Pink Coating On Rock (Is It A Weed?)

[Howler]

Hope you can assist - I have a new marine tank (TL550 with no fish yet) and some of the live rock has a pink coral (see below - looks like a pink coating on rock with minuscule polyps) growing on it - I need to know whether it's welcome or whether it's a weed I need (if so how) to get rid of. It's growing pretty quickly.

 

[ainsy]

Hi Howler and

It is ok it's friendly! They look to be star polyps (although they look unusually spread thin - are they getting enough light?)

They can be a pest if left to run rampant.If they become a problem you can easily peel the mat away with a finger or I find a toothbrush & a vigorous scrubbing works well.

 

[Howler]

Thanks & good to know - I'm wary of gathering pests that are difficult to nuke in a mature tank.

I suspect they're not as spread out as it appears, but that they're simply young and tiny (the image is an extreme close-up).

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Definately star polyps. I just got some yesterday, they look the same! How lucky of you to get some like that on rock. Mine were 45$.