Purple looking sponge (looks like cyano) is taking over my tank

laurensvanpoucke · Jul 20, 2023

Hello,
the following sponge is taking over my tank. It's literally growing over ALL my rocks and covering the base of some corals.

I know it looks like cyano bacteria, but the thing underneath when trying to remove it manually is definitely a sponge like thing.
I tried removing it with a tweezer and during a water change, but it comes back VERY QUICK.

Anyone encountered this sponge already and how to remove it?
Are there any reefsafe predators that eats this kind of thing?

fishguy242 · Jul 20, 2023

Hi , 2nd pic looks like it's plating correct ?

Acros · Jul 20, 2023

It looks like cyano film, not sponge.

TheSheff · Jul 20, 2023

I have definitely had issues with sponges irritating corals before. I added a pygmy cherub angel and he seems to eat sponges whenever he sees them. Pygmy cherub angels aren't "reef safe" but it's pretty much a 50/50 chance as to whether or not it will be.

laurensvanpoucke · Jul 20, 2023

fishguy242 said:
Hi , 2nd pic looks like it's plating correct ?

no not plating, it's a thick sponge

laurensvanpoucke · Jul 20, 2023

Acros said:
It looks like cyano film, not sponge.

I'm 99% sure the "body" of this thing is a sponge. I'll try to add better pictures today. I'm not sure if this sponge has a top part of cyano. Nowhere else in my tank is cyano

laurensvanpoucke · Jul 20, 2023

TheSheff said:
I have definitely had issues with sponges irritating corals before. I added a pygmy cherub angel and he seems to eat sponges whenever he sees them. Pygmy cherub angels aren't "reef safe" but it's pretty much a 50/50 chance as to whether or not it will be.

oh good to know! this will be a better bet than for example a flame angel?

Acros · Jul 20, 2023

laurensvanpoucke said:
I'm 99% sure the "body" of this thing is a sponge. I'll try to add better pictures today. I'm not sure if this sponge has a top part of cyano. Nowhere else in my tank is cyano

Use a turkey baster and see if it still holds up like a sponge or breaks apart like cyano mat.

TheSheff · Jul 20, 2023

laurensvanpoucke said:
oh good to know! this will be a better bet than for example a flame angel?

oh for sure, i did a lot of research on angels before I bought the pygmy cherub and it seems to be the most reef safe of all of them.

laurensvanpoucke · Jul 20, 2023

Acros said:
Use a turkey baster and see if it still holds up like a sponge or breaks apart like cyano mat.

That's what I tried indeed. Turkey blaster is not enough. it's like a sponge. Even trying to 'suck it' from the rocks during water change is challenging and keeps coming back on same spots.

Because I tried the turkey blaster as well. Now my tank is FULL of this thing

Acros · Jul 20, 2023

laurensvanpoucke said:
That's what I tried indeed. Turkey blaster is not enough. it's like a sponge. Even trying to 'suck it' from the rocks during water change is challenging and keeps coming back on same spots.

Because I tried the turkey blaster as well. Now my tank is FULL of this thing

If it is a sponge, it shouldn’t come off at all.

The last pic looked like cyano to me. I might be wrong.

laurensvanpoucke · Jul 20, 2023

TheSheff said:
oh for sure, i did a lot of research on angels before I bought the pygmy cherub and it seems to be the most reef safe of all of them.

ok thanks! Also investigated the 'genicanthus'? I really like these to be honest. But first searching for solutions for this issue

laurensvanpoucke · Jul 20, 2023

Acros said:
If it is a sponge, it shouldn’t come off at all.

The last pic looked like cyano to me. I might be wrong.

Jep I know. Looks like cyano, but definitely sponge underneath. Let me try to take some better pictures today! keep you posted

JoJosReef · Jul 20, 2023

It may be a species of encrusting purple sponge:

<head> <title>Macroalgae For Marine Reef Aquariums: Purple Encrusting Sponge

I haven't had this problem before, but I understand that it can be quite aggressive and has to be dealt with similar to encrusting corals, i.e. scraped off

However, if it's a sponge, you might also have success taking the rock out of the water and exposing it to air. Sponges do not do well in air. Also a better place to be chipping away at it.

laurensvanpoucke · Jul 20, 2023

@Acros @TheSheff @fishguy242 here some other pictures when I plucked it off manually...

fishguy242 · Jul 20, 2023

JoJosReef said:
It may be a species of encrusting purple sponge:

<head> <title>Macroalgae For Marine Reef Aquariums: Purple Encrusting Sponge

I haven't had this problem before, but I understand that it can be quite aggressive and has to be dealt with similar to encrusting corals, i.e. scraped off

However, if it's a sponge, you might also have success taking the rock out of the water and exposing it to air. Sponges do not do well in air. Also a better place to be chipping away at it.

Believe this is it , searching for pics ATM,
@laurensvanpoucke , do you have any tangs ? what type ?

laurensvanpoucke · Jul 20, 2023

fishguy242 said:
Believe this is it , searching for pics ATM,
@laurensvanpoucke , do you have any tangs ? what type ?

It's not a hard sponge at all! it's very 'blubbery'. Don't know how to translate it.
I do have a yellow kole tang, blue hippo tang, blonde naso tang

fishguy242 · Jul 20, 2023

laurensvanpoucke said:
It's not a hard sponge at all! it's very 'blubbery'. Don't know how to translate it.
I do have a yellow kole tang, blue hippo tang, blonde naso tang

If same , which I believe is , purple , desjardini, sohal, convict tangs will eat.
will be back sometime today with pics.