live rock

[pool_dude]

Just got my live rock today. Im just curious, in one of my rocks their are clay color and orange color thingies on it.. DO you guys know what it is? Should I brush it off? In my other rocks their are black things on it its soft also? Is this die off? Should I also brush it off or just leave it alone? Thanks to anyone who responds..

 

[lando]

they are most likely sponges. the clay colored ones could be die-off. Are you putting this into an established tank or curing it outside of the tank? Where did you get it? How was it packaged? If shipped, what was the transit time?

 

[pool_dude]

shipping time was about two days. their are no fish in the tank. I am using it to cycle my tank. Ive read articles about live rock, but it never specified on what to brush out. Should I brush the the orange and black stuff or just leave it alone?

 

[pool_dude]

oh yeah, it was shipped in a styrofoam box with wet news paper.

 

[scuba_steve]

leave everything on as long as ya doing what ya said and cycling with it ! then ya can see what lives and what didnt

good luck

 

[Brad]

Yup....leave it alone...especially if you don't know what you're brushing away. Anything that is dead on the rocks will only enhance the cycling of the tank at this point.

I've got some of that grey stuff on my rocks. It is not dead, but I don't know what it is. I can't say that it is particularly attractive, but it's part of the system whatever it is!

I speculate that it is some kind of encrusing coral or algae.

 

[lando]

I agree. Leave it alone. The only thing you may want to consider is doing water changes to control the ammonia produced from the die-off on the rock. This may increase cycle time, but it could save a lot of benifical bacteria and life on the rock. Prolonged high ammonia levels can kill the visible life on the rock.