Adding dead corals to tank...Is that OK??

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Xhilr8

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
23
Location
Australia
Hi,

I found a piece of DEAD coraal that weighs about 5kgs and kinda looks like a sea cucumber. Will this be ok to add to my tank? Or is this not recommended? I was hoping that it will have some life grow on it like corraline algae...will this happen??

Any ideas on any steps I should take to clean this dead coral before adding it to my tank or do I just wash it well and then put it in??
 
by "dead" do you mean dead and dry decorative coral you find in the LFS sitting on a shelf? Or do you mean, dead and still a little damp cause it used to be a live coral a few days ago?

if it's the dead and dry decorative coral then certainly add it without worry (as long as it's clean) and eventually coraline and other bits will grow on it just as if you were to add any other base rock.

If its the dead wet coral (recently dead) then there might be some room for caution only because the decaying coral will raise the ammonia in your tank slightly (depending on the size of the coral and the amount of denitrifying bacteria in your tank) I may be wrong on this last part but I have also heard that some corals may release toxins when decaying (I may be confusing anenomes here, pardon me if I'm remembering wrong).
 
toxins no i dont think so it is just the ammonia that will rise and the no2 and no3 if it is still dieing. but if it has been dead for some time and is well cleaned (all flesh is off) then ya it would look kinda cool in there.
 
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