Noob - “live rock” algae question

[eddiegee]

Bought an Evo 13.5 and set it up a few days ago. Been learning about live and dry rocks and weighing the benefits and possible issues with both.

Yesterday I stopped by a local fish store and bought a “live rock” from their established saltwater display to try and introduce natural good bacteria into my cycling tank. For a few bucks I took it home and set it in my new tank.

Rock appears to have green and red algae.

Posting a pic. Is This a mistake on my part? What type of algae is this rock covered in?

 

[Timfish]

I would hav prefered to use fresh maricultured or wild liverock shipped air freight but I'd say your choice was better than getting rock that just had some nitrifying bacteria cultured on it (out of a bottle would be a better choice than cultured bacteria on a rock IMO) WHile some of the cryptic sponges so essential for recycling stuff in reef systems may not be real noticable but I'd be surprised if there wasn't some someplace on the rock you purchased. Here's some more info you may find helpful for understanding what's going on in your system:

Establishing a Healthy Microbiome in a New Aquarium Using Live Rock

Studying the effects of live rock in a newly established aquarium shows that high-quality live rock promotes the rapid establishment of an effective biological filter and a microbial community similar to those found in mature reef tanks.

www.reef2reef.com

"Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas"

Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes

Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont

BActeria and Sponges

Maintenance of Coral Reef Health (refferences at the end)

Optical Feedback Loop in Colorful Coral Bleaching

Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"