Please help I'd this for me

Deep Dive Aquatics · Dec 12, 2022

I have these things all over my tank. I don't know what they are or from what frag they may have came in on. They seem to be eating my pods which I'm not too happy about because there's so many and I just bought. They do seem to grow everywhere even on coral in one case for sure. I'd love to know if the are bad and how to get rid of them.

fishski13 · Dec 12, 2022

those are pineapple sponges, harmless filter feeders

ISpeakForTheSeas · Dec 12, 2022

Agreed with the above - pineapple sponges (genus Sycon). They're not actually capable of eating pods, as the pods are too big for them (and most other sponges too). They have been demonstrated to be capable of eating tiny microalgae (less than 20 microns) and bacteria though.

JTP424 · Dec 12, 2022

+1 Pineapple sponges. I had an infestation when I first started a 15 gallon. Based on the rock color...looks like a new-ish tank? Took me a few weeks of scrubbing the rocks of them and picking them out of my filter to get them to not come back. Not "harmful" but can become burdensome as they can reproduce quickly. If you like them, let them be, if not, let the tank cycle more (if it's new) and keep removing them physically till they don't come back.

ISpeakForTheSeas · Dec 12, 2022

JTP424 said:
+1 Pineapple sponges. I had an infestation when I first started a 15 gallon. Based on the rock color...looks like a new-ish tank? Took me a few weeks of scrubbing the rocks of them and picking them out of my filter to get them to not come back. Not "harmful" but can become burdensome as they can reproduce quickly. If you like them, let them be, if not, let the tank cycle more (if it's new) and keep removing them physically till they don't come back.

Just to add to this - pineapple sponges are common in new tanks, and they typically go away on their own after a while (their population typically booms then busts in our tanks).

Deep Dive Aquatics · Dec 12, 2022

Thank you all for the help! I looked online and couldn't find it anywhere. Set up this account mainly to find out what they are. I'll remove as much as I can when I can.