use of coral

[smiley]

ive got a couple of questions   ive just picked up some dead live rock from a marine tank and am considering using it in my african tank. this raises several question:

can i use it safely   after i give it all a really good wash and soak for a week or so

how do i get it nice an white its pretty ugly at the moment will a high pressure cleaner hurt

the sharp edges are they a problem with africans???

How good is it at buffering the hardness and ph of a tank  

thanks  any information is greatly appreciate  peter

I loved the auction didnt buy much but drooled all the time

[ashhhh]

im not much of a marine buff but, 'live rock' is a powerhouse of living organisms, so if it is 'dead' you would want to make sure it IS really all dead, coz if there is some stuff still dieing in it - it could cause ammonia problems with the dieing off of the organisms within in it etc etc
but if your cycling a tank for the first time that would be good
I dont think just cleaning it on the outside is gonna cut it as some/most live rock is quite pouros (spelling).
Maybe a good long cook in boiling water to get to all the hard to reach areas and letting it dry in the sun for a few days would do the trick.
Hope that helps somehow :)

[fishybusiness]

i picked up a box of this stuff from a marine tank and just hosed it let it dry and put in my tank and have had no problems but if you are uncertain i do recomend giving it a boil