Coral growing on live rock during curing!

[shogun1964]

After dosing my tank with Purple-Up to aid in coralline growth, I wake up this morning to find this thing growing on one of me live rocks. Any idea what it is? I'm also getting some kind of hair algae growing on the live rock that came from the Gulf of Mexico. Even though my tank hasn't properly cycled can I add some Snails or crabs to start eating the hair algae before it spreads to my base rock?

 

[jsker]

I hate to say this but that is aiptasia and you want to put the rock out and kill it with a aiptasia remover or a kalkwasser paste. You do not want to do it in the tank because the aiptasia will spread if you do not hit it right. here is some info link

 

[brandon429]

this is what I draw from that picture as well:

the rock is cycled regarding bacteria. the time it takes for that anemone to HH onto the rock exceeds the time it takes for bacteria to colonize a wet surface in massive numbers. The rock is not leaking ammonia, or the anemone as a bioindicator wouldn't be open it would appear stressed. they're anemones just like any other, sensitive to water issues though it may not kill them. he's as happy as can be. The coloration on that rock further denotes something aged underwater, yet it lacks tons of sponges and other worms/things that would likely cure and die off.

Seems to be a very nice piece of already cycled rock right there going off visuals alone. regarding the algae, you should lift out the rock and score it off the rock with a kitchen knife, roughly, then rinse it all off. take advantage of the lift-ability, one day you'll be seated w corals and cannot.

 

[shogun1964]

After dosing my tank with Purple-Up to aid in coralline growth, I wake up this morning to find this thing growing on one of me live rocks. Any idea what it is? I'm also getting some kind of hair algae growing on the live rock that came from the Gulf of Mexico. Even though my tank hasn't properly cycled can I add some Snails or crabs to start eating the hair algae before it spreads to my base rock?

sorry about double picture

this is what I draw from that picture as well:

the rock is cycled regarding bacteria. the time it takes for that anemone to HH onto the rock exceeds the time it takes for bacteria to colonize a wet surface in massive numbers. The rock is not leaking ammonia, or the anemone as a bioindicator wouldn't be open it would appear stressed. they're anemones just like any other, sensitive to water issues though it may not kill them. he's as happy as can be. The coloration on that rock further denotes something aged underwater, yet it lacks tons of sponges and other worms/things that would likely cure and die off.

Seems to be a very nice piece of already cycled rock right there going off visuals alone. regarding the algae, you should lift out the rock and score it off the rock with a kitchen knife, roughly, then rinse it all off. take advantage of the lift-ability, one day you'll be seated w corals and cannot.

thanks for the advice.