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White Sponge


ReefSafeSolutions

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ReefSafeSolutions

I've seen a few threads about the mysterious white spongey stuff that people have been having difficulty eradicating and I think I may have spotted some in my tank, unfortunately. I'm not sure if it's a sponge or that other weird white algae that has been problematic, but this is the best shot I could get:

 

7F8E0621-08A2-4B1F-91CD-4BA92CB9061D_zps

 

You can see it sitting there to the left of my GSP. It was actually originally engulfing the GSP, a little bit above the middle of the mat (where you can see the one star kind of open). I used a little wooden skewer and removed it from the GSP, but then little pieces started floating around the tank and I immediately regretted that decision. But, I managed to get a little pic of the white "thing" before it all disappeared. It looked like some kind of nasty spider web (like the poisonous spiders with the really thick, matted webs, not the orb style webs) when I first saw it. Don't know why I didn't snap a picture then...

 

Anyways, does this look like the mysterious white algae/sponge that's been wrecking havoc amongst other tanks, or is this just a sponge? Or something else entirely?

 

Thanks!

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ReefSafeSolutions

I'm really not sure how quickly it had grown...it was one of those things where suddenly you just noticed it and you have no idea how long it was there!

 

It didn't really have roots or branches...it seemed more just like a funky white mass, if that makes sense. It broke apart while I was picking it off the coral. Sort of like cotton candy but without any strings, maybe. Hard to describe it...I haven't noticed it growing anywhere else since I removed it, so I'll look around today and see if I notice any more.

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I'm really not sure how quickly it had grown...it was one of those things where suddenly you just noticed it and you have no idea how long it was there!

 

It didn't really have roots or branches...it seemed more just like a funky white mass, if that makes sense. It broke apart while I was picking it off the coral. Sort of like cotton candy but without any strings, maybe. Hard to describe it...I haven't noticed it growing anywhere else since I removed it, so I'll look around today and see if I notice any more.

this dosent sound like the bad one, if it starts growing back slowly don't get too concerned just keep an eye on it. It sounds like a sponge.
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ReefSafeSolutions

your welcome, keep me posted.

 

Will do! I'll try to post back here in a couple of days with any update, even if there isn't anything new (no news = good news!)

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Will do! I'll try to post back here in a couple of days with any update, even if there isn't anything new (no news = good news!)

sounds good to me.
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ReefSafeSolutions

Well I checked things out this morning...I don't know if I missed a bit of the white stuff on the GSP or not, but I had to pick a little bit more away. The stuff just seems to fall apart when I pick at it...not sure if that's normal for a sponge. I'll keep my eye on things, if it starts to grow back again I'll see if I can get a good picture.

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ReefSafeSolutions

I looked at all the pictures in those threads you compiled...mine certainly isn't the weird branching stuff in the first three threads. It looks kind of similar to the last one in your thread, but it's still not quite the same. I'm relieved it's not the crazy invasive branching stuff, so hopefully it won't grow back. I think I got most of it off my GSP. I suppose if it's a sponge, it's not a big deal...so long as it stays off my coral!

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I'm sure you also noticed the intense growth rate, within days worth of time the stuff could be growing through half the tank lol. Also the stuff must have something against zoas lol. Good policy to make sure it keeps its distance, but if it grows elsewhere in the tank at a reasonably slow pace, I think it is fine to let live.

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ReefSafeSolutions

OK. I'm all about letting the unusual stuff grow and let "life...find a way" (love Jurassic Park, haha) but only if it's not going to destroy anything. I think it's fascinating for all these organisms to come together...just as long as they stay off my corals! And like you said, there hasn't been intense growth. It was just something I noticed randomly and it hasn't come back after I picked it apart, so hopefully not a pest organism.

 

Thanks again!

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I recommend picking up a book about sponges and corals. There are many sponges that are considered pests in the wild. They can over grow and kill corals. In this way, they keep any one coral from overtaking the reef. There are also sponges that work in a symbiotic relationship with corals. For instance there is a sponge that grows almost consistently on the underside of plating corals. This protects the plating corals from pests/infections infecting from the underside of the plate.

 

If this turns out to be a pest sponge, I highly recommend doing your best to remove it. We deal with enough pests in our tanks that no one wants to get one more from another reefer. Without the natural predators that exist in the wild to contain the fast growing corals and sponges, our tanks can easily be overrun and turned into nothing more than a trash heap. We must do our best to maintain the delicate balance that the multitude of creatures are able to maintain in the wild.

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dude Jurassic park is awesome! did you see Jurassic world yet?

 

talking of sponge eaters and natural balance, how about nudibranch? there are plenty who gladly devour certain sponges, like caterpillars of the sea. pest sponges could be exterminated with them if they could be obtained could they not?

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Then what eats the nudibranch? Or do you plan to let the nudibranch die once it has consumed the sponges? Also, you would have to get the exact species of nudibranch that eats the sponge you have. If your tank is large enough, you can use dwarf angels. They consume sponges naturally. I don't really recommend nudibranches as a solution to any reef tank issue. They are specialized animals and not really fit for a life in our limited diversity aquariums. For the sponge, I recommend an angel if your tank is large enough or manually remove. Just expose the rock to the air and the sponge will die.

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Trade the adult nudibranch to other reefers, or have a breeding operation for them, no need to put them to waste. Like I have said they are like a caterpillar, only having a limited amount of potential food sources, and obliterating the source of food. Problem is some pest sponges don't give the slightest crap about brief air exposure and grow like nothing happened afterwards.

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ReefSafeSolutions

dude Jurassic park is awesome! did you see Jurassic world yet?

 

talking of sponge eaters and natural balance, how about nudibranch? there are plenty who gladly devour certain sponges, like caterpillars of the sea. pest sponges could be exterminated with them if they could be obtained could they not?

 

I didn't see Jurassic World yet, but I want to!! It looks awesome!!

 

With regard to the sponge, or whatever this thing is...I'll keep an eye on it. If it becomes a pest and starts to grow on other corals I'll eradicate it somehow, but I think it was just a fluke thing. I agree that there needs to be balance in a tank, but I also enjoy watching these tanks behave at least a little bit like the ocean!

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I didn't see Jurassic World yet, but I want to!! It looks awesome!!

 

With regard to the sponge, or whatever this thing is...I'll keep an eye on it. If it becomes a pest and starts to grow on other corals I'll eradicate it somehow, but I think it was just a fluke thing. I agree that there needs to be balance in a tank, but I also enjoy watching these tanks behave at least a little bit like the ocean!

Watch it! You probably wont regret it :)

 

Usually I will be against killing the hitchhikers, its called live rock for a reason, no reason to defy the purpose of the rock by killing all those hitchhikers. Like you said it should be kinda like the actual ocean.

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  • 1 month later...
ReefSafeSolutions

Watch it! You probably wont regret it :)

 

Usually I will be against killing the hitchhikers, its called live rock for a reason, no reason to defy the purpose of the rock by killing all those hitchhikers. Like you said it should be kinda like the actual ocean.

 

OK so I founds some more white sponge material...I decided to take a picture of it before I try to remove anything this time. (Slow learner? Haha) (Also, I figured I'd just post in my existing thread...no need to start a new one)

 

Anyways, here are the pictures:

 

A5845A04-DBEA-4DB2-87DC-9C5E4D533265_zps

 

8DE40B89-692A-4276-882A-1986B2E3A3D6_zps

 

Does this look like a sponge or is this some kind of evil creature, planning the demise of my tank??

 

(It's in the little crevice of the rock there, in case you don't see what I'm referring to)

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Hmm, this looks a lot like some sort of sponge, watch it and see how quickly it grows, chances are its taking the slow and steady wins the race pattern.

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When you notice the difference between today and tomorrow lol. Also if by the end of this week there's more than a few millimeters growth.

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ReefSafeSolutions

Well, it looked about the same today but it is kind of hard to say, since I don't have a good frame of reference to measure it against. But, if in a few days it looks bigger then I'll try pulling it out.

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Well, it looked about the same today but it is kind of hard to say, since I don't have a good frame of reference to measure it against. But, if in a few days it looks bigger then I'll try pulling it out.

try taking a picture today, then at the end of the week take another shot, assists memory.
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