Danger sponge?

[Mschmidt]

Sorry for the bad pic, I had a 9-month old climbing on me and I'm not amazing at reef pictures at baseline. I can try for a better one this evening if needed.

Now to get point, is this sponge (I'm assuming that's what it is) endangering my hammer?

 

[Mschmidt]

@JoJosReef here's another one for you.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

It's either a sponge or a tunicate colony - I'm leaning toward sponge.

To tell if it's harmful and removal suggestions:

Yeah, that's definitely a sponge. Most sponges are completely harmless/beneficial, but some can be invasive and/or harmful to corals (thankfully, these are rare).

To tell if a sponge is chemically harmful: if a healthy, established coral starts closing up or looking to be in bad shape on the side closest to the sponge as the sponge grows closer to it, and nothing else has happened (lighting changes, parameter swings, pests, etc.) that could explain it, then the sponge is probably chemically harmful.

Chemically harmful sponges are very rare.

For invasive sponges: unless it shows signs of being chemically harmful or starts actively growing over and smothering a coral's flesh/polyps, it's harmless. These can grow over the skeletons of corals, around the base/stalks of corals, even up into the water column above corals (where they're over the coral but not growing on the flesh or polyps themselves), etc. without harming the coral at all - as long as the coral flesh and polyps can get food, light, and flow, the sponge is harmless.

Invasive sponges are moderately rare.

Invasive and chemically harmful sponges are incredibly rare.

For removal:
I've heard of some good removal success rates with the injection method (described below)

use a steel straw to scrape and siphon out the sponge you want to remove. Sometimes you can create bad conditions for them and kill them off that way, but that's typically much harder and not always effective.

Some other sponge removal methods:

Other suggestions include exposing the sponge to air (obviously not a guaranteed solution, and definitely not viable for this situation); hydrogen peroxide dipping the sponge (again, not viable here); injecting the sponge with hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, boiling water, or air; microbubbles in the display; and a few more. Predation is not usually a good solution for this issue

Basically, if the sponges have enough food and enough trace elements (which for most sponges includes silicates) to meet their needs, then you’ll see their populations booming.

If you can figure out what’s allowing them to thrive in your tank, then you can deal with that root cause and get rid of them.

 

[JoJosReef]

@JoJosReef here's another one for you.

I'd pull thr hammer, scrape the sponge off the skeleton and reglue the hammer. I'm not against sponges at all, but I wouldn't like them growing on coral skeletons.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry for the bad pic, I had a 9-month old climbing on me and I'm not amazing at reef pictures at baseline. I can try for a better one this evening if needed.

Now to get point, is this sponge (I'm assuming that's what it is) endangering my hammer?

Please post pics under white light intensity and clearer if possible. Its extremely hard to see in the pic provided

 

[Troylee]

I'd pull thr hammer, scrape the sponge off the skeleton and reglue the hammer. I'm not against sponges at all, but I wouldn't like them growing on coral skeletons.

Mine don’t mind. It’s like a blanky to keep my hammer warm! My one spot fox face actually gets in there and nibbles on the sponge all the time.. it’s strange!

 

[Mschmidt]

It's either a sponge or a tunicate colony - I'm leaning toward sponge.

To tell if it's harmful and removal suggestions:

Thanks. That is helpful, I can look more closely at it tonight.

I'd pull thr hammer, scrape the sponge off the skeleton and reglue the hammer. I'm not against sponges at all, but I wouldn't like them growing on coral skeletons.

I'm gun-shy to pull euphilia (sp?) now, did that to get at an aip that was bothering a frogspawn, now I have neither the aip nor the frog.

Please post pics under white light intensity and clearer if possible. Its extremely hard to see in the pic provided

can do, will try to filter the blue this evening, tomorrow I will have more daylight mode.


It was growing on the underside of the rock, then I rotated it. grows just as well receiving light. If that helps.

 

[Troylee]

Thanks. That is helpful, I can look more closely at it tonight.

I'm gun-shy to pull euphilia (sp?) now, did that to get at an aip that was bothering a frogspawn, now I have neither the aip nor the frog.

can do, will try to filter the blue this evening, tomorrow I will have more daylight mode.


It was growing on the underside of the rock, then I rotated it. grows just as well receiving light. If that helps.

As far as I know the black ones are the only bad ones and become invasive.. @Paul B had a bout with one in his tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks. That is helpful, I can look more closely at it tonight.

I'm gun-shy to pull euphilia (sp?) now, did that to get at an aip that was bothering a frogspawn, now I have neither the aip nor the frog.

can do, will try to filter the blue this evening, tomorrow I will have more daylight mode.


It was growing on the underside of the rock, then I rotated it. grows just as well receiving light. If that helps.

Im sure sponge but want to identify accurately as you were curious if good or bad as some bad ones especially black do exist

 

[Mschmidt]

Im sure sponge but want to identify accurately as you were curious if good or bad as some bad ones especially black do exist

It's kinda beige, lighter but not dissimilar in color from a leather coral (the boring ones at petco).

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

As far as I know the black ones are the only bad ones and become invasive.. @Paul B had a bout with one in his tank.

The black ones (Terpios hoshinota and possibly others), photosynthetic plating sponges sometimes, and a handful of other encrusting sponges (I've seen one or two harmful white ones and a harmful red/orange one) can all be harmful (either through chemicals or shading) but, as mentioned, they're quite rare.

 

[tbrown]

You should see the cool sponge growing on my Galaxea! It's a nifty black sponge encasing the entire skeleton of the Galaxea. The Galaxea is super happy and keeps spreading. I'll try to get a picture when I get home later.

 

[tbrown]

 

[Mschmidt]

Best I can get right now.

Just the one head seems plussed, but can't promise it's the sponge.

 

[Mschmidt]

Some better ones at first light.