What's This?

[Ahoy89]

I bought this piece entirely for it's colour and all the little "things" all over it, it really stinks when it was out of the water but apparently smelly rock is good rock?!

Anyway the nice woman in the shop told me there was coral on this already. When I got it home I just sat it down in the tank and it wasn't until later I had a good look at it and saw all of the variations on it of "things" I have no idea what they are!

Mostly what caught my eye was at the top of the rock a greenish area with little white flowery looking things on them, they move quite a lot with the powerhead over them. Any ideas what this is and how it will end up looking? And anything else you can see on this side?

Hope the pics are good enough.

 

[VictorMeldrew]

Hello Ahoy

Thats a nice piece of LR you brought there i am not to sure from the photo, but i would say that looks like dead hard coral (skeleton) which has a covering of green algea. if thats what it is, unfortunatly it will not grow again, but then again, i just noticed that you said it was moving/flowing in the water, if thats the case then its not what i said it was unless the algea is long of course.

Take a pic of it in the water, it might be abit easier to tell

Regards
VM

Forgot to mention, smelly rock is not really a good thing, it just shows that it is uncured.

 

[mutantbigman2000]

Looks more like a covering of zoas to me.

What colour are they when they open up?

Nice size colony too. Should spread in time.

 

[Ahoy89]

Thanks, it's hard to tell in the water really as this section is small the white parts are moving quite a lot but there is algae on it also I guess I'll soon find if it is just covered in algae.

Here is another pic, my camera is a nightmare to get it to focus on one particular area so I think this is the best I'm getting;

Also this thing is strange looking, it's very white in some parts and has a soft feel to it when I was putting it in the tank, looks like the same texture as velvet. Not sure if it's good or bad. *feels so new to all this!*

 

[seffieuk]

that certainly looks like a nice piece of rock I agree with Mutant, looks like Zoas, but hard to tell - the soft thing is probably a mushroom of some sort

Exciting isn't it

Seffie x

 

[Ahoy89]

that certainly looks like a nice piece of rock I agree with Mutant, looks like Zoas, but hard to tell - the soft thing is probably a mushroom of some sort

Exciting isn't it

Seffie x

It really is! xD
I was in the store and my mum was with me and she was confused as to why I was trying to pick out a specific looking rock. She probably thinks I'm nuts! .... but it is a nice colourful rock!! Well I should be getting a few more smaller pieces just to top off the tank soon, then I can keep an eye on the cycle and hopefully will be on the right track to do a water change to RO water and get a few nice pieces of coral for the fishies to enjoy!

 

[mutantbigman2000]

white area could be a patch of coraline die off or a sponge.

Doesn't look like a musgroom to me. Plus its shape would change if it was a mushroom.

 

[Ahoy89]

white area could be a patch of coraline die off or a sponge.

Doesn't look like a musgroom to me. Plus its shape would change if it was a mushroom.

If it helps the white area is full of pimple looking things very small but all very close together quite evenly spaced out.

 

[mutantbigman2000]

would lean towards sponge for me then.

200th post. woop woop

 

[westiemarble]

Hi,

A comment on your pictures; you should really wear gloves when handling LR or whenever your hands are in the tank.

I'm new to this game so not in a position to start preaching on the rights and wrongs of anything, but the risk of infection to a small cut is high, some corals such as Zoas can sting or cause skin reactions and the odd little critter may well sting, nip etc.

Just a thought

 

[seffieuk]

Hi,

A comment on your pictures; you should really wear gloves when handling LR or whenever your hands are in the tank.

I'm new to this game so not in a position to start preaching on the rights and wrongs of anything, but the risk of infection to a small cut is high, some corals such as Zoas can sting or cause skin reactions and the odd little critter may well sting, nip etc.

Just a thought

Live dangerously, I don't wear gloves nor I think do most people on here It is true you could touch a bristleworm which would give you a rash (they are more worried about you and hide very quickly), you might rub against something and end up with an alergic type reaction, bumps on the skin (that has happened to me) and yes, some Zoas are very toxic, but most are not very toxic! Think that in theory, you should wear gloves, but getting your hands wet is half the fun + think of all the fun you would be taking away from your cleaner shrimp, they love to jump on your hands and give them a wash and brush up

You shouldn't put your hand in a tank if you have an open cut - that I would agree on however, if it is well healed then............

So, I would say, if you are the sort of person who would get dangerously ill should you have an allergic reaction then wear gloves, if not - get on in there

Seffie x

 

[Ahoy89]

I think while I just have the LR in there I'm more than happy to dunk my hands in!

I do see your point with reactions to certain corals so will be careful, also I'm not sure where I can get gloves long enough to go up my arms anyway! My tank is too deep

 

[Trod]

Think I'll pass putting my arms in tank when I get my Lionfish with or without gloves

 

[bagu]

live rock looks so nice

 

[Ahoy89]

Thankyou! I think I was lucky to get that, the other rock looked quite dull in comparison.
And wow Trod, I think they're very nice to look at but I don't think I could get one myself "just incase" can't wait to see yours xD