Is this normal??

[L8ndeb]

Hi All,

Got this group about 3 weeks ago. Just wondering what that is growing out the bottom, and is it normal? If not, what do I do? TIA

 

[blackthunda77]

Random sponges it looks like to me, if so, they are harmless.

 

[650-IS350]

sponges, could be harmless unless they start to grow and suffacate your polyps, if so just use nippers or clips to rip the sponges off.

 

[L8ndeb]

sponges, could be harmless unless they start to grow and suffacate your polyps, if so just use nippers or clips to rip the sponges off.

Well, it appears what I have growing on my Zoas are taking over and smothering them. Is my only recourse to remove them and peroidically clip and rip off the sponge?

 

[mayjong]

1.remove frag from water for 2-3 minutes. zoas will be fine, sponges not so much.

if that doesn't work
2.dip them in fresh RODI water (same temp as tank) zoas will be fine, sponges not so much...

 

[650-IS350]

use nippers or something to rip them off the polyps and frags.

 

[L8ndeb]

Mahjong,

Have you tried the dip before? How long do you dip for?

 

[L8ndeb]

OK Guys,

My wife and I spent the evening ripping and scrubbing the sponges off a couple of Zoa frags. My next question, will I be doing this for the rest of my life? I did try a freshwater dip, and the sponges didn't seem to like it. I am wondering how long can I dip before injuring the Zoas? Any suggestions?? TIA

 

[A. Grandis]

Not all the sponges are "bad".
There are sponges that can grow between the polyps with no harm at all.
The key is observe and see what happens. If there is no irritation (closed polyps) I wouldn't bother with removing them.
Those are small structured sponges and most of the time not a big deal.

I would relax and not go crazy about the event. You did remove the sponges and now try to enjoy your tank. Act only if necessary. If you have to deal with a problem you just have to do it. Please don't get frustrated nor upset because of the time spent removing the sponges. There are other bigger problems that would drive you nuts, like Aiptasia and others...

Enjoy!

Grandis.

 

[bubonic]

You can dip zoas for quite a while but wouldnt make a pratice of it. They recede to the protection of their "tube" which protects them a bit. 5 min is safe 10min might be, but i would start to get nervous of stress at that timeframe. Scrape the sponge then the next day dip in fresh. The combo might do the trick

 

[L8ndeb]

Not all the sponges are "bad".
There are sponges that can grow between the polyps with no harm at all.
The key is observe and see what happens. If there is no irritation (closed polyps) I wouldn't bother with removing them.
Those are small structured sponges and most of the time not a big deal.

I would relax and not go crazy about the event. You did remove the sponges and now try to enjoy your tank. Act only if necessary. If you have to deal with a problem you just have to do it. Please don't get frustrated nor upset because of the time spent removing the sponges. There are other bigger problems that would drive you nuts, like Aiptasia and others...

Enjoy!

Grandis.

Grandis,

Yeah, I pretty aware that not all sponges are bad. However, these had grown over the zoas. The zoas were completely closed, and the sponge had grown over the top of the frag. They were smothered. Just wondering if this is going to become a weekly cleaning.

 

[L8ndeb]

You can dip zoas for quite a while but wouldnt make a pratice of it. They recede to the protection of their "tube" which protects them a bit. 5 min is safe 10min might be, but i would start to get nervous of stress at that timeframe. Scrape the sponge then the next day dip in fresh. The combo might do the trick

Thanks bubonic for the tip. I will try it next time. As I said above, I don't want this to become a weekly cleaning. It is a p.i.t.a.

 

[bubonic]

In the same breath i agree with grandis. If its non invasive let it be. If its causing irritation thats when the "hand of god" needs to intervene

 

[A. Grandis]

Grandis,

Yeah, I pretty aware that not all sponges are bad. However, these had grown over the zoas. The zoas were completely closed, and the sponge had grown over the top of the frag. They were smothered. Just wondering if this is going to become a weekly cleaning.

Well, if that's the case, yes, you should keep an eye on them, but normally after deep cleaning them off the frags and rocks should be fine. Take a look once in a while and remove the sponges if they come back. I wouldn't think of it as a huge deal. Just keep' em in check. No too bad, I would say.
Good luck!

Grandis.