Hitchhiker Sponge ID

[thetim6]

I've had some 'base rock' for a few months now, and I have a few interesting looking organisms starting to grow.

Does anyone know what this is, and if it is safe/harmful? If I add a dwarf angelfish to my tank, will it eat the sponges?

Thanks in advance.

 

[thetim6]

No one has any clue?

I'll try to get a better pic if that one isn't clear enough. Let me know.

Are sponges an indicator of water quality, that is are sponges a bad sign or a good sign, or neither?

I have hundreds of sponges growing now, it looks like predominantly two different species. One type is the pictured type, it appears to have spicules but they aren't visible in the picture. The other is more cylindrical and has a ring of cilia/tentacles around the major opening at the top of the sponge, almost appearing to be a tiny anemone.

 

[lancer99]

The second one sounds like Sycon/Scypha sponge...harmless. IME they're not much of an indicator of water quality, and I don't know whether a dwarf angel will eat them.

-R

 

[thetim6]

The second type is indeed a type of scypha sponge.


Thanks lancer99.


Have you ever seen any that look similar to the one pictured?

 

[luke33]

I have a nice piece of rock with pry about a 3"x3" piece on it. Its grown a bit, but nothing out of control. My rock beauty angel wants nothing to do with it and he eats sponge all the time.

 

[Jazmine18]

I have those all over my rocks...Im glad they arnt bad..

 

[thetim6]

new pics

new pics

Heres a new pictures with a little bit better clarity. And also I got a crappy picture of the other type of sponge (they are all smaller) and a few pictures of two other unidentified invertebrates.

 

[Diatome]

Last two pics are hydroids.

 

[luke33]

^^^yep, thats the only bad thing i see.

 

[thetim6]

The last two pics, or the last three pics? The last picture is hard to make out, but those little tentacles sticking up out of the rocks are all over.

The 3rd and 4th picture are actually the same picture, I just cropped and zoomed the pic in.

I'm about to search hydroids and find out some info about them, thanks a lot guys!

EDIT: Alright, I just searched hydroids but that is a little bit too broad on it's own! What risk do these creatures pose? Will there pelagic form harm my fish or do they even have one?

 

[Diatome]

Sorry. The last three are. The last one I can't remember the name of but they can cover rocks and you will know it if you encounter them because they are like nettles (if you know what those are). You will feel the little stings. I wouldn;t worry about either as they may be the type to come and go but worth keeping an eye on.