Are the pineapple sponges foreshadowing impeding doom

[New&no clue]

My sump has always been full of pineapple sponges, seriously full. Last night I was doing my regular water change and I was just checking everything out and I noticed all the sponges were gone! All I can picture is on the Titanic when the rats are fleeing... or any disaster movie where the animals take off right before **** hits the fan. Im worried something terrible is about to happen.

Is there a none catastrophic reason all the sponges would disappear?

 

[Zbryant]

Lower nutrients. Have you added any chemicals or changed up your nutrient import/export?

 

[MERKEY]

Test all your numbers....

Including salinity

 

[MikeIkerson]

Pineapple sponges use mostly silicates to grow. Once all of the silicates are gone from your water they will no longer grow.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Sponges require particulate food and silica.

unless you are adding these on purpose, many tanks end up losing their pineappe sponges as they mature, simply because one of these two things are in short supply.

 

[MERKEY]

Pineapple sponges use mostly silicates to grow. Once all of the silicates are gone from your water they will no longer grow.

This is a good lead...something that removes silicates can sometimes remove phos as well....double check

 

[Gareth elliott]

Mine usually get replaced by other filter feeders like tube worms as tank ages. But if started with dry rock its normal if this doesnt happen too.

if you have gorgs, this could be a sign to dose silica, otherwise nothing else should decline. Gorgs instead of a calcium skeleton create an inner skeleton of silica. I dose for silica for my gorgs for this reason, sponges tend to form on the dark areas of my tank. I dont like cleaning my pumps so dont let them get a foothold in my sump lol.

 

[New&no clue]

Okay, I’ll test during nap, or tonight. I haven’t changed anything, nothing new in or out. But it sounds like maybe it’s just the natural progression of the tank. Thanks for the replies

 

[Softhammer]

Totally 100% normal. I had tons once upon a time and now my tank is very established and healthy and i have none. Keep your focus on growing coral, not sponges.

 

[New&no clue]

Keep your focus on growing coral, not sponges.

Lol, okay good plan

 

[Katrina71]

Just part of the critters that come and go. Nothing to worry about.

 

[ca1ore]

My sump has always been full of pineapple sponges, seriously full. Last night I was doing my regular water change and I was just checking everything out and I noticed all the sponges were gone! All I can picture is on the Titanic when the rats are fleeing... or any disaster movie where the animals take off right before **** hits the fan.

Oh man, that made me laugh ..... very clever! I suspect that tank Armageddon is not just around the corner. These kinds of small flora/fauna seem to wax and wane for reasons that are not always clear and usually not a foreshadowing of disaster.

 

[Devaji]

Mine usually get replaced by other filter feeders like tube worms as tank ages. But if started with dry rock its normal if this doesnt happen too.

if you have gorgs, this could be a sign to dose silica, otherwise nothing else should decline. Gorgs instead of a calcium skeleton create an inner skeleton of silica. I dose for silica for my gorgs for this reason, sponges tend to form on the dark areas of my tank. I dont like cleaning my pumps so dont let them get a foothold in my sump lol.

I did not know this. you learn something new everyday on here!
so how do you does you tank with out casing other issues?
I am a gorg lover so this is info I need.

 

[saltyhog]

As above. Normal part of a tank maturing. Diatoms and pineapple sponges are similar in that they need silica. Once that is used up in a new tank, both tend to disappear. I don't think it's a sign of anything wrong....just maturation.

 

[Gareth elliott]

I did not know this. you learn something new everyday on here!
so how do you does you tank with out casing other issues?
I am a gorg lover so this is info I need.

I dont measure silica. i make a saturated solution of silica glass and dose under an amount that would cause my ph to move. Not very scientific, i know lol. But silica by itself does not cause a diatom bloom. Basically everything in your tank eats them. Dosing in a sterile newly cycled tank might cause a bloom, but i have never seen a bloom happen in a mature tank that didnt have something else happen that disrupted the ecosystem.
But silica glass will play with ph and is caustic in high amounts, wear gloves and go slow.