White substance preventing Coraline

[OCCFan023]

Well I rearranged my live rock tonight to create a bridge type structure and was just thinking about some white stuff that seems to be on the newest peice of rock I have. I have a peice of tonga branch that has white stuff on it (it was a original peice or live rock I bought) and it has the same white stuff that is on most of the big peice I just bought. Anyway the original tonga branch peice I have has no coraline on it (but the other peices are covered in it). The peice I just bought has the same white stuff on it that coraline doesnt grow on. The new peice has recently began to aquire patches of coraline growth.. but Im worried that like the other peice wheir theirs white coating will not have coraline on it ever (which is a substantial sp?). Is this a common substance that comes on liverock, or should I just scrub off? Its too much white so it stands out and wont look right until it fits in with my other coraline covered rocks. Should i just stick it in a bucket with some tank water and scrub it off or leave it on and see what happens?


I was reading another thread similiar to my problem but that seemed to be of a growth that didnt come on the rock... becasue this stuff came with the rock.

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Is it just dead coraline, I belive this stuff goes white once it dies.

 

[OCCFan023]

so it should be ok to scrub off with a toothbrush? Just to see if it comes off and if it does go for it?

 

[1979camaro]

might as well give it a shot...it won't kill the rock or anything

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Is it more of a clear coating on the rock or is it solid white? I have a clear substance that is growing on some of my rock that I have no idea what it is. It started on the underside of a piece of LR that had some mushrooms on it and then it spread on to the rock that is was placed on (I didn't really mind cause it kinda secured the rock to the other piece and made it more stable) I was looking at it the other day and notice it had a tube on some parts that was like an intake tube with a hole at the end or something, anyway I have no idea what it is and now I'm wandering if it is the same stuff we are talking about?

 

[wayne]

Yours sounds like a sponge saltywaters. Very desirable

 

[SALTY WATERS]

The weird thing about this stuff is it grew from the underside of a rock that was overhanging so it really gets little to no light...Sponge... Not sure maybe! I will try to get a picture of it...if it will even show up on the camera

 

[wayne]

Now it really sounds like a sponge, although it could possible be a colonial tunicate, though they tend to look more like little pots/vases than just blobby masses.

Tunicates are the interesting as they're strictly classified as chordates (meaning NOT invertebrates) as their larval stage has a distinct internal spine

 

[OCCFan023]

yea mines pure white and doesnt seem to be gorwing, just their.

 

[SALTY WATERS]

OCCFan023, yours sounds like it is just dead coraline. is it solid (hard) or just a slime coating?

 

[OCCFan023]

Well it appears solid to me (just looking at it from inside the tank). When I do my water change this weekend I will use the old water and just scrub it off and see what its like (hard or slimy). After I get it off and find out its texture Ill let ya know though.

 

[SALTY WATERS]

If it is solid it is probably just dead coraline and it will eventually be covered with new algea and not be so white. I bought some LR a while back and it had some white spots but they are now covered with other algea. If you have ever broke a piece of LR in half it is pretty white inside, that is all LR is old dead coral.

 

[OCCFan023]

when I clean the rock, should I use a new toothbrush, or is there something better for this job?

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Toothbrush should be fine. Can you get any pics of it before you try cleaning it off?

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Here is a picture of the clear stuff on my rocks I had to take it at night for it to show up some what clear. I think you are correct Wayne in that it is some kind of sponge. The picture does not show the tubular intakes but they look like that of your tipical sponge. This stuff seems to grow fairly quikly when it is not getting direct light.

OC, have you been able to get pictures of yours yet?

 

[1979camaro]

definitely looks like a sponge...if you took it out of the water, however, it will likely die

 

[aresgod]

yes sponges cant be exposed to air, so try that, expose it for 5 min and everything on your rock should be fine.

 

[OCCFan023]

Right now the pictures of the stuff are getting developed onto a disk (no digital camera )

My water change will be tommorow so I will be able to try and scrub it off with a toothbrush. Ill let ya know how it goes, and hopefully get those pictures up asap.

 

[SALTY WATERS]

yes sponges cant be exposed to air, so try that, expose it for 5 min and everything on your rock should be fine.

Mine isn't a worry for me, I just wanted to know what it was. I like having it looks kinda cool! But thanks for the info if I ever need to get ride of some of it.

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Hey OC, got thoughs pics yet? I'm curious to see what your talking about.