What Does Protein Skim Smell Like?

[Dr. Dendrostein]

There are no words to describe the smell. It’s the worst smell ever!

It's sad our fish/corals are in that water 24/7.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

lol- I just happened two hours ago checked on my skimmate collector and it was more than half full ( This new Octo 3000 skimmer really is doing the job) and decided to open top and dump it in toilet and rinse out.
My daughter came out of her room with her shirt over her nose and asked me what in the heck stinks so bad . . . LOL. . . .LOL

I would of said, "sorry I farted."
She probably would said, "not again." And tell mommy

 

[Sold4jc7]

I'll give everyone a tip to kill or reduce skimmer odor in your home:

Take a small, round carbon pad (cut from bulk carbon pad) and place it on top of your skimmer collection cup, making sure to cover the air holes on top. This will allow the stench exiting from the skimmer collection cup to pass through the carbon, thus remove most of the odor before entering the air in your house.

Carbon is a huge help. I made a top to my skimmer that holds carbon. It really improved the air in the office.

 

[Shooter6]

Closest thing i out it to is the beach, and also a fishing dock where fish have been cleaned. The stain of smell fermenting in the sun.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I'm gonna throw up again.

 

[anthony28]

Recently proceded the anual skimcup cleaning round of my Aquadriver skimmer cleaner driven Bubble king. Probably it will surprise you, but there is no smell at all. Lakking the smell of rotting protin going with "fresh" skimmate.

 

[jordan9095]

mine smells like a fine bourbon so I can't resist taking a swig

 

[Hermie]

this reminds me of a time that my parents found some mushrooms in the yard and suspected them to be an edible, delicacy type species and thus stored the mushrooms in a cooler on ice. my mother left the cooler in her car for a few days and naturally the ice melted and thus the mushrooms began to stagnate and ferment. whilst on a trip home from the grocery store during that time, I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the back seat of the car with access to the cooler and in that capacity, I lifted the lid on the cooler at intervals so as to flood the car with the most rauckus stench that made my mother and sister, sitting in the front seats, beg I discontinue... I would certinaly recommend fermented mushrooms in the sun to anyone looking for a practical joke

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Recently proceded the anual skimcup cleaning round of my Aquadriver skimmer cleaner driven Bubble king. Probably it will surprise you, but there is no smell at all. Lakking the smell of rotting protin going with "fresh" skimmate.

Looks like motor oil

 

[Sako338]

As you're happily cleaning your protein skimmer once again, have you ever wondered what the skim smells like? Does anyone ever smell buttered popcorn or is just me?

Mine smells like buttered raw sewage...

 

[Sako338]

It could make a maggot puke;Vomit

Or run a buzzard off a gut wagon..

 

[Rich Klein]

LOL - you have to be kidding! Whew - like my dog dumped in the container

 

[Sako338]

mine smells like a fine bourbon so I can't resist taking a swig

Without a video it’s just hearsay...

 

[Hermie]

just cleaned out my skimmer cup today and I couldn't really smell anything at all XD
I don't know if I am lucky or cursed, my sinuses are a desert

 

[Hermie]

Recently proceded the anual skimcup cleaning round of my Aquadriver skimmer cleaner driven Bubble king. Probably it will surprise you, but there is no smell at all. Lakking the smell of rotting protin going with "fresh" skimmate.

I think the longer that skimmate is allowed to sit in the cup, the less it stinks...
why? I don't know, I suspect some microbial activity and off-gassing but I have no idea