Sponge?

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This is a picture from my FOWLR tank. I assume what's growing on the coral skeleton is sponge? It has that consistency. I have been dosing with vinegar an vodka for about 2 years and I do get a white film on the glass, but again assume this is sponge?

Scale the white 'sponge' is approximately 5 inches at the widest point.
551.jpg
 
Can you get better image? But if it looks like a sponge, and feels like a sponge....
Thanks for the reply. Hard to get the phone totally in focus, but here's a shot of what I could zoom in on....
551.jpg
 
Yeah, that's a sponge.

Edit: To add, the vast majority of sponges are harmless filters-feeders, but some may be invasive and/or chemically harmful to corals:
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.
 
Last edited:
This is a picture from my FOWLR tank. I assume what's growing on the coral skeleton is sponge? It has that consistency. I have been dosing with vinegar an vodka for about 2 years and I do get a white film on the glass, but again assume this is sponge?

Scale the white 'sponge' is approximately 5 inches at the widest point.
551.jpg
Clatharina sponge and can be invasive potentially taking ovr a given coral
 
Never said to get rid of it- It again can continue its growth and overtake rock/coral
I have notice what I believe are sponges popping up all over my rock work. I have read they are beneficial but at what point do I take action? I don't want them taking over and at this point they are all over. Semi small patches but still. Nothing seems bothered by them. It's hard to get a good Pic of them. Can anyone confirm? If so what do I do with them?
 

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I have notice what I believe are sponges popping up all over my rock work. I have read they are beneficial but at what point do I take action? I don't want them taking over and at this point they are all over. Semi small patches but still. Nothing seems bothered by them. It's hard to get a good Pic of them. Can anyone confirm? If so what do I do with them?
These are tunicate sponge and filter feeders.
Some are beneficial while some are or can be invasive
 
What should I do?
These are safe and pretty however to avoid a take over- I often thin them out. Enjoy them and keep an eye on growth, but if you want them gone, inject them with vinegar and they will shrink away
 
I have notice what I believe are sponges popping up all over my rock work. I have read they are beneficial but at what point do I take action? I don't want them taking over and at this point they are all over. Semi small patches but still. Nothing seems bothered by them. It's hard to get a good Pic of them. Can anyone confirm? If so what do I do with them?
Those are definitely sponges (tunicates are an entirely different kind of creature - sponges are from the taxonomic phylum Porifera, and tunicates are from the subphylum Tunicata in the phylum Chordata).

It doesn't sound like yours are harmful, but if you want to remove them, the injecting method vetteguy describes above is a good place to start (some sponges are resilient and very hard to get rid of, but injection seems to have a good track record for most).
 
That makes me feel better! I appreciate both of your responses. I'll leave them be for now, but I definitely see myself having to use vinegar.
 
Take away - a creature's life or death hinges on its aesthetic value to its keeper
 

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