Yellow Sponge, Purple Nudibranch

[stephenhall1987]

My display tank is covered with yellow sponge. There's sponge growing on every rock. I've already lost corals to the sponge choking them out. Any one have experience with this? Anything eat it? The sponge looks like this:

I read on melevsreef that the purple nudibranch (Chromodoris bullocki, Hypselodoris bullocki) might eat it. My potters angel and my copperband butterfly are not interested.

I did research, and then ordered one from lfs. Came in today. Placed it in my tank and it keeps crawling to the water surface, reaching out, and eventually gets swept away in the current. lands and repeats. I know it's either going to get sucked up into a powerhead or into the overflow.

I fully understand that it will not live long term, and may not even eat my sponge problem. I think the sponge may be in the Aplysilla family.

Any one have suggestions on what to do? Or anywhere to research this sponge?

 

[Boom]

I use those yellow sponges as an indicator for health in my tank. If my iodine and Mg levels are low it stops growing and the yellow fades. I had really good success controlling sponges by injecting them with air using a fine hypodermic needle. Vinegar works well too. I'm various to know if there is a fish out there that will eat them.

 

[stephenhall1987]

The purple nudibranch continued his parasailing routine for a week, then he disappeared. Think he may have went into the overflow. I never saw him eat any sponge. Melev's reef also mentions that lawnmower blennies might chew on it. I might have to try that.

I thought the sponge was really cool when it first started growing. But then it was popping up everywhere. When it started killing corals, I decided it needed to go, but I don't know how. I've got 400 pounds of rock in the tank, so it'd be quiet the task to treat each individual sponge, or even pull the rock out and scrub it.