Weird Live Rock

[sbash]

Hi Everybody!

I picked up this piece of live rock, I have never seen anything like it before. Does anyone have any background on these rocks?

It is very fragile, the stems break off and reveal a blue inside.

Thanks!

 

[BadFish619]

Weird, looks like a petrified cactus

 

[mtfish]

Look this up. Blue coral, Heliopora coerulea. It is an octocoral that makes a skeleton.

 

[sbash]

Look this up. Blue coral, Heliopora coerulea. It is an octocoral that makes a skeleton.

Yeah, I bet that is right, I have heard of this coral before, thanks.

Honestly, it almost looks like it is still alive...

 

[reef lover]

+1 blue ridge.

 

[reef lover]

I see polyps...

 

[Gaufl]

Hey there!
From the picture it def. looks like it is still alive.
dang! That is a huge piece.

Be careful when addig it to your tank. It adds a huge bioload. Also, there may be some dieoff, which could mess with your water parameters.
Furthermore, I would keep a close eye in my cunsumption of macroelements.

Greetings,
Flo

 

[sbash]

I see polyps...

I know right? I bought some leathers that were attached to the base of this piece. I cut the leathers off and was examining the rock and the colouration looked like flesh *gets out reading glasses* low and behold it looks like polyps!

Hey there!
From the picture it def. looks like it is still alive.
dang! That is a huge piece.

Be careful when addig it to your tank. It adds a huge bioload. Also, there may be some dieoff, which could mess with your water parameters.
Furthermore, I would keep a close eye in my cunsumption of macroelements.

Greetings,
Flo

And I have two of them!

I bought a tonne of leathers as part of a tank tear down, I told the seller I didn't want the rock, but he insisted... This is a bigger one than the other, but the two pieces have leathers on the base. Anyway, they are both in their own fresh salt water 10 gallon with head and flow (this piece fills the 10 gallon, lol). They had a rough day yesterday (because I assumed they were just rocks with the leathers cut off them), so I took some frags and gathered the pieces that broke off during travel. The water got down to about 60F, so I anticipate a lot (if not total) of die off.

If it still looks okay in a couple days, I will throw the big piece into my 220, which can handle the load easily.

Thanks everyone, I'll post an update when I have one. This is a super neat find! Part of the reason I buy tank tear downs!