Can life survive on dried out rock?

[karo25]

I've recently started a reef tank with dry rock and live sand. From day one the dry Bukani rock I had was peppered with this redish/dark pinkish spots.(photo 1) About the size of a mustard seed. My tank has been cycling for about 7 weeks now and some of these spots have gotten larger. (photos 2 -4)

Is it possible for stuff to lay dormant, essentially dried out for months and then reanimate once wet again? If not where did they come from?

Anyone have a clue what these might be? Are they good or bad?

 

[Cherub]

I'm not sure but I would have bleached it for good measure

 

[swensos]

I've had similar spots on my dry pukani. I noticed it did seem to expand in water, but I don't think it spread. It could just be spongy and absorbing water, but not alive.

 

[dylana407]

You don't think the stuff come from sand?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

red foraminifera
https://www.google.com/search?q=red...q3zobUAhXIxFQKHcEkBv4QsAQIZA&biw=1920&bih=901
and wow. thats cool!

 

[alex.mccann99]

I had several bristle worms show up in my tank recently. Dried Pukani was only thing I had in there, along with Livesand from Caribsea. Fed my fish the other day and a couple little bristle worms came poking out when they smelled the food. I don't mind them, they're great additions to my CUC, but was definitely surprised.