Quick question about live rock

[aaronalam]

So, I bought some live rock yesterday and at £15/kg it wasn't cheap! lol

Anyway, my question is, when I bought it, it was covered in this moss like stuff, furry stuff, should I leave that on there or try and remove it all?

I've already put it into my tank.

 

[joy13]

It is an algae coving it most like bryosis or hair algae. Only other thing I can think of green and furry is green star polyps. A picture would help.

 

[aaronalam]

Here are some pictures, sorry about the quality but you can still see the green i'm on about.

 

[the_fish_man]

Does it look like ferns? Or just stringy stuff?

 

[aaronalam]

It's not bushy or anything, it's just a bit like moss and at some areas it comes away from the rock and its just fluffyish and moves with the water motion.

 

[the_fish_man]

sounds like hair algae. There are snails that eat it and sea hares eat it. or you can dry out the rock

 

[aaronalam]

Or pull it off? haha

Thanks for the info, I might just leave it and get some snails, what snails would they be?

 

[the_fish_man]

Or pull it off? haha

Thanks for the info, I might just leave it and get some snails, what snails would they be?

Pulling it off isn't the best to do as it will make it spread faster. Although you can take the rock out of the tank and put it in a bucket the pull it off then rinse it off. That has worked for me.

 

[aaronalam]

Ah yeah, I would put it into another bucket first.

Also, as we are on this subject, i've noticed something on a new piece of rock, it's like pinkish tentacles coming off the rocks, it's hard to see so getting a picture will be difficult, any ideas from the limited description on what it is? Its cool looking.

 

[the_fish_man]

Oh and for the snails there are hermits (most of them eat hair algae, i recommend blue legged or red legged) dwarf ceriths, fuzzy chiton, scarlet hermit crab etc. There are a ton of snails that eat it.

 

[the_fish_man]

Ah yeah, I would put it into another bucket first.

Also, as we are on this subject, i've noticed something on a new piece of rock, it's like pinkish tentacles coming off the rocks, it's hard to see so getting a picture will be difficult, any ideas from the limited description on what it is? Its cool looking.

Can you describe it a bit more? Does it have a stem? Is it little?

 

[aaronalam]

It doesn't have a stem, it's just attached to the rock, the tentacles kind of come out like star shape, it's pinkish but slightly clear aswell.

 

[the_fish_man]

Maybe a star polyp? Look it up and see if that is it

 

[aaronalam]

Here is a picture, although it's not the best, I highlighted the thing I'm on about

 

[the_fish_man]

hmm maybe a sponge?

 

[aaronalam]

I think the closest thing it is, is what you mentioned, Star Polyps

 

[aaronalam]

I moved the rock earlier and I noticed it does have a stem, clearly visible coming from the rock onto the tentacle-like things.

 

[the_fish_man]

you know what, thinking about it i think it is xenia

 

[the_fish_man]

my vote is xenia or star polyps. most likely a star polyp. Both spread fast in the right conditions

 

[aaronalam]

Yeah it does seem like a star polyp or possibly a xenia.

Time will tell I guess!

Thanks for the help.