Mysterious Orange Goo

[carey]

I had to move a rock last night to get at a fallen zooa and when I flipped over a rock I found the entire underside of the rock covered in a translucent orange goo. The surface is gooey but the rock actually STUCK to another rock like cement when it was resting on part of the orange goo. So some of it grows rock solid and some is squishy. It also seems to be projecting "tubes" here and there, made of the same gooey orange stuff.

In the first picture you can see where i ripped the other rock from this one, theres a bare white spot, the orange stuff ripped up entirely in that section.

This is a hard one I think. not your average algae but it's something so I need to know what and then what to do with it. This can't be a good thing, unless it's a sponge of some sort....

Anyways, here are the pictures

 

[Sniperhank]

That is a good one...and really cool. It almost looks like is has polyps or something on the last pic! Just feel free to send that rock to me.

 

[carey]

This could be a baaaddd thing ya know! The prettier in saltwater it is the more deadly usually. LOL

It does have little polyps, I was hoping you could see them in the pictures, my camera isn't the greatest.

Any ideas anyone? I just have the rock face up for now not touching anything else until I get an ID and know what to do.

 

[carey]

Anyone have any ideas? Paging Mr X LOL.....

 

[Sniperhank]

I know right? I hear Dr. Pepper is going to do a spin-off commercial for him. Don't worry, he's a mister...

I still think it has to be some sort of algae, I don't see/know of anything else it could be.

 

[NyteGTI]

it's not orange coraline?

 

[carey]

Nope, it's soft and somewhat gooey. So it's definitely not coralline. It's alive whatever it is so I don't wanna just ditch it if it by chance is something neat or good. lol

 

[Sniperhank]

Only thing I can think of...and I still say send it to me!

 

[MacDracor]

What about an encrusting sponge?

 

[carey]

I was thinking sponge first off but it is like cement when it touches another rock. Also, this particular rock was base, not live. It started out completely white with nothing on it.

 

[Sniperhank]

So it moved itself there...that is cool.

 

[carey]

Just took a close look at the rock and the orange is receding in the light. It was orange side down on my rockwork but now after a day or so under the lights the white of the rock is stating to show in other places.

Am I killing whatever this is? :-(

 

[Sniperhank]

Sounds like it, flip it back over! Only you can prevent forest fires! Save a tree, recycle! I can't think of a motto for a mysterious orange goo..

 

[carey]

LOL.

I don't want the rock to become fused again to anything else, it was a PITA to get the rock off the other one to begin with.

Really think I should flip it back over?

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, PITA would say you should save all animals...if it is a PITA or not. Id flip it just because it's cool.

 

[Wy Renegade]

I was thinking sponge first off but it is like cement when it touches another rock. Also, this particular rock was base, not live. It started out completely white with nothing on it.

spores from different organisms make their way into the base rock and find habitats which they prefer to live and grow - this is what we refer to as "seeding" the rock.

Just took a close look at the rock and the orange is receding in the light. It was orange side down on my rockwork but now after a day or so under the lights the white of the rock is stating to show in other places.

Am I killing whatever this is? :-(

Most likely based on how you described it as originally occuring, it is a non-photosynthetic organism that doesn't like the light. Exposure will most likely cause it to receed and may eventually kill it off.

Is this a functioning stable tank you taking the rock from? If so, is there anything currently in the tank out of whack? If not, why are you bent on removing something which obviously established itself and is not causing any harm?

 

[carey]

This rock is in my 125g reef and has been for almost a year. Just not sure if this will spread and if that will be a bad thing. The entire underside of the rock was covered. If this spreads to a coral I have my concerns as it matures into a solid type of structure.

Wy, do you think I should flip it back over and put it where it was?

 

[Wy Renegade]

This rock is in my 125g reef and has been for almost a year. Just not sure if this will spread and if that will be a bad thing. The entire underside of the rock was covered. If this spreads to a coral I have my concerns as it matures into a solid type of structure.

Wy, do you think I should flip it back over and put it where it was?

Personally I would - based on your description of its reaction to light, it doesn't really sound like you have to worry about it covering any corals. If it has polyps as you described, I would imagine it is some type of filter-feeder, which means it is most likely helping to filter your tank. Maybe some type of encrusting tunicate.

 

[carey]

Ok, thanks! that sounds plausible. I will flip it back over then and see what happens.

thanks very much!

 

[Wy Renegade]

You are more than welcome - hopefully somebody will still come along who can tell us for sure what it is.