Help!!!!!

[Nanomaniac]

I have been noticing these transparent tube things on my live rock. There are small ones and bigger ones. What are they? Are they good or bad? Please help.

[bonecrusher71]

Do you have pictures?

[Nanomaniac]

Nope sorry.

[Caesar777]

Then nobody can tell you. You at *least* need an extremely detailed description. Look up "rice sponges"...I'll bet that's what they are.

[bonecrusher71]

I have them on my live rock also its a type of sponge and its good

shows a matured tank.

[Nanomaniac]

I tried to look up Rice Sponges and could not find a good website or pics of some sponges, so I could see if that is infact what I have. Would you might know of any sites?

[Caesar777]

Sure, I'll find somethin'. Gimme a minute.

[Caesar777]

AKA "Pineapple sponge" or "q-tip sponge".

 

From: piotr (Mon 7 Feb 18:04:29 2005)

It is called "pineapple sponge" and it belongs to the genus Scypha (or maybe Leucilla). It is totally harmless filter feeder, as far as I know. I haven't seen many of these(usually in shadow area, behind live rock), but my friend has a lot of them in his aquarium, growing in small colonies in shadowed areas of high water flow. His aquarium thrives. They are not harmful (unless they die). Please check reefcentral.org forum for Scypha or pineapple sponge (or Q-tip sponge) for more info. I hope this helps.

 

 

Often they're more "rice-shaped" than rounded like this one. Picture it at about the size of a large grain of brown rice.

[Nanomaniac]

I typed Rice Sponges in the search area here at NR and found a few posts about them that had pics and they were exactly what I have. Also thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

[Caesar777]

Good deal.