Yuck, I can't believe I was showering with water that this rod was soaking in. Occasionally, when I would turn on the hot water in the bathtub, it would be black for a few seconds and then run clear or have black specks in it, that's what lead me to remove the anode rod. I have softened water, and a private well. The previous owner wrote on the tank "replaced with aluminum anode rod, 1999." Is this Manganese? For now, I just left the anode out, what do you guys suggest I do?