ID Help

[davidflagg]

Whatever it is, it loves blue light. Didn't see these at all for the first few months until I switched to more blue-intense LEDs, then a week later they showed up. Does not form mats. Sort of bunches together in small green lumpy masses. Apparently hates shade, does not touch any shaded hardscape whatsoever.

It's starting to creep onto the zoa plugs. I'm guessing that's a bad thing.

 

[cdemoss01]

Whatever it is, it loves blue light. Didn't see these at all for the first few months until I switched to more blue-intense LEDs, then a week later they showed up. Does not form mats. Sort of bunches together in small green lumpy masses. Apparently hates shade, does not touch any shaded hardscape whatsoever.

It's starting to creep onto the zoa plugs. I'm guessing that's a bad thing.

@vetteguy53081 its a white lace sponge maybe.. Otherwise I have no idea its weird!

 

[davidflagg]

@vetteguy53081 its a white lace sponge maybe.. Otherwise I have no idea its weird!

I wondered if it was a sponge but I've yet to see a specimen that looks quite like this. I counted it out as a possibility because as far as I know, sponges always tend to have a filamentous or swiss cheese look, always dotted with holes and openings. This stuff is bulby and lumpy. Some encrusting sponges out there have a bit of a resemblance though.

 

[RainbowManatee]

They look like sponges. See if you can grab em and remove them with some tongs/forceps

 

[davidflagg]

They look like sponges. See if you can grab em and remove them with some tongs/forceps

They are easily detachable with forceps, yeah. Quite soft.

 

[davidflagg]

This stuff grow over coralline too. Pretty quickly. Which should be difficult for regular algae.

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Sponges don’t typically like high light, at least I thought that’s what I remember learning about them.

 

[davidflagg]

Sponges don’t typically like high light, at least I thought that’s what I remember learning about them.

Do they grow exclusively in shade? Does blue light make a difference?

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

I can’t speak for all sponges but most I’ve seen are in shaded areas.

I don’t know if spectrum matters or not.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Sponges don’t typically like high light, at least I thought that’s what I remember learning about them.

Do they grow exclusively in shade? Does blue light make a difference?

It depends on the sponge - some sponges are cryptic and only grow in the shade, others don't care, and others are photosynthetic like corals and prefer high lighting areas.

Colonial tunicates or sponges would be my first thought in this case, since it looks like they have little holes on the tips everywhere. Generally both are harmless filter feeders, some can be invasive and/or harmful.

In this case, they're likely at least somewhat invasive, but they may not be harmful. If you want to remove them, you should be able to do so (though at least with invasive sponges, they sometimes grow back from singular cells, so they can be very resilient, and you would want to try and prevent spreading any around in the tank), or you can monitor them and see if they stay in check in your tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Whatever it is, it loves blue light. Didn't see these at all for the first few months until I switched to more blue-intense LEDs, then a week later they showed up. Does not form mats. Sort of bunches together in small green lumpy masses. Apparently hates shade, does not touch any shaded hardscape whatsoever.

It's starting to creep onto the zoa plugs. I'm guessing that's a bad thing.

I see sponge , possible spinoid worm and some derbesia algae in pic

 

[davidflagg]

It depends on the sponge - some sponges are cryptic and only grow in the shade, others don't care, and others are photosynthetic like corals and prefer high lighting areas.

Colonial tunicates or sponges would be my first thought in this case, since it looks like they have little holes on the tips everywhere. Generally both are harmless filter feeders, some can be invasive and/or harmful.

In this case, they're likely at least somewhat invasive, but they may not be harmful. If you want to remove them, you should be able to do so (though at least with invasive sponges, they sometimes grow back from singular cells, so they can be very resilient, and you would want to try and prevent spreading any around in the tank), or you can monitor them and see if they stay in check in your tank.

Never crossed my mind to consider tunicates. Sounds possible. I can't find any examples that look the same but some get close. Always thought tunicates were cylindrical or ovular but apparently some have encrusting behavior.

The water is also squeaky clean. If these were sponges or tunicates, that would make sense. They'd be filtering out all the nutrients.

Do you know if zoas grow over them, or if they grow over zoas?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Never crossed my mind to consider tunicates. Sounds possible. I can't find any examples that look the same but some get close. Always thought tunicates were cylindrical or ovular but apparently some have encrusting behavior.

The water is also squeaky clean. If these were sponges or tunicates, that would make sense. They'd be filtering out all the nutrients.

Do you know if zoas grow over them, or if they grow over zoas?

It would depend on a number of factors, but I'd expect in most cases that an invasive (harmfully invasive, that is) sponge or tunicate would grow over the zoas.