Green star Polyp dying from live rock purchase

[madtownguy]

Ok so I bought some live rock a for a new tank a couple weeks ago, there was this decent looking piece that I think had green star polyp dying on it, it was pretty much gone so it seemed like a deal to be getting a piece of rock that odds are has a lot of crap living on it since this coral was on a good chunk of the rock. Anyway I've been getting this kind of slight dust look in the water, almost like sand but not sand. I think I finally realized it is the coral breaking up and getting in the water. I checked PH and ammonia and everything is fine, fish are fine. Is it better to try to rip this thing off the rock as much as possible or just let it break off and die slowly? Some kind of still come out, but they are white at this point. Picking that rock was definitely not the best decision I've ever made, bringing something that is dying into a tank is pretty stupid, I know better but I thought maybe by some feat of god it would bounce back and be a free coral.

 

[Tahoe61]

Really depends on the size of the piece, how many inches is it roughly? How large is the tank?

It would not surprise me in the least if some of the GSP made a come back, now that would make me mad.

If this is a fairly large tank and your running charcoal I would not worry about it. Now if it looks like it's turning into a bacterial mess I would intervene.

 

[RareEarthCorals]

An option is take a steel brush to it and knock it off then rinse off the rock. Just place the rock in a 5gal homedepot bucket with tank water and brush of the dead tissue. I would then briefly dip the rock in iodine to prevent any possible infection. Follow with a good final rinse with fresh saltwater.

 

[madtownguy]

It's 29 gallon, I do have a charcoal bag in the filter. It's just kind of dusty, it leaves a bit of dust on the rocks too but I blow them off with power head every once in awhile. My only concern is it is white, I'm not sure if when it goes from purple to white it can come back. It keeps the fish busy I guess they spend all day trying to get food that isn't really there.

 

[madtownguy]

An option is take a steel brush to it and knock it off then rinse off the rock. Just place the rock in a 5gal homedepot bucket with tank water and brush of the dead tissue. I would then briefly dip the rock in iodine to prevent any possible infection. Follow with a good final rinse with fresh saltwater.

Steel brush huh? I thought it might peel off but I've never had one die before. Maybe after a day or two more the dust or particles will drive me nuts enough to say enough. I might bring the salinity up a little, I am running it a little low until I start putting corals in the tank.

 

[RareEarthCorals]

It would be best if you dont change or add anything at the moment. It is tempting but already your tank has started to stress. You dont want to add to it. Yes a steel brush. Ive brush several hundred pounds of rock in my past and it is the quickest way to remove dead tissue and still keep the rock intact with the bacterial colony living in it. Iodine should be a quick rinse not a soak as it can penetrate the rock and now you have dead rock. It can also leach out into your tank. 29 gals things can go wrong fast.

 

[hig789]

It would not surprise me in the least if some of the GSP made a come back

My money is on this right here. You will be very surprised what it will live through. I had them growing all over the glass of a 55 years back and when I was upgrading/moving the ones on the glass sat dry for almost 4 days. I gave the empty 55 to a buddy that owned a lfs and within a few hours of water being in the tank they were already opened like nothing happened.

 

[hig789]

Also since its out of a established tank it could just be gunk/sand partials or whatever coming from the rock it's self. Since its being move around after it sat in a tank for some time

 

[madtownguy]

I'm 99% sure it's the coral breaking a part now, it is slowly uncovering the rock. I had the salinity really low, my hydrometer I first bought was junk and jumping all around so I tried to keep it on the low end. I recently got a refractometer and it was at 1.020 so I have increased it now, but that may have helped in it breaking apart. I also had this bright orange looking coraline appear on the rock in a matter of minutes, I swear I walked away and when I returned it was there. Interested to see if that continues to change, it is pretty but I've never seen it in any previous tanks I've had.

 

[RareEarthCorals]

Take photos of this coralline. I dont know how long your tank has been up and running but it usually starts green and slowly turns its final color over months, not overnight. Im thinking Cyanobacteria. More detail would help in diagnoses especially photos.

 

[madtownguy]

Snapped some quick phone shots. I swear that orange wasn't there this morning and my wife agrees. It looks to be the same consistency as the purple coraline.

 

[hig789]

Yeah those look bad. But still don't be surprised if they/some come back.

 

[RareEarthCorals]

Im still not sure that it is not Cyanobacteria. See if you can wipe it away with your finger or if it comes off in pieces. If it does then Cyano but if its stuck on there then coralline.

The polyps look done to me. It looks like you could wipe it away real easy. I wouldnt worry about the polyps.