Identify whatever is going on on my rocks

[raulreyes1206]

Instead of Coraline algae, I have a bunch of this blue stuff and some of my rock even looks charcoal gray

 

[crazyfishmom]

Looks like it could be some sort of sponge. @ISpeakForTheSeas might be able to better help here.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Looks like it could be some sort of sponge. @ISpeakForTheSeas might be able to better help here.

Yeah, the translucent stuff growing little tubes/holes look like sponges to me - most sponges are harmless/beneficial:

Yeah, that's definitely a sponge. Most sponges are completely harmless/beneficial, but some can be invasive and/or harmful to corals (thankfully, these are rare).

To tell if a sponge is chemically harmful: if a healthy, established coral starts closing up or looking to be in bad shape on the side closest to the sponge as the sponge grows closer to it, and nothing else has happened (lighting changes, parameter swings, pests, etc.) that could explain it, then the sponge is probably chemically harmful.

Chemically harmful sponges are very rare.

For invasive sponges: unless it shows signs of being chemically harmful or starts actively growing over and smothering a coral's flesh/polyps, it's harmless. These can grow over the skeletons of corals, around the base/stalks of corals, even up into the water column above corals (where they're over the coral but not growing on the flesh or polyps themselves), etc. without harming the coral at all - as long as the coral flesh and polyps can get food, light, and flow, the sponge is harmless.

Invasive sponges are moderately rare.

Invasive and chemically harmful sponges are incredibly rare.

 

[raulreyes1206]

How about the blue stuff beside it?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

How about the blue stuff beside it?

Hard to say for sure from the pics, but at least the one in the second I would guess is a sponge as well.

 

[raulreyes1206]

I find it very odd. There’s a lot of random stuff I’ve never seen before. This is my first set up where I haven’t had Coraline algae. Any suggestions on how to get it started?

 

[crazyfishmom]

I find it very odd. There’s a lot of random stuff I’ve never seen before. This is my first set up where I haven’t had Coraline algae. Any suggestions on how to get it started?

Easiest way is to add a piece of live ocean rock or a coral that has a base covered in it. This gets it going and soon enough it’s everywhere in your tank (a matter of weeks) as long as your water parameters are stable.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I find it very odd. There’s a lot of random stuff I’ve never seen before. This is my first set up where I haven’t had Coraline algae. Any suggestions on how to get it started?

I could be mistaken, but it looks like that bright green patch in the second photo may be growing coralline now - I would guess you'll start to see some coralline in a few days.

As mentioned, though, adding coralline is the way to get it started - it can come in on corals, live rock, snail and hermit shells, bivalve shells, etc.