Stringy white…. Sponge?

[ZzyzxRiver]

These stringy white things just popped up on some rock in my tank. I’m guessing sponge, based on their…. Spongelike texture. But does anyone know what they are? They’re floppy and wave around with the flow.

 

[Steven Garland]

Need an imagine actually showing what you need an ID on.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Probably a sponge, could you get a better picture?

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Need an imagine actually showing what you need an ID on.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Probably a sponge, could you get a better picture?

I’ll try again when my water clears up after doing maintenance today. It’s at a weird angle for me to get a good photo unfortunate, but we’ll see what I can get.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

While we’re on the subject of sponges—I’m dealing with a nutrient crash, and I’m wondering whether the pineapple sponges in the back of my AIO might be part of the problem? There are a lot of them. They haven’t been bothering me because they aren’t visible, but I’m getting cyano as a result of 0 phosphates.

 

[BristleWormHater]

While we’re on the subject of sponges—I’m dealing with a nutrient crash, and I’m wondering whether the pineapple sponges in the back of my AIO might be part of the problem? There are a lot of them. They haven’t been bothering me because they aren’t visible, but I’m getting cyano as a result of 0 phosphates.

Sponges don't really use no3 or po4 at all, so they aren't the problem. They mianly use silica and phytoplankton.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Sponges don't really use no3 or po4 at all, so they aren't the problem. They mianly use silica and phytoplankton.

That’s a problem too! I’m not dosing phyto for a bunch of sponges to steal!! How do I get them out? Just scrub around and dislodge them into the display tank where something will eat them?

 

[BristleWormHater]

That’s a problem too! I’m not dosing phyto for a bunch of sponges to steal!! How do I get them out? Just scrub around and dislodge them into the display tank where something will eat them?

They are so tiny, there is plenty of phyto to go around. Sponges are an overall positive for the tank, they take up silica before algae can use it. I would leave them, they are a welcome part of the tank to me.

 

[Steven Garland]

You do realize they are a vital part of a maturing ecosystem,right ? If they are not visually unsightly why do away with them. I feel like you may want to so some research on a captive ecosystem such as a reef tank.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

You do realize they are a vital part of a maturing ecosystem,right ? If they are not visually unsightly why do away with them. I feel like you may want to so some research on a captive ecosystem such as a reef tank.

I’m just panicking over my zeroing out nitrates and phosphates and the cyano bloom it’s causing. Otherwise very happy about cultivating a diverse biome in my tiny tank!

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

Okay now I’m thinking it’s actually eggs of some sort, as it appeared on macroalgae on the other end of the tank. The only critters it COULD be are cerith or Astraea snails, or my clowns but I doubt the latter.

Sorry for the bad video, the macro is covered with air bubbles that I can’t get my pump to stop spewing, and it looks very similar to the stringy thing, which is right in the middle of the frame floating around.