base rock help!

[criminal]

ok well i got base rock today and i want to know why the pieces have areas that look like they have purple coraline algea even though these things are dry, and if i need to rinse them in saltwater before i add it to my tank or if these little purple spots will cause a problem . . . any help would be great
thanks
Matt

 

[magooo2]

I bought some base rock as well today. I just rinsed it in saltwater and placed it in the tank. In regards to the coraline...I am unsure if it would cause you later problems tho if it was dry i would doubt it. But thats just my 2cents.

 

[murph]

If you got it from an LFS its probably just dried out rock from someones old tank which is probably a good thing. I would just rinse it off and toss it in.
But then again thats just me, I could be wrong.

 

[criminal]

actually i ordered it from the net last week and it arrived today.

 

[daninct]

I soaked mine in salt mix for a solid week, changing the water and inspecting the rock, before I put it in my tank. You neverknow where its been or what you have hidden in the rock. The purple stuff is OK.

 

[saltyreef7]

It sounds like it is uncured???? you should cure it first by putting in a sepreate tank for a few weeks and all the dead stuff will fall off. when doing this if it starts to smell like rotten eggs that is normel....and it ment that it was uncured. Look into curing live rock on the internet and you will find lots of info on how to do it, it would take me forever to tell you everything....good luck!

 

[criminal]

Originally Posted by saltyreef7
It sounds like it is uncured???? you should cure it first by putting in a sepreate tank for a few weeks and all the dead stuff will fall off. when doing this if it starts to smell like rotten eggs that is normel....and it ment that it was uncured. Look into curing live rock on the internet and you will find lots of info on how to do it, it would take me forever to tell you everything....good luck!

i know how to cure live rock but i mean it's supposed to be base rock which wasn't supposed to be live to begin with . . .

 

[some1fishy]

C,
If you got it from one of the sites I suggested. I just rinsed mine and was all set. It made the tank look more natural. I topped it off with live rock and now have a great aquascape. I would not worry much about it. All my levels are within parameters and are stabilizing. Hope that helps.

 

[criminal]

is it ok if i break one of the pieces? its just huge and i like small pieces so i can position them the way i like

 

[some1fishy]

I used a chisel and a hammer and it was fine. The smaller frags make for a light topper and a perch for crustaceans. I had/have no problems.