What should live rock smell like?

[cowboy572]

I am new to the saltwater aquarium world and I have a question concerning live rock. They say healthy live rock will smell like the ocean or have a oceany smell. Can someone please describe that smell. Cause currently some of my live rock has a "foul" or "fishy" smell to it. Can someone tell me what going on with my live rock and what do I need to do to remedy the situation.

[MissT]

Liverock doesn't smell great whether it's cured or not. Don't trust your nose! Trust your nitrite and ammonia test kits! Let the rock sit in circulating saltwater at least overnight and then test these parameters (or take a sample to your LFS). That's the only truly reliable way to see if your rock's cured.

[Bill S]

Is your rock well established? If so, it should not smell fishy - as in dead fish. More like fresh seafood.

[apedroza]

It is always good to let your live rock cure for a small amount of time to make sure everything that has died off is out of your live rock. Placing new rock in an established tank could cause your parameters to go up..

[crossxfire2]

Don't worry about the smell. It really has nothing to do with how healthy your live rock is. I can guarantee that your live rock is good... as long as it hasn't been exposed to the air for more than a day or 2.

[MissT]

whoa! be careful making guarantees like that lol, someone might take that as you saying that their rock is ready to go. (usually when people talk about smelling liverock it's an acidic smell that "tells" you if the rock is cured or not.)
If you trust the test kit, you will be fine!

[Bill S]

Digest the above, and take a conservative route. Always best to be conservative...

[erikharrison]

Does it smell like sulfur? If it does, it's not ready to be added! Ditto on the above advice!

[brewercm]

Not to mention that live rock that's been sitting on the bottom section of the aquarium on the sand bed can have a very bad smell. Usually just because of the lack of water flow in that area.

[crossxfire2]

I think live rock smells good, it reminds me of the ocean lol

[cowboy572]

My tank has been up and running for eight or nine months now. So this smell is all new to me. Rock has never smelled like that till now. My parameters are within norm. So I don't know. If my rock is going bad what are some of the signs?