Please help identify weird algae?

[rea1975]

I have recently had an explosion of this brown short algae. I can blow it off rocks and coral but it is spreading very fast. Water parameters are good verified by recent ICP. I feel like I have seen it before but just a little here and a little there but recently it is everywhere.
Please help identify and if you know a natural predator for it.
Thank you all in advance!

 

[Reef.]

My total guess would be not algae but sponge?

 

[rea1975]

My total guess would be not algae b

My total guess would be not algae but sponge?

Interesting! It does not grow long so maybe do. Any idea why it has blown up? Any natural way to get rid if it?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

What kind of CUC do you have?

 

[rea1975]

What kind of CUC do you have?

Couple of large urchins, various snails, and a few crabs, not very many crabs

 

[Reef.]

Interesting! It does not grow long so maybe do. Any idea why it has blown up? Any natural way to get rid if it?

If it is sponge it’s not a bad pest so to speak but maybe just something you don’t want, some people actually deliberately try and grow it in theirs tanks…check your silica as I believe sponge feed on that, reducing that may help and physical removal shouldn’t harm anything, again working on the premise it is sponge.

 

[rea1975]

If it is sponge it’s not a bad pest so to speak but maybe just something you don’t want, some people actually deliberately try and grow it in theirs tanks…check your silica as I believe sponge feed on that, reducing that may help and physical removal shouldn’t harm anything, again working on the premise it is sponge.

I have never cared about sponges before, but this is taking over and it is growing/attaching to corals. I will check silica levels. Thank you.