A monster sponge? Found in a sump that's been in the dark a year

[sav_lion]

I let a 150 gallon tank "go" basically for the better part of a year, and left it to nature. It found a way. I put water in it once in a while, sprinkle some flakes for the random damsels in there somewhere, but that's about it. No changing anything, water, filters, nothing. In the back of the sump, where daylight dare not tread, I found this a few days ago. It looks like a HUGE sponge. There are multiple in the sump, of various shapes and sizes. I've never had any in this tank. All that's in this tank are a few damsels, small critters like snails, ENDLESS bristle worms, and aiptasia over every inch that daylight touches. Is that what it is, a sponge of some type? There are definitely anemone, and limpets on the glass. Otherwise, just huge yellow masses in the sump the best I can tell without better lighting.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, that’s a sponge - cool to see one so well grown out in a tank!

 

[Kraig]

That's pretty wild!

 

[sav_lion]

Update! I mustered the courage to go diving, and got a chunk out. Creeping sponge of some kind? The thing encircled all the rocks in the sump! This is one rock of the many. It’s like someone poured silicone in there, I’m having to rip rocks free. I’ve never seen a creature “swallow” live rock to this degree. This is NOT small, it’s one torn piece of many

 

[FUNGI]

just curious why you removed it?

 

[gobybryant]

I have a much much smaller piece of this kind of sponge in the back of my 15g AIO. I take it as a good sign of the tank maturing!

 

[sav_lion]

just curious why you removed it?

Because the ENTIRE tank is as I described. Aiptasia so mature they’re 2 inches long, bristle worms a foot long, as big around as your finger. The whole tank looks like this, check the photos. The wife wants something prettier, it had to go. So I’m saving the sponge, and dumping bleach on anything I can’t save. Even snails look like decorator crabs, carrying aiptasia, bristle worms, and hair algae. The tank is thriving, if you just count life. But it’s ooky. The pictures speak for themselves.

 

[FUNGI]

Because the ENTIRE tank is as I described. Aiptasia so mature they’re 2 inches long, bristle worms a foot long, as big around as your finger. The whole tank looks like this, check the photos. The wife wants something prettier, it had to go. So I’m saving the sponge, and dumping bleach on anything I can’t save. Even snails look like decorator crabs, carrying aiptasia, bristle worms, and hair algae. The tank is thriving, if you just count life. But it’s ooky. The pictures speak for themselves.

Ahh...ok then..

 

[8-Bit Reefer]

dang that's one of the scariest looking tanks Ive seen in a while, Id be very cautious moving my hand around in that bristle worm infested tank.