What are all these white tendrils?

[mh0ward]

Like the title says, anyone know what all these white tendril-looking things are? They’re not vermatid snail tubes and are soft, not hard. Some look a little more like finer plant roots and others are larger and seem a little more tubular.

 

[mythesis]

The thicker ones look like sponges. I have them all over my tank. No idea where they came from or how to get rid of them.

The only thing they seem to bother is the Zoa colony, where they wrap themselves all around the various stalks and seems to inhibit extension/growth (not due to stinging or anything, just due to being there).

 

[Subsea]

Where did live rock come from? How long in tank and how long has tank been set up? I would guess a macro algae.

 

[mh0ward]

I’m fairly certain they’re not sponges, they just don’t seem to be porous like a sponge. I do have some sponges though, there are some pineapple sponges and there are some pinkish purple “patches” of what look like sponges… you can see one of those in that pic a little to the right of top center.

 

[mh0ward]

Where did live rock come from? How long in tank and how long has tank been set up? I would guess a macro algae.

Rock started as dry Marco rock and has been running right at 2 years. I don’t think it is macro algae. It mostly seems to exist in the more shadowy areas of that rock.

 

[Subsea]

Rock started as dry Marco rock and has been running right at 2 years. I don’t think it is macro algae. It mostly seems to exist in the more shadowy areas of that rock.

Looks like some green hair algae mixed in with it? Or is that the Zoa’s?

What’s in your cuc?

 

[Subsea]

Rock started as dry Marco rock and has been running right at 2 years. I don’t think it is macro algae. It mostly seems to exist in the more shadowy areas of that rock.

I doubt you will get a specific ID. What’s more important is how to manage. Add appropriate janitors: fish, snails, urchins and you as the biggest janitor. Does a toothbrush loosen them.

 

[mh0ward]

Looks like some green hair algae mixed in with it? Or is that the Zoa’s?

What’s in your cuc?

There is some green turf algae on the rocks, yes, but that’s not what I’m referring to. I’m referring to all the white stuff.

Also, there is nothing that seems to eat it. CUC consists of a cleaner shrimp, ceriths, trochus, nassarius, Mexican turbo, and a tiger conch. I’d mainly just like to know what it is, it’s not going to be possible for me to manually remove it all, it’s growing between cracks in rocks, etc… it seems to prefer the dark.

 

[Subsea]

If it likes the dark, it’s most likely a cryptic sponge or in the category of Steve Tyree stuff, titled the Cryptic Zone.

REEF FARMERS

Farming coral reef ocean life in captivity.

www.reeffarmers.com

 

[mh0ward]

I’ll check that out, thanks!

 

[mh0ward]

If it likes the dark, it’s most likely a cryptic sponge or in the category of Steve Tyree stuff, titled the Cryptic Zone.

REEF FARMERS

Farming coral reef ocean life in captivity.

www.reeffarmers.com

I believe you may be right... they look a lot like that longhorn sponge. Never would have guessed a sponge, they just seemed too dense and nonporous, almost like rubber! It looks like that other may be a purple encrusting sponge.