Should I Start Over? Things on My Rock...

So I got this dead rock a couple of weeks ago, my tank's still cycling...when I bought the rocks I noticed those yellow spots you see on the picture, I blasted the rocks with high pressure water to get rid of dust, etc. The LFS guy had them on the floor. Anyway, at the time I bought them I did notice the spots, but since they didn't come off with the high pressure water, I figure they wouldn't.....Now, I was reading a post in these forums where somebody asked about some spots on his lace rock, they look different than mine, but that triggered an alarm in my head, so I went to check mine...the spots looked the same as the first day I bought the rock, but, since they've been soaking in the tank for a couple of weeks now, I scrubbed an area where the spots are and surely enough, the yellow things came off....that freaked me out...I touched a piece that came off and it feels/looks like dead algae..some sort anyway.....and so I started to wonder if I have screwed my entire cycling/tank by not removing them when I first got the rock.

I have noticed that Diatoms are growing on top of these yellow spots/dead algage or whatever they are, with not problems whatsoever. But again, I guess Diatoms will grown on anything, or am I wrong? Don't get me wrong though, the Diatoms are not just growing on those spots, they are on my LS, glass, etc. I just wanted to point out the fact that they are growing/surviving on top of the yellow stuff.

Anybody know/recommend I start over?

Can I get the rock out and clean them, or will I be resetting the whole cycling? killin the diatoms or anything else that might be growing there?

I really need some help here. Thanks guys....sorry to bother so much. :-[

 

Heck no. Don't start over now that cycling process has started. Any dead material on rock will take care of itself during process. Just may take a bit longer if you have a bunch of it.

Is not a "bad thing" at all.

Be patient. All will be OK

;D

 

If it was me and I am in no hurry with this hobby, I would take all the rock out and soak that stuff in bleach to make sure you are not adding anything to the water you don't want.
Just remember the short cuts you take now to save time, just may haunt you in the long run. Better to take the extra time now and be 100% sure then just take a chance.
This is only my opinion and others thing differently.

 

is it possible for things to stay dead on a rock an never fall off even after 2 weeks?? BTW my tank's been cycling for a month now.....it's taking this long 'cause I added some live rock 2 weeks after I started the tank..but that's another story....Anyway, I should be ok then?

 

If thats live rock then it looks like some sort of sponge i have living in my rock as well.

 

I would not bleach the rocks, you could do damage to what you paid for. All dead matter will cycle.

 

when I bought it two weeks ago it was dead rock...the spots were there already...so they're most likely dead...i don't think the rock's live yet.....actually, I don't even know how to tell when rock's become live..anyway, it's dead rock. My tank's been cycling for 4 weeks now...the only life form are diatoms.

 

Thats what Otty was suggesting. Kill everything on the rock then put it in. Alot of people including me start with base rock, like that theres no way of starting the tank with nasties such as aiptasia,algae,and other nuisances. Then you just have to inspect the rocks you put later that come with corals.

 

Rocks becoming live is just another word for organisms growing on the rocks, such as worm, coraline,and other good stuff.

 

Plus you might be paying for something you don't want too. There are two edges to a sword.
Like I said that is the way I done it and I have had no algae problems what so ever and I don't think IBMgeek did either.