A sponge grew?

[ThisCityIsDead]

Ummm today while I target fed my corals, I noticed something soft touch my pinky. This is what that soft thing was. Is this a sponge... I did not add it myself and it wasn't there before, and if it was, then it wasn't as big as it is now.

 

[Crooked Reef]

If you are talking about the thing right above the shrimp it looks to be a sponge to me. They grow on their own. It was likely on the rock for a long time and you never noticed it.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Yes. That thing. Is it a specific type of sponge? The LFS guy did point one dead one when I bought some live rocks. He also said it would probably grow back.

 

[joshky]

Hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like/is most likely a pineapple sponge.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Are they bad? I noticed one is growing on my gsp

 

[joshky]

I'm sure there are some nuisance sponges, but they aren't common if there are and I can't think of any. Pineapple sponges are not bad.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Do they at least grow looking nice or interesting. Hehe. Or do most people get rid of them?

 

[apexkeeper]

They are harmless unless they start growing in your pumps or plumbing. And no they don't grow looking nice, just little white blobs. But luckily they don't seem to like light so they tend to stay hidden. No need to remove them at all. Just let them be.

 

[m0nkie]

make sure they don't grow on your equipment. otherwise they are good filters themselves.

first you will see those yellowish sponge.. they will look like this forever.. not pretty.. in a few months, you will see an explosion of pineapple sponges. I have thousands of them grown in my sump

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Do they harm the equipment? Do they grow in bad quality water?

 

[m0nkie]

it's just part of cycle.. you will see lot of population boom and declines.. snails, pods, sponge, etc..

just make sure it doesn't grow on your pump.. it might damage the pump over time

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

I did notice a sponge just floating around the tank last night. I just took it out of the tank and placed it in the sump.


What should I cover my powerheads with. I've tried a panty hose. I want something that won't get clogged that fast:/

 

[m0nkie]

I cover my MP10 with their own cover. it's like a sponge around the entire powerhead.

I cover my WP40s with plastic gutter guards.

these covers are to prevent my anemone from going in.. not to keep them clean. I have tons of stomatella snail cleaning the powerheads daily.

 

[whosurcaddie]

Pineapple sponges are beneficial they help in the uptake of silicate.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

I want to cover my powerheads for protection, too. I lost my seahare to the powerhead. I hear fishnets are okay to use too. I'll have to look into the gutter guards. Where do you get them? HomeDepot?

 

[m0nkie]

homedepot or lowes. just make sure it's not metal. any plastic works.

ectotech makes their own if you have MPs

gutter guard vs ecotech

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Our Home Depot didn't have any in stock. Sooo, I'm going to lowes next. I was thinking of getting some window screen used for windows but I'm not sure if that is a good idea. What's your other cover made of. Foam?
Ps: nice elekid

 

[m0nkie]

the other one is foam guard made for MPs.. so if you have the expensive powerhead, you can just use their oem foam