What is the Smelliest part of owning a SW tank?

[Sandroni]

SKIMMER!

 

[DancingShark]

My wife thinks this part is smelly but I have a basement sump and I like to sit on the stairs and enjoy the aroma.
It smell just like the ocean. I smell the water, sand, salt, algea the fish poop everything. Plus the sound of the water falling into the sump. It's just all amazing that we can enjoy a reef tank beyond its visual appeal.

 

[Greybeard]

When I tore down my old 240g reef. 8" Southdown DSB, been in place for 4 years. Drained the water, pulled the rock, and then started scooping sand. Lord, that smell... this was a decade back, but I'll never forget it.

The only worse smell I've been around was not reefing related. Ever been in a leather tannery during the summer? Believe me, it's something to avoid.

 

[nfrench2100]

Yea my collection cup on my skimmer, just by smell alone, I can tell when it needs to be cleaned lol. And it is not pleasant

 

[HippieSmell]

The smelliest part of owning a salt water tank is pooping yourself when you find water on the floor at 2 a.m.

 

[Zack K]

Seachem Prime also Lingers ALOT. And that stuff RANKS

 

[PiscesPower]

Dead sponges can smell pretty bad too.

But hands down, the stench of the skimmer cup tops them all. Mine is in the basement, and when I empty it, even when I am careful about taking it outside to dump it, the smell makes it's way upstairs, and I get funny looks from the wife and kid ...

I flush that stuff down the toilet. I'd be afraid it would stink outside too.

 

[Zack K]

So I added a skimmer waste collector to hold more of that nasty skimmate, and well the longer it sits, the more it just ferments. I dumped it after it took 2-3 weeks of sitting and filling. And well. I had to close the door in the laundry room and open the window. I understand why so many people said skimmer cup now.

 

[GoVols]

I understand why so many people said skimmer cup now.

Lol

 

[Fin]

Ha! Yeah, best to take those outside ASAP to dump them - and not too close to neighbors. I learned to not dump those in the house.

 

[John3]

I had a big 4” turkey wing mussel hitchhiker die and the shell couldn’t open to let my cuc clean it out. I only knew something was up because the nassirus snails were swarming the shell. When I got it out it fell open in my hands unleashing a horrific smell and pile of snotty meat.