ID a Live Rock

[QADoug]

I bought Live Rock a few weeks ago and it included the rock pictured below. The second picture is a close up. Any ideas of what the rock is and what the white stuff is? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

I have had it in the tank for about 2 weeks now. The cycling appears normal.

Thanks for your help, this is a great forum!

Doug

 

[NaH2O]

Hmm...I'm not sure what kind of rock that is. Are the white things hard? They look like they might be tubes from something like feather dusters?

 

[QADoug]

Yes, the tube things are crusty, like calcium deposits, but they are very fine. About the size of 0.5 mm lead, real thin, so I don't think they are feather dusters. They do grow a little bit every couple of days. That is what started to concern me.

I have been watching my KH go from 10 on 3/29 (when the set up was new) down to 8.5 today. But I figured that was pretty normal for a new cycling tank. The PH has remained steady at 8.2. The other parameters are right on. NO3 has climbed to 7.5. (I used tap water so I am starting to get a bit of the brown algae. I can live with rubbing that off.) I will do a 25% water change on 4/29.

But this rock concerns me.

 

[mojoreef]

The critters on the rock are a mix of foraminiferan and little feather duster worms. I am not sure if they will survie the cycle but if so a good addition. On the rock its pretty tough to tell what kind it is as it is covered.


good luck



Mike