Is Sponge a good thing or bad ?

[Company101]

So my tank after finally settling in. After being set up for almost a year.

I have started seeing a Lot of growth of purple/black sponge. And even some yellow.

As you can see on one of my candy canes ( bleached cause I had a heater malfunction )

I already pulled a huge piece of sponge that attached to a hammer coral and dissolved the bone structure. So I peeled it all out and now I have two pieces. Not such a bad thing.

Is there anything that loves to eat sponge and that is reef safe?

 

[Bassett22]

They are generally harmless, but some can grow and smother coral. Some angelfish eat sponges, but might not be reef safe. Those ball sponges that are growing under rocks really wont cause any issues.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I like and encourage sponges. I even add silicate specifically for them.

There are a very few that become pests and one that may become a bad pest, but most are harmless and attractive. :)

 

[WetWhistle]

I also like to cultivate sponges as they are excellent filter feeders that help polish your water. Some even have symbiotic bacteria that live in them that use phosphates for growth.

 

[brandon429]

agreed so far. ive never come across one that was poisonous to surrounding corals or seemed to degrade the system in any way, or even die prematurely and cause problems that way (it seemed what appeared was suited)

i purposely buy quality live rock that has them on the rock for biodiversity import, and they dont die during the xfer as we just keep them submerged in bags or buckets.

that being said, they compete for vital space as all organisms must do, and in that they'll have periods of biomass boom and bust or slow decline, ive yet to see one take over and stay/ goodness knows my orange rope sponges wont do that, and id pay them to. sponge=fun to watch imo i like them. any localized damage from competition is all norm on the reef to me ive yet to meet an unwelcomed version but i read pineapple sponges are invasive and get them out if found.

 

[MikeW9788]

I like and encourage sponges. I even add silicate specifically for them.

There are a very few that become pests and one that may become a bad pest, but most are harmless and attractive. :)

Hi Randy, I have always believed exactly what you just wrote and I am inclined to believe you over anybody, but have you read the article five reasons why sponges are bad in a reef aquarium by Jake Adam's? I purposely transplanted sponges from my old system to my new one and now he has me second guessing myself. Not sure if his article is based on any scientific fact or is just an opinion. Is my yellow sponge and others bad? It's not out of control or anything and I always thought they were beneficial filter feeders. Anyway I am.inclined to believe you. I'm glad I read your thoughts before I started removing anything.