# Safe or just admire from afar??



## dleis1972 (Jan 15, 2012)

So my friend's wife was station over seas, and he brought me back a very nice sized coral from the East China Sea. Took him almost 3 years to get it home but I finally got it. It has been dry for almost that whole 3 years. Is it safe to add to my tank? I have attached a picture of it for reference.

TIA

Dave


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

I would not add it to my tank. A coral is a lving organism, that coral was a living organism, so there is some dead tissue somewhere in it. I know the coral is dead, but the dead tissue has to go somewhere, right. Probably dried in all those Polyp holes. Unless you can clean ALL the dead tissue out of it, I would not add it to my tank.

There are ways to make it safe, but takes time and effert. Besides, does not look right in a FW tank.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I think it is pretty much dead and should be safe to use but do agree that coral pieces usually look odd in a FW tank.


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

Deeda said:


> I think it is pretty much dead and should be safe to use but do agree that coral pieces usually look odd in a FW tank.


It is dead, but dead tissue rots in an aquarium.


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## wortel87 (Apr 15, 2014)

Its probably safe. Just boil it first.

If you have a spare tank you can put it in for a few weeks with a heater. See what hapends.

Dead tissue that will start to rot? What does it matter? In a tank there are a ton of things rotting and decomposing.


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## evandubya (Aug 5, 2013)

Never ever boil coral, some release and can kill you! Dead coral release phosphates in to salt water aquariums, I would think it would do the same in fresh water. I wouldn't recommend it.


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