Black smelly stuff inside tonga branch

cbarria · 03-26-2006, 06:18 PM

As I was cutting some branches from this "tonga branch" rock to separate the corals from it, I broke off one branch that had some black nasty stuff inside. It smelled pretty bad. It was inside the tonga branch rock. The rock itself looked very healthy and the corals too. What's this black stuff and how bad is it? Should I try to clean it out?

Thanks

tims · 03-26-2006, 08:43 PM

gota a pic of it?
not sure what it could be

JT · 03-26-2006, 08:48 PM

Most likely some kind of sponge, now dead, that had some small opening somewhere in the rock where water could still reach it.

cbarria · 03-26-2006, 09:40 PM

I'm not sure what it is, but seems to have been sealed in the rock for quite some time. It has a paste like consistency.

Loverotties · 03-26-2006, 09:43 PM

I agree with JT!

JT · 03-26-2006, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbarria

I'm not sure what it is, but seems to have been sealed in the rock for quite some time. It has a paste like consistency.

Again, most likely sponge. Live rock, even branch, is formed from once living corals. It could very well have been there, in it's current consistency, all this time.

john_auberry · 03-26-2006, 10:53 PM

what does it taste like?

cbarria · 03-26-2006, 11:19 PM

It tastes like chikin! ;-)

Seriously though, anything I need to do about it?

JT · 03-26-2006, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbarria

Seriously though, anything I need to do about it?

Scrub, dig, and wash it out as best as you can. You don't want dead sponge in your tank.