Coral Line or Cyano? Curing Process

EphraimReef · Jan 8, 2020

Hello R2R member’s, About a month ago I Purchased live rock that had been dried up with a few shades of coral line Algae left dried on it...I’ve began my curing process in a brute trashcan(WITH LID) with a powerhead, heater, and I’ve started to notice the rocks turning reddish purple.. some parts black.. some white... some light green(but mainly reddish purple) . My concern is are the reddish marks cyanobacteria it’s not slimy nor stringy just marks that have grown since curing for about 3 1/2 weeks with water changes weekly. ALSO NOTE I use red sea coral pro salt and 0 TDS water from my RODI.
?Can Coral line Algae grow in the dark?
?Can Cyanobacteria grow in the dark?
my rock has been in the dark(brute with lid) during this curing process.. that’s what has me confused...
(I also have added my skimmer & GFO and Carbon Reactor to the brute upon seeing this)

yesterdays phosphate reading (0.503 ppm)

Big G · Jan 9, 2020

EphraimReef · Jan 9, 2020

Big G said:
Bump

What does Bump mean ?

Juniorh2r · Jan 9, 2020

Looks like coraline to me

homer1475 · Jan 9, 2020

Try and rub it off with your fingernail. If it comes off, it's cyano. If it doesn't, its coralline.

I believe cyano can grow in the dark, but coralline cannot.

Juniorh2r · Jan 9, 2020

Well I'm not sure I've had coraline grow on my heaters in the sump it's dark down there

EphraimReef · Jan 9, 2020

homer1475 said:
Try and rub it off with your fingernail. If it comes off, it's cyano. If it doesn't, its coralline.

I believe cyano can grow in the dark, but coralline cannot.

See that’s the thing that also comfuses me. when I first discovered it. I did an immediate water change. So the rocks were out of water for about 1hr or 1hr 30 mins. I then put them back in the brute. And I saw threads that said do the “turkey baster test”. I did it. And some flaked off.. but now it’s turning more of a purple... so am I safe to say it’s Coraline ? Just don’t want to introduce it to my tank newly established... would it benefit just scrubbing It all off to make sure ?