rotting live rock - smelly...?

[janet]

I bought a rock with some beautiful rhodactis mushroom. One by one they seemed to rot from the middle out. I thought something was attacking them. After around 9 days when all the mushrooms were gone, we took the rock out as we thought there was a worm inside. The rock smelled really bad. So was it this rotting rock that killed my mushrooms after all? Another mushroom that I had in my tank also died. Am I mistaken in thinking I had a preditory worm, when actually my mushrooms rotted?
Some of my other corals don't look like they are thriving at the moment. Could all this be down to my rotting rhodactis?
Thank you in advance. I always get some very good replies on this website.
Janet

 

[Bifferwine]

The dying corals in your tank could very well be having an impact on the other corals. Many corals (especially soft corals) excrete toxins. Have you increased water changes? I would bump them up to try and dilute out any poisons if that's what's happening.

 

[Smitty]

That smell could also mean there is some die-off on/in that rock...which is sending your tank thru a mini-cycle, which is why some of the corals are dying off.

 

[carter]

janet you may wanna check the water parameters because if they where fine before you put the rock in the rock shouldnt have that much die off some is to be expected but not the whole rock. how long has it been since you changed your lights cause they could have just died from lack of light

 

[Bifferwine]

What kind of lights do you have again? Have you ever treated your tank with any sort of medication?

 

[janet]

I changed my lights from flourescent T8 to two led light strips around 3 weeks ago. The rock with the mushrooms was put in around 10 days after the lights.
Checked water on Saturday, all okay then. Will check again today. I really do feel that the dying mushrooms and the smelly rock are connected.
Janet

 

[Bifferwine]

What kind of LED strips? Are they strong enough for reef aquariums? Most LED lights are not meant for keeping corals, they are just for aesthetics. Can you post a picture or link to your lights? You may not have enough light...

 

[carter]

any soft coral or anything that dies and rots smells terrible, even dead anemone, so yes i agree the death and smell of rot is connected but the true question is why did they die. i have a duel compact floresent lights half 10k half blue, and the corals dig the light

 

[sen5241b]

The smell I would say is almost certainly die off. The rock was probably out of the water for along time.

 

[carter]

was the rock even out of the water it kinda sounds like she bought it from a lfs just for the mushrooms but i may be wrong

 

[AmberSunrise]

I would say its the change from the strong lights to LED I dont think they are really strong enough for corals. I had the double bright marineland set up and my LFS said no way get rid of it.