Help with sponge infestation.

[Tcox]

Hi RC,

I have a 60 gallon cube that's been running for about 5 months. My parameters are in check. I've been running a low nutrient tank. In fact, I'm at low enough nutrient that I'm even having trouble keeping chaeto alive. Anyways, I am having sponges crop up in my frags. Not pineapple sponges, the white threadlike-tubelike sponges. They were growing underneath a sympodium frag, in which I had to remove, and frag the frag. Now I'm noticing the same type of sponge is growing at the base of acans and some of my zoas. The sponge makes the corals none-too-happy. I do spot feed my coral a pellet or two of PEmysis pellets or coral frenzy pellets.

How can I combat these sponges before they choke out my frags?

 

[Haunt]

If you can remove the corals that these sponges are on with ease a small wire brush can work wonders sometimes. A regular old toothbrush and perhaps some tweezers might work as well.

 

[ericarenee]

How is your nutrient levels in your tank. Nitrates and phosphates. Saying i have a LOW Nutrient tank while having issues like sponges algae and other invasive issues.. This likely means the infestation is absorbing the excess nutrients and there for your testing is not accurate.. basically the sponge infestation has became part of the nutrient export process . Consuming the nutrients and growing , So even thou you have low nutrients you likely need to tighten up on export and import of them.

Do you use RO/DI WATER ..
Is your tank over stocked..

Sponges Will self regulate based on food supply..

I think bumping up your water changes ,Controlling nutrient import and export is the best action to lower there numbers.. This goes for about any invasive algae or filter feeder..also removing them from a rock while the rock is in the water only helps them populate other areas of the tank.. Each cell of each sponge is a separate but Collective animal . So scrubbing them off only populates the tank quicker..


Good Luck

 

[ericarenee]

If you can remove the corals that these sponges are on with ease a small wire brush can work wonders sometimes. A regular old toothbrush and perhaps some tweezers might work as well.

This will only help them spread and populate the whole tank.. You could do it out of the tank using the two bucket method.. clean them in one bucket of salt water . then rinse them in another.. After each rock you rinse replace the water in the rinsing bucket

 

[Tcox]

How is your nutrient levels in your tank. Nitrates and phosphates. Saying i have a LOW Nutrient tank while having issues like sponges algae and other invasive issues.. This likely means the infestation is absorbing the excess nutrients and there for your testing is not accurate.. basically the sponge infestation has became part of the nutrient export process . Consuming the nutrients and growing , So even thou you have low nutrients you likely need to tighten up on export and import of them.

Do you use RO/DI WATER ..
Is your tank over stocked..

Sponges Will self regulate based on food supply..

I think bumping up your water changes ,Controlling nutrient import and export is the best action to lower there numbers.. This goes for about any invasive algae or filter feeder..also removing them from a rock while the rock is in the water only helps them populate other areas of the tank.. Each cell of each sponge is a separate but Collective animal . So scrubbing them off only populates the tank quicker..


Good Luck

I only have a total of 4 inches of fish in the system. I do only use RODI and change my filters at 1 TDS. I agree that my testing must not be totally accurate. I am using Salifert and Red Sea, but maybe my nutrients are already absorbed. I am currently changing about 25% every two weeks. Maybe I will do 20% per week? Would you expect these to die off as water improves?

 

[Haunt]

This will only help them spread and populate the whole tank.. You could do it out of the tank using the two bucket method.. clean them in one bucket of salt water . then rinse them in another.. After each rock you rinse replace the water in the rinsing bucket

lol I don't think you read my post clearly.

Btw, for a tank that's only 5 months old sponge growth like this is actually pretty common.

 

[ericarenee]

I only have a total of 4 inches of fish in the system. I do only use RODI and change my filters at 1 TDS. I agree that my testing must not be totally accurate. I am using Salifert and Red Sea, but maybe my nutrients are already absorbed. I am currently changing about 25% every two weeks. Maybe I will do 20% per week? Would you expect these to die off as water improves?

I have had this happen over the years on and off. I can always look back and often relate the sponge or algae growth or change to something i did. Its often with nutrient export or input changes..

So yes if it were me i would double up on water changes, Run Filter pad/socks for a bit and change them out every other day . washing them in bleach before reusing..
4 inches of fish does not really say much about nutrient input from them.as some fish eat more and use up the food as energy . some eat less and leave more food to end up in the sand. Some fish eat like pigs and just waste the energy in turn adding waste to the tank in there. ahh humm well END PRODUCT..

Curious what type of sponges do you have.Some of them appear and die out with no obvious cause or change...

a picture might help. What one calls a epidemic another might find as not a prob or..

 

[ericarenee]

for a tank that's only 5 months old sponge growth like this is actually pretty common.

This is True but is also a good time to start proper balance on nutrient export methods.

 

[Haunt]

Whether your running an ULNS or not, can we really limit sponge growth though? Just as an example, flip your rocks over. It's unfortunate that the OP's sponges are growing on his corals, but it's not really something I would panic about. (especially at 5 months)

 

[ZenGuitarGuy]

I had a pineapple sponge outbreak in month 3 of my setup. Now, 5 months after that, they are virtually all gone, but for a few stragglers. No effort on my part except for tank maintenance and managing nutrients. They are harmless in any case.