Could this be sponge or something worse?

[MikeL.]

Hey guys,

I've never seen this before so I have no idea what it could be and it's really hard to get a decent pic. I have a few yellow sponges on the back of some of my rock but nothing like this. It looks like the color of gel glue that we use to glue rocks, but it also has what looks like "mouths" or openings similar to a sponge. it's growing along the back side of several rocks in my tank. In these pics, the clear or cloudy looking substance is what I'm talking about. No, it's not glue, whatever it is - it's spreading to other rocks but just on the back sides. Has anyone ever seen clear or translucent sponge? Does it even exist? Is it something dangerous? Everything else in the tank is fine, parameters all check out normal. no bad algae problems or anything. So I'm hoping it's nothing bad. For the longest time it was just on a single rock, almost a year. But now that it's appeared on 2 other rocks at least, I need to get some input.
Thanks.

 

[ndrwater]

Just based on your description, I would say pineapple sponge.
Totally harmless

 

[MikeL.]

That's a relief. I've never seen anything like it but it does look like sponge, only translucent and more spread out instead of a little clump.

 

[jsker]

Sponge means a good health tank.

 

[ndrwater]

Try for a better picture so we can confirm.

 

[ndrwater]

this is a pineapple sponge image I found on the web.

 

[MikeL.]

Maybe these will be better. It's as good as I could get without removing it, which I can't do tonight. It's clear, almost like jelly. But with several mouth openings like a sponge would have.
Thanks.

 

[ndrwater]

Still sponge. Not a pineapple. But sponge nonetheless. Harmless and a good indicator of a happy tank

 

[MikeL.]

Awesome. Thanks for the quick replies.

 

[ndrwater]

No problem at all. Glad to help!

 

[Rip Van Winkle]

wow that's awesome that you got that going in your setup.