55 Gallon Tank Why is my live rock looking like this?

On January 16th, 2009 my father and I purchased 16 pounds of live rock from our LFS (supposedly cured). Once we arrived home (30 mins. later) I removed the rock from it's newspaper it was rapped in for transportation and placed it directly into the aquarium (empty, only live sand that had been introduced the night before was present). Since then, I have witnessed fungal growth, algal blooms, and the slow deterioration of the rock's sponges.

On January 21, 2009, my mom purchased a Peppermint shrimp from a nearby Animal House Pet Store. since the shrimp was introduced to the aquarium it has consumed little of the fungus on the rock's top surface, yet underneath, where it has practically lived since being brought home, has cleared completely of fungus and recently begun working on some of the algae, has shedded its skin.

And is there any problem with any of the rock's surface being buried under the sand? If so, what are they and why are they problems.

Please if there are any problems with the information I have provided above, feel free to help.

PLEASE!!!

 

New tanks will go through the algae stages, in time it will get better.
Keep the lights on for 10hrs max.
Keep the nitrates low. don't over feed the tank
Keep the phosphates low.
Try to have as little of the rock on the sand, try to build arches in the rock work and keep the water moving around all the rock work

 

do I have feed anything to the peppermint shrimp at the moment?

 

Just give him some brine shrimp and mysis once a day

 

Just give him some brine shrimp and mysis once a day

What are mysis?

 

Sorry, typo....
Mysid shrimp

 

Actually, I have to disagree, properely cured live rock is actually ready to be placed in an aquarium and should not develop any type of algae or fungus(?). Curing live rock depends on the type and were it has come from and the LFS has to take the proper amount of time. Secondarily, never put live rock into your tank without first a very minor/mild rinsing and cleaning of water from your tank. Also when you buy live rock you need to smell it to make sure no wiffs of decay, inspect it to make sure any die off has been removed. As to placing LR, I have base rock set up for placement, but you can place the down side as you get from the LFS on the live sand, but I wouldn't push it into the sand.

 

Actually, I have to disagree, properely cured live rock is actually ready to be placed in an aquarium and should not develop any type of algae or fungus(?). Curing live rock depends on the type and were it has come from and the LFS has to take the proper amount of time. Secondarily, never put live rock into your tank without first a very minor/mild rinsing and cleaning of water from your tank. Also when you buy live rock you need to smell it to make sure no wiffs of decay, inspect it to make sure any die off has been removed. As to placing LR, I have base rock set up for placement, but you can place the down side as you get from the LFS on the live sand, but I wouldn't push it into the sand.

Sweet!! so I basically have to just cure the lr again? Thanks.

 

It depends on the condition of the rock. I would suggest that you remove all of the live the rock into a container filled with freshseawater at the current temp of the tank with the appropriate kh, lighting, etc. Clean off the LR of any easy to get at fungs, dead animals, etc., Set up this tank/container so that you can keep the rock in there until the rock shows no more signs of die off, doesn't smell. Essentially to recover/cure this rock you need to get into an enviroment were you can get at it, clean it, and repeat until there isn't any fungus or die off. As with anything, I always use a quarantine tank before placing animals or LR into my main tank - save lots of possible trouble. Good Luck.

 

It depends on the condition of the rock. I would suggest that you remove all of the live the rock into a container filled with freshseawater at the current temp of the tank with the appropriate kh, lighting, etc. Clean off the LR of any easy to get at fungs, dead animals, etc., Set up this tank/container so that you can keep the rock in there until the rock shows no more signs of die off, doesn't smell. Essentially to recover/cure this rock you need to get into an enviroment were you can get at it, clean it, and repeat until there isn't any fungus or die off. As with anything, I always use a quarantine tank before placing animals or LR into my main tank - save lots of possible trouble. Good Luck.

Yeah I need a quarantine tank, but couldn't find one of the right size.

 

Scrub The Rock

Get a new tooth brush and rub the rock...whatever comes off is fine. Scrub it over a bucket and rinse in salt water. If all you have in the tank is the shrimp you can place it back into the tank...or just set up a rubbermaid garbage can with salt water and place in with an air stone for a couple of days....if no smell then place back into tank, been there done that many a time.
Also it could be the sand....did it come from someone elses tank....