Can the health of SPS be determined by Smell?

[tineng]

smell them, u can judge by doing so........ if it is healthy, it should hv a sweet scent. if not, it will give off something like a burning rubber smell.

shake it a little in the water, if u c tissues starts to fly off, then sayonara to ur sps liaoz.

Since LightingStrike started on this, I'm curious if smelly SPS is a unhealthy one? I have never try smelling them but does this method really work? Think i'll look kind of funny picking up a SPS in a LFS and smelling them.....

[weileong]

try smelling a few healthy ones and you'll know when you smell a RTNed one, just don't breath deeply

[lightningstrike]

try smelling a few healthy ones and you'll know when you smell a RTNed one, just don't breath deeply

that's a good one weileong...... juz dun breathe too deep.

well, back to the topic, i hv always done that and it serves me well, maybe my sense for smelling is stronger lah.

but AT bet to differ on this from his experience.

Lightningstrike... on the contrary, a healthy SPS should have have little smell.

IME, the strong sweet smell is also a sign of unhealthy SPS, similar to the stinky smell. Don't know if fellow SPS reefers agree with me on this.

Anyway, this thread has gone off topic at least twice... so let's not talk about polyp extensions here except in a new thread about it?

Thanks!

AT

[tineng]

You guys really smell your SPS??? don't you look funny in the shop?

any LightingStrick the frags you pass me the other time is doing well in my tank...started encrusting over the LR....took it out just now...no smell leh....

[DeepBlue]

talked to AT a while back...healthy sps has no smell.

Sweet smell, bad smell indicate trouble....

I normally checked the colony, look at the base...see any signs of tissue lost.

check whether there are acro crabs (the good ones) ard.

to me ... unless you are as good as those durian smelling Ah Lau.....if not too difficult to tell.

[Achilles Tang]

Yeah, it does look a little odd seeing people smell acropora like durians but its a key indication of coral health when sometimes lighting conditions do not allow you to see if the coral has began to RTN or have minor tissue recession etc.

Stinky SPS is confirmed rotting flesh. Sweet smelling ones will probably see RTN happening in due time... this is from my personal experience.

AT

[tineng]

hummm....so it looks like smelling is only really useful if you are visiting a LFS late at night....doing a visual check to see if the base is white, polyps is extended....etc will be a safer bet.....

[Jimng]

I personally feel that good sps smell like the fresh ocean......

[lightningstrike]

yes, i do a visual check when purchasing sps too. btw, i hv ran a search in reefcentral and there were no concrete conclusion as to a healthy sps specimen doesn't give out smell...... some of the reefers there dictates it as normal. c the link below, esp the one by middletonmark.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...ht=smell+of+sps

[tineng]

what about stinking SPS bit the polyp extenstion still quite visiable?

Could this be a sign of a SPS recovering or a healthy SPS degenarating?

[Achilles Tang]

LS,

All corals have some kind of smell.... I have never said healthy SPS corals have no smell... but little smell.

QUOTE (Achilles Tang @ Jul 25 2004, 02:59 PM)

Lightningstrike... on the contrary, a healthy SPS should have have little smell.

IME, the strong sweet smell is also a sign of unhealthy SPS, similar to the stinky smell. Don't know if fellow SPS reefers agree with me on this.

Anyway, this thread has gone off topic at least twice... so let's not talk about polyp extensions here except in a new thread about it?

Thanks!

AT

Perhaps when a coral is sliming more than usual, the slime itself could have a distinct sweet smell.... but FME, the ones that I smelt the sweet smell in the LFS are not known to produce copious amounts of slime and were on the verge of RTN or RTNed already so as a general rule, I will be less inclined to take it home coz there were some that I took back (had the sweet smell) and later RTNed shortly thereafter.

AT

[tineng]

just smell my STN colony......yes, really got a strong smell...but its actually quite sweet smell.....then went on the smell a healthy colony....can't really detect the smell except maybe a bit of saltwater smell.....

guess you guys are right.....unhealthy SPS does smell....

[Achilles Tang]

Hmmm... does your family members look at you strangely?

[RAV-65]

Hmmm... does your family members look at you strangely?

[tineng]

Hmmm... does your family members look at you strangely?

hehehhe...did it at night, when they are all sleeping.....