Syconoid Sponge?

[Seif26]

So cleaning the filter baskets on my IM20 yesterday and quite a few of these where hiding under one of the baskets. Did some panic research as I thought they were worms or something bad but I think they are Syconoid or Pineapple Sponges.

 

Can anyone smarter than me (basically everyone...) confirm this?

 

The system has been up for 9-10 months or so but really only a couple months with any significant stocking of the tank. From what I am reading these are fairly common, non-threatening and will probably go away on their own but I could accelerate by feeding a bit less? Nitrate levels are practically zero but maybe these little guys have something to do with that?

 

Thanks in advance!

[seabass]

Yeah, it's just a pineapple sponge. Not particularly attractive, but still a beneficial filter feeder.

[Seif26]

Well..... not bad news then

 

I will give the filter compartments a good cleaning when I do the next water change and watch the feeding.

 

Odd follow up question - I have the IM desktop skimmer but never took the thing out of the box. I had tunnel vision I think on Nitrate level as a sole measure of water quality and thought if the Nitrates were 0 what is the point of the skimmer. There is still waste in the water that the skimmer would take out correct? and maybe then with less waste there would be less sponges?

[seabass]

A protein skimmer doesn't filter nitrate, it removes dissolved organics. So even it your tank has undetectable nitrate levels, a protein skimmer might still be able to pull some dissolved organics out of the water.

 

However, the sponges aren't a result of poor water quality. They are often thought of as a sign of good water quality. I doubt that adding a skimmer will reduce their numbers. But they are usually found in dark areas (which are often out of normal sight).

[Mariaface]

If the sponges aren't in your field of view, there's really no reason to get rid of them - they're filtering the water for particulates, and as they shed old cells they're giving food back to the tank. They'll regulate their population according to the amount of food in your water column.

 

My advice: don't try feeding less if your nitrates are at near-zero and you're keeping corals. Feeding will give you the organic nutrients the corals need, and your test kits are also giving you readings for inorganic nutrients that they don't use (but algae and bacteria will be happy to use).

 

That being said, yes, there are still particulates in the water. If nitrates are zero, then your bacterial population and mechanical filtration are enough to keep the water 'clean' (not necessarily sterile if there's still food for sponges). A skimmer would be useful if you have more partially dissolved organics than the biological filter in your tank can handle once stuff's broken down.

Have you tested phosphates? A skimmer could help you take advantage of the bacterial population to lower these - add nitrates in accordance to the redfield ratio, and the bacteria will take up phosphates and nitrates, then be removed by the skimmer. It's a whole complicated game that you shouldn't play solely because of some pineapple sponges, though.

[Seif26]

Good feedback from Seabass and Maria on the skimmer! I have it and have just been using (incorrectly it seems) the low nitrate levels as an excuse not to set it up.

 

Thanks!

[Jayva]

I found one of those earlier I thought it was aiptasia then I got in close with my cellphone flashlight. Their good to have.