My leather coral STINKS real bad!!!!

[rmckee22]

I am not sure what is up, but two weeks ago, I moved my leather coral to another spot in the tank, when I took my hands out of the tank, they wreaked and had the worst smell ever. My leather looks great, but he really stinks bad. Everytime I touch the base of it, I have to wash my hands like ten time to get rid of the smell. Occasionally when I take the lid off my tank, I can smell it in the water as well, and boy does it STINK!! It smells like a protien skimmer that has not ever been cleaned

What could this be? The Leather looks great, should I dip it or something? It is one of the healthiest looking corals I have, so I can't imagine what it could be. I do water changes every week, and clean the skimmer daily.

Any ideas?-

[KDodds]

Species? Some corals have a really potent, pungent smell. Xenia is probably the worst. Some Colts are pretty close. I don't notice anything really awful from Lobos or Sarcos.

[rmckee22]

It is a toadstool leather. It didn't smell when I got it, it seemed to happen months later

[budhaboy]

perfectly normal- I personally think the smelliest is SPS corals...best way to get the reek off your hands is to rub them on a goodly sized piece of stainless steel- I have one of those things they sell in kitchen stores to help get the smell of garlic and onion off your hands while cooking- works for my reef too.

[freakyreef]

Toadies definately give off a strong odor, particularly when cutting.

[tunahunter]

Try washing your hands with flouride toothpaste also. That's what I do after hours of cutting up tuna or yellowtail.

[rmckee22]

Interesting, That's weird that they would smell like that. HE didn't smell when I got him. I don't care so much about my hands smelling afterwards, it is starting to stink up the tank water though, and that is nasty!!!

[mracroman]

dipping your hands in muritic acid has always worked for me, smell is sure to go away:p

[Dean812]

I always thought that stinky corals meant a dead or dying coral?!

[freakyreef]

I say "odor" not a putrid stench. If its a putrid stench, you could have other probs.
In other words
No barf= good
Barf= bad
:D

[africangrey]

Are you guys kidding me, corals usually give off very strong pleasantly smell, especially leather or fragmented SPS. You are the guys probably don't think the smoke coming out of the cars smell good, but I especially love to drive behind those big buses, or stick my nose behind the tail pipe, the world awesomest smell which gets me high.
-A

[rmckee22]

Uhh, ok

[freakyreef]

LMAO
Exactly what I was thinking.
I can see the headlines now
MAN BACKED OVER WHILE SMELLING TAILPIPE
News at eleven.

[saltshop]

Normally the smell is a good sign as it is the coral producing terpenes and other chemical and anti-predatory defenses. It most likely smells different from the day you got it because it is in a different environment. If you have other corals in your tank it is "sensing" their chemical markers and producing some of its own. I would be more concerned about a coral that had no smell versus a strong smell as it may be a sign that it does not have the energy needed to produce these pungent chemicals for its own defense. Just think if you were a fish..would you want to take a bite out of something that smelled that bad? :)

[rmckee22]

Nice answer. can I get you to send a copy of the that answer to my wife who is griping at me because the living room smells like dead fish due to this healthy coral? Really, the coral looks great, so that is good to know.

Maybe I will hang one of those car air fresheners around the base of it :D

[saltshop]

LOL, quit touching it and removing it from the water and you should be all set. Besides you might go blind. ;)

Print this article out for your wife and explain to her this is the "smell".

http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/courses/en570/papers_1998/lindberg.htm

[rmckee22]

Your to funny, I was only kidding about giving something to my wife, but man did you come through!