Please Help Me Identify Black on Live Rock

[Noober]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h254/mpthreer/Aquarium/blackonrock1.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h254/mpthreer/Aquarium/blackonrock2.jpg

This stuff is on some of my live rocks in the tank, I have herd of some remedys but I havn't acted on it because I don't know what it is, or if its good or bad. Thanks a ton!:thumbs_up:

[Gilbert]

where is the "black"???

[lhoy]

That is just a dark form of coraline algae. It is not cyanobacteria or anything else bad. Don't treat or get rid of it. It is fine.

The reddish zoa's appear to be reaching for more light.

Lee

[Noober]

Thanks a lot! I'm really colour blind and when I take pics with my digi cam the colours are really more vibrant, they look more reddish to me now. Anyway thanks a lot for the valuable info, kudos to you all! :)

[BIGBIRD123]

The last pic looks like a sponge.

Steve

[lhoy]

Nah, that is the more maroon coraline. Put your glasses on Steve!!! BTW Steve, I am VERY impressed with the line up of meetings, speakers, and locations. You have been crafting some top notch stuff.

Lee

[BIGBIRD123]

All the credit belongs to Cheri (MRSBIGBIRD123), she's the Events Coordinator. I think she doing a superb job and has some more surprises in store for MAAST.

Steve

[lhoy]

Well, tell her kudos man. You both are doing great!!

Lee

[subsailor]

Nah, that is the more maroon coraline. Put your glasses on Steve!!! BTW Steve, I am VERY impressed with the line up of meetings, speakers, and locations. You have been crafting some top notch stuff.

Lee

Not to Hijack, but I agree 100% kudos to Mrs bigbird as well.

[captexas]

Not to Hijack, but I agree 100% kudos to Mrs bigbird as well.

Not to hijack, but it was hijacked. :what_smile:

Matt - all that live rock had been in place for maybe a year in my tank, can't remember how long I've had it. Because of that, the coraline algae grew on the areas that had good lighting, etc. When I pulled all the rock out to get the fish out of my tank, I just randomly put the rock back into the tank. This resulted in parts of the rock not getting light where it used to and vice versa. Also, without the tangs and good clean-up crew, the rock got some other algae growing on a piece. Once you get a good clean-up crew, they will keep the live rock clean. Just remember in this hobby to take your time and not rush, which I know is hard to do as everyone always wants to see their tank up and running.

[Richard]

The rock looks pretty clean to me. I don't think he needs a big clean up crew. All those collonista snails seem to be doing the job.

[tropheusmaster]

looks like coraline alge to me and thats real good

[seatrueblue]

That stuff looks like black cyano bacteria on top of your coraline. Why doesn't anyone else see it?

[tony]

i wish my rock had those problems

[clone]

take care of those sundials while you can.
last pic right above 08/18/08

[hobogato]

take care of those sundials while you can.
last pic right above 08/18/08

those arent sundials (http://images.google.com/images?q=sundial%20snail&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi), they are collonista sp. (http://images.google.com/images?q=collonista%20snail&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi) as richard pointed out - good to have.

[captexas]

The rock came from my tank and I somehow ended up with tons of those snails.

[hobogato]

they are in most live rock and they breed well in our tanks.

[captexas]

It's weird that I never had them in my 58g or my 75g. In my 45g, it's like they just appeared overnight and they were everywhere! LOL

[Noober]

lol they were a bit of a suprise to me as well, when i picked up the rock from you cap, i didnt see any of them when i put the rock in the tank that night, or the next day, and i was looking at it a lot, but later that night when the lights went off i came home in the middle of the night and shined an led in the tank, omg there was at least what looked like 1000 of them haha.. good to know they are benifical

[clone]

aw man i had some of those but pulled them out thinking they were sundials