Rotten/Black Rock

[crazy_reefing]

I have been bringing in a lot of zoanthids and other corals lately to grow them out in my grow tank. Just about everything I bring in that is on rock I have been finding the same thing. When you cut the rock the rock is black and smells like raw sewage. If I leave the corals on the rock (especially zoas) they start to die. The corals are not in my system any more then about a day or two when I cut the rock so I doubt that it has something to do with my system. And, if I catch it in time, and get the corals off the bad rock they do survive.
I was just wondering if anyone else has been running into this? If so, does anyone know what could be happening? I never had this before but for the last couple of months it's been happening.

 

[geoxman]

So you are commercial. I would have looked into the pitfalls of bringing in stuff yourself before you engaged in doing so. Most zoanthids are shipped dry from what I have seen at the LFS and when the arrive there is a ton of die bacteria die off from not being in water. The big killer and what you are seeing is the sponge, die off, that is either between the rock crevaces or the rock and mat of the polyp.
When this occurs you will have to remove the mat and or do a HP or heavy iodine dip. Neither of the dips are that effective from some of the online purchases that I have done throughout the years.
When I purchase a rock at the LFS the very first thing I do is ask to smell it, even if the polyps are open. A healthy polyp will smell like the ocean-one that is rotting from underneath will smell what like you are describing. It has also something to do with sulpher etc.. but someone else will chime in.
Bringing stuff in wholesale is not going to be that profitable or help your collection grow because of you losses. That is why LFS have a turn and burn mentality.
your best bet is find healthy aqua cultured frags and grown them out over time. 2nd is to buy from your LFS and inspect the colony make your own decision on its health and add it to your collection.

I have purchased many of many colonies in the past from the LFS and I have learned from my mistakes-weather pest's or other problems.
Take your time and your collection will grow. good luck

maybe some wholesalers will also chime in.

 

[crazy_reefing]

I'm not commercial. I bring stuff in to grow it out before I place in my tank or trade with others. When I buy from my local LFS I do check what I'm buying but I have been getting stuff shipped lately and I can't check or smell the corals before I get them in.
It probably is sponge but I was just wondering if there is anything else that could cause this. I didn't think of bacteria die off like you mentioned.

 

[geoxman]

I would then change the website that you are dealing with. Liveaquaria is incredible to deal with IMO plus you have a 14 day guarantee on almost everything. They do not ship unhealthy corals and over the years I have been very pleased. Are these being shipped to you dry and are the wild? If they were aqua cultured then the sponge would be almost non existent.
The bacteria caught between the mat is sometimes a problem, but it is when the sponge dies off and releases its toxins is when problems start to happen-IMHO

If you are buying online make sure they have a guarantee for their product.

I am sorry about the commercial thing, but you can see where your initial post, left very little of a debate.
good luck


Edit..
If it smells bad remove the mat completely off the rock!

 

[MUCHO REEF]

There is a name for the type of rock you are speaking of, and yes, it's true. This particular rock is often black and light greenish inside. It has a strong foul smell of rotten egg shells and sulfur. I've had this happen to me many times when I have tried to shave a rock to fit in into a special place in my reef. I will check with a few LFS to find out the name of it. Glad to brought this to light. Does anyone else have a clue to this type of rock?

Mooch

BTW, this rock is good rock, it just smells when it's cracked open.

 

[crazy_reefing]

Thanks for the info.

 

[zeppelin]

Ya, allot of the Solomon island stuff is lilke that. It is generally sponge inside the rock dying like mentioned above. best thing to do is cut the rock up down to a thin layer that the zoos are attached to, and then either just use that much rock, or glue the thin rock piece to a thicker rock for your display tank.

I have had luck with a peroxide dip to kill the bacteria growing in the dead sponge, but that is a controversial subject in itself.

 

[Agu]

Anaerobic areas of live rock isn't going to smell good, it's anaerobic. Hydrogen sulfide is probably similar to the odor you smell.