Live Rock turning black

[Garlic]

Hi
My live rocks and sand bed is covered with a layer of black colour stuff after putting in activated carbon for a few days. My tank is still under cycling. Will my live rock become dead?? :?:

 

[shr00m]

is it black dust... or black / dark green slime.... it might be the dreaded cyano

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Garlic! (I love your nick!) Welcome to reefs.org.

I'm wondering if you didn't rinse your carbon well enough and whatever dust was present settled onto and into the live rock. I'd pull a piece and sniff it (seriously) for that sulphur odor that indicates anaerobic conditions.

 

[Garlic]

Hi Garlic! (I love your nick!) Welcome to reefs.org.

I'm wondering if you didn't rinse your carbon well enough and whatever dust was present settled onto and into the live rock. I'd pull a piece and sniff it (seriously) for that sulphur odor that indicates anaerobic conditions.

Thanks seamaiden. I have suspect it to be carbon dust but the water still smell because of the live rocks, so i never put my hands into it. Well, I did not rinse the carbon before putting in.

 

[Anonymous]

Then my money's on carbon dust. To keep as much life as possible on the live rock (as well as preserve your nitrifyers) do many large water changes. If the live rock is causing smell, then you're actually in the curing process, not exactly the cycling process. However, since the L/R is where you're getting your nitirfyers and denitrifyers, once it's cured, you're ready to start cycling with a bit of raw shrimp or similar.

Oh.. and next time, RINSE the carbon, mkay?

 

[Anonymous]

I would just remove the rock,rinse it in cool water,and toss it back in.