Attack of the Pineapple Sponge

[reefbox]

Does anyone know how to get rid of pineapple sponges?

 

I started out with one a my LR two months ago and removed it. The sponge grew back within a week so I removed it again and put so glue over the spot. A week later I had two on the back glass, I asked someone at my lfs and told me they're not harmful. BUT now I have them growing on all my LR and even on my branched hammer coral.

 

Any help would be great! Thanks!

[GHill762]

Do you just dislike them? They won't hurt anything, they don't sting, they don't overtake coral, etc.. They're just harmless filter feeders.. Ime they will spread in a new tank then after a while they'll die off.. I use to have a lot of them, now Idk if I have any..

 

Maybe something of mine is eating them Idk..

[DannaM]

I'm not too sure about that. I just attacked my rocks yesterday after I found one colony had completely taken up home in some GSP and another group had crowded out my sunny d's. I'd love to know if there's anything that eats them because they do seem to grow like crazy when left alone.

[Thesaint216]

Some nudi's eat them, some Stars eat them. I had these in my sump and they eventually disappeared. Some say its from silicates in the tank and is a normal part of the aging process in a tank. Run some Seachem Phosguard and see what happens. It helps lower silicates.

[GHill762]

I'm not too sure about that. I just attacked my rocks yesterday after I found one colony had completely taken up home in some GSP and another group had crowded out my sunny d's. I'd love to know if there's anything that eats them because they do seem to grow like crazy when left alone.

that's crazy.. Mine never grew or spread that much...

[Rollermonkey]

Sponges clean your water... Weird that you have some bothering corals.

[DannaM]

that's crazy.. Mine never grew or spread that much...

You're lucky, I sucked out lbs. of them lol. Maybe The Saint is right and it''s a new tank thing. My tanks only 1 1/2 months old. I may try the phosguard route.

 

Sponges clean your water... Weird that you have some bothering corals.

Yeah, sorry about hijacking the thread but they'd totally cleared a quarter sized circle in the middle of my GSP colony. I'm down to just a few now and I'm going to keep knocking them off and sucking them up when I'm cleaning

[Acielot]

Your water is too high in organics apparently. I have a few but they only occupy the dark areas of the tank. Perhaps try feeding less especially if you feed phyto or marine snow, I notice that they explode in numbers when I feed to much of either.

 

 

 

There is no doubt a nudibranch that would decimate their population but to know which one is the trick.

[Thesaint216]

Id just give it some time and let your tank mature and I bet they go away. Before adding any nudi's Id try the phosguard. Last thing you want is a nudi dieing after eating all the sponges and nuking your tank. I had some black sponge try and take over a blue hornet zoa colony and I did a peroxide dip and the sponge died off. That's just an option for zoa's. Not sure Id try that with anything else.

 

I had a theory it was from new white egg crate in my tank because they seemed to be all over that when my tank was just starting out.

[HOTWATER]

I've got 2 in my tank right now. It's been up for 2 mo.

[trois2005]

Late reply but I've got three tanks into one sump and two of the tanks have these and one doesn't. The tank that doesn't has a flame angel. The other two have clowns in one and a blue jaw trigger. Not sure if the angel eats them but it's the only one without them. 

[LJR]

On 8/18/2019 at 3:44 PM, trois2005 said:

Late reply but I've got three tanks into one sump and two of the tanks have these and one doesn't. The tank that doesn't has a flame angel. The other two have clowns in one and a blue jaw trigger. Not sure if the angel eats them but it's the only one without them. 

I believe angels are natural sponge eaters. I had rock covered with them, and a couple of emerald craps ate them like candy when I introduced them.

[TheMadScientist5154]

Hi all first time post. I'm hoping to become an active part of the community. I was already planning to post on some other threads. I will probably be most active in the evo threads. I came across this one and thought I would try to chime in quick and use as a learning experience to see how posting process works and get acct. Created.

 

I apologize if this becomes long. Currently running a Fluval evo 13.5 AIO after a 9 or 10 year absence from the hobby. Evo is pretty much still all stock equipment and has been up and running for almost 2 years.

 

I did research on these sponges years ago with my first reef tanks. I got into a big kick of trying to identify every new thing I would find growing from my first live rocks. I've had pineapple sponges in every reef tank I've had.

 

They usually prefer darker places. They will on occasion be on top of rocks or on the old stony growth at the bases of a coral skeleton. They can grow on the glass as well. Pineapple sponges usually don't last long in brighter areas. More often then not they start to turn green or brown from algae or diatoms growing on them and eventually smothering them out.

 

You will rarely find them growing directly from your sand bed. They will probably grow from bare glass bottom in correct conditions.

 

More often then not they will be mostly on the underside of rock arches, over hangs and caves in darker areas with good flow. These will often be the longest lived and biggest in the tank. 

 

Sometimes will be found around the bottom of your base rocks near the substrate in dimmer areas. Can also grow around the old stony growth of corals bases and bottoms placed on the sand bed. More likely around stony bases of lps where the large polyp canopy offers them protection and maybe some nutrients. Have never seen one growing from areas of live tissue.

 

The place I usually have the most of them is dark areas of my sumps. They are usually considered benign to potentially beneficial. They help polish the water of very fine organic matter. They will wax and wane in population over time.

 

I have never read anything about them being invasive and causing issues. Some are not attached very well and easyily blown off with power head or baster when cleaning out rock work or moved into a high flow area. 

 

They are very sensitive to chemistry and other water parameters requiring pristine and stable water conditions. Generally seen as a sign of a healthy stable tank.

[Seadragon]

On 12/3/2019 at 1:17 AM, TheMadScientist5154 said:

Hi all first time post. I'm hoping to become an active part of the community. I was already planning to post on some other threads. I will probably be most active in the evo threads. I came across this one and thought I would try to chime in quick and use as a learning experience to see how posting process works and get acct. Created.

 

I apologize if this becomes long. Currently running a Fluval evo 13.5 AIO after a 9 or 10 year absence from the hobby. Evo is pretty much still all stock equipment and has been up and running for almost 2 years.

 

I did research on these sponges years ago with my first reef tanks. I got into a big kick of trying to identify every new thing I would find growing from my first live rocks. I've had pineapple sponges in every reef tank I've had.

 

They usually prefer darker places. They will on occasion be on top of rocks or on the old stony growth at the bases of a coral skeleton. They can grow on the glass as well. Pineapple sponges usually don't last long in brighter areas. More often then not they start to turn green or brown from algae or diatoms growing on them and eventually smothering them out.

 

You will rarely find them growing directly from your sand bed. They will probably grow from bare glass bottom in correct conditions.

 

More often then not they will be mostly on the underside of rock arches, over hangs and caves in darker areas with good flow. These will often be the longest lived and biggest in the tank. 

 

Sometimes will be found around the bottom of your base rocks near the substrate in dimmer areas. Can also grow around the old stony growth of corals bases and bottoms placed on the sand bed. More likely around stony bases of lps where the large polyp canopy offers them protection and maybe some nutrients. Have never seen one growing from areas of live tissue.

 

The place I usually have the most of them is dark areas of my sumps. They are usually considered benign to potentially beneficial. They help polish the water of very fine organic matter. They will wax and wane in population over time.

 

I have never read anything about them being invasive and causing issues. Some are not attached very well and easyily blown off with power head or baster when cleaning out rock work or moved into a high flow area. 

 

They are very sensitive to chemistry and other water parameters requiring pristine and stable water conditions. Generally seen as a sign of a healthy stable tank.

 

That's a good write up, thanks.  I just found out that it was a Pineapple Sponge that was hitchhiking in my Chaeto for the longest time and now there's tons of them in the dark areas of my tank.  Mostly on the undersides of the rockwork and behind the heater.  I love filter feeders and I hear they may feed on the silicates within the water.  It's good to know they're not harmful and won't bother the corals and fish.