octopus 150 and the wife noticed an immediate difference in the smell of my office. I will say when I first looked at it I was gonna 3d print one (im an Engineer with access to decent printers) but decided I would support this guys Idea since it seemed neat. Im glad I did it was very well thought out, It had little features that I would have overlooked or not thought of. Its a very neat little piece, it fits well and for the quality and the material used it was very reasonably priced. Very happy I purchased it!

 

[ReefEco]

Thank Slythy - Appreciate the support and kind words!

 

[ReefEco]

Many thanks to ReefBuilders for the write up!

StinkSink is ReefEco’s bad odor solution for protein skimmers | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

StinkSink is an all-American-made product aimed at reducing the smell from the skimmate collected in protein skimmer cups. The use of carbon for odor control is not new. It's used exactly in that…

reefbuilders.com

Regarding ReefBuilder's astute observations about the StinkSink's potential for ozone, we had considered marketing this use. However, given the testing complexities that would have been required to legitimately claim ozone removal, not to mention the liability of the claim to remove a potentially hazardous substance, we opted not to make the claims. That said, we’ve had several people buy it with that in mind. The cast acrylic, polycarbonate, and EPDM o-ring should hold up to ozone well. The nylon hardware less so, but we might offer replacement hardware sets in the future as needed. We did look into using polycarbonate hardware instead of nylon, but it would have added significant cost to each unit, which we are trying to keep within reach for every hobbyist. Perhaps an "ozone" hardware set might be offered for purchase in the future for those employing ozone on their skimmers.

Thanks once again to ReefBuilders!

Best,
ReefEco (Peter)

 

[asc900]

ReefEco Launches the StinkSink, a Skimmer Odor Carbon Filter

Most of us aquarists at some point have experienced the waft of fish poop from our tank stand, conveniently reaching its apex just when guests stop by for a visit - or the stink bomb from an opened cabinet because we just can’t get to emptying and cleaning the skimmer cup in time. Skimmer stink can effect everyone who is around our tanks.

The StinkSink aims to be an improvement over what has typically been a DIY solution to address skimmer stink, and is a made-to-order custom vessel containing coconut carbon to filter skimmer exhaust. The StinkSink is guaranteed to reduce the stink from your skimmer. Each unit is sized specifically for your skimmer brand and model in a choice of colors, is precision CNC cut from cast acrylic and polycarbonate, and made in the USA.

Sitting on top of your skimmer lid, the patent-pending StinkSink design includes a closed cell foam o-ring which traps and forces all skimmer exhaust through the carbon media. After extensive testing, including with local hobbyists, we chose coconut carbon for its sustainability, lower dust content, affordability, and a particular particle size that provides good filtration without adding back pressure to your skimmer. Each StinkSink has an air hole pattern specific to that skimmer model, ensuring stink laden exhaust travels through the most carbon possible. Adjustable alignment pins make removing and replacing your StinkStink for skimmer maintenance quick and easy, while helping prevent knocking off the StinkSink when you inevitably bump your skimmer during sump maintenance.

The initial design of the StinkSink is compatible with the most common skimmer design - those with a flat lid and standard hole pattern, though we are actively working on a design to accommodate the increasingly common lid-mounted cup level sensors that are included in some DC-pump powered skimmers. The StinkSink is compatible with the magnetically-coupled level sensors that attach to the side of your skimmer cup. Compatibility for some skimmer brands that have thumbscrews or non-flat lids may also be tackled in the future.

ReefEco reached out to skimmer manufacturers for their precise skimmer lid dimensions, and many companies supplied them. Those hobbyists not finding their skimmer model at reefeco.com can submit their skimmer model and lid dimensions through the site and receive 25% off for being the first to request that model. It takes just a few minutes to adjust CNC files for a new skimmer model.

The StinkSink is the first of several planned products from ReefEco, a designer, maker and hobbyist, and is available for discounted pre-order through July 15 at reefeco.com.

For inquiries, please contact [email protected]

___________

ReefEco (Peter) has been an avid reef enthusiast for more than 20 years, and worked in education at the Steinhart Aquarium before choosing a career path in design. Like many hobbyists who sell coral or reefing solutions, ReefEco hopes to bring some new products to hobbyists that make it easier to maintain and enjoy our tanks. ReefEco recently setup his 900 gallon dream system, which includes a 400 gallon display, 100 gallon garden eel tank, 3 frag tanks, and dedicated fish room. Dozens of videos documenting the build can be found on his Reef2Reef build thread, or at www.youtube.com/c/ReefEco.

Even though they recommend not to wet the carbon, I suggest you wash the dust off and dry in oven before using. To be fair I used the BRS regular carbon instead of what they recommend and sell. The product works smell is down but I gave my yellow tang HLLE because of the dust. So I washed out the carbon and baked it dry. I'm working on the tang to see if I can reverse the HLLE. It seems minor around the eyes.

 

[ReefEco]

Hi ASC900 - what kind of carbon did you use? The coconut carbon we sell has very low dust - one of the reasons we chose it - and given the airflow pattern we don't expect much dust to fall down into the skimmer - and if it does, any minute amounts would be falling into skimmer foam and likely immediately skimmed out. Notably, any falling dust from the StinkSink would need to further enter the small holes in your skimmer lid (against rising airflow), and if they did, they would fall directly into the collection portion of the skimmer cup over which the holes sit, and not into the center rising foam of the skimmer where they could possibly make it back into your tank. All that said, people are free to initally rinse our carbon if they wish, but it isn't necessary. With respect, I would be very surprised if you could really attribute carbon use in the StinkSink to HLLE of your tang. Albeit a sample size of 1 - I've been using my 12" unit (the largest StinkSink that exists by 2") on my system with 5 tangs for more than a year, and no HLLE. There might be other nutritional or system conditions that could be contributing to your HLLE. Thanks, Peter