What is the ?

[Lowe]

Hey guys just noticed this on one of my rocks in the tank.. Not sure what it is ... Any idea

 

[CastAway]

That is an awesome sponge. Very healthy sign.

 

[Lowe]

So it is a sponge? Ok why is that a good sign just curious?

 

[Milkmanskid]

Yeah sponge. Good sign along with Pods. Means your tank is overall very healthy to see life like that.

 

[Salt Creep]

looks like a spaghetti sponge maybe

 

[Lowe]

Ok cool so just did a little reading.. Sponges are a good thing to have .. I have a nice orange yellowish one on the other side of the tank.. But this one just popped up and surprised me .. Do they help with nitrates at all?

 

[CastAway]

Well, it's debatable of course, like anything in this hobby it seems, but typically sponges are a sign of good water chemistry and overall system maturity, imo. Although they are formed from silicates, their presence is not necessarily a sign of an excess of silicates. They are fine filter feeders. A gifted reefer once told me that SPS won't really thrive until sponges are present. In my ignorance and/or naiveté , I've just trusted that.

Some sponges can be sort of invasive, taking over zoa colonies for example, and crowding out other things, but not for the most part, ime.

 

[CastAway]

I have colonies of encrusting purple, yellow and black sponges, plus the obligatory ball and pineapple sponges.

 

[Milkmanskid]

Took this a second ago. Mine come out of nowhere to and is about 6 months old.

 

[Lowe]

Now I do have some purple spots here and there ... Looks either like purple algea or maybe a sponge... I'll take a pic in a few

 

[CastAway]

This is the only picture I had on my camera. Crappy, but shows the ball, purple and black sponges.

 

[Salt Creep]

Now I do have some purple spots here and there ... Looks either like purple algea or maybe a sponge... I'll take a pic in a few

is it hard or soft? if hard it could be coralline starting to grow, if soft most likely a sponge.