Crystal Ball?

[Adrian Em]

Hi guys. Added Chaeto to my sump a week ago without dipping like a proper noob. Went to do some maintenance today and saw an object that looks like a clear ball. Pictures attached. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hi guys. Added Chaeto to my sump a week ago without dipping like a proper noob. Went to do some maintenance today and saw an object that looks like a clear ball. Pictures attached. Any help would be appreciated.

The pics aren't showing up for me.

 

[Adrian Em]

The pics aren't showing up for me.

Sorry. Technical difficulties. Should be visible now.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Sorry. Technical difficulties. Should be visible now.

By chance, could you get some pics of it under white light?

 

[Adrian Em]

By chance, could you get some pics of it under white light?

At work now. I'll try again tomorrow. Just want to know if I should get this thing out of my sump ASAP. Its sitting on top of a mesh bag that holds my bio balls

 

[CK00020]

Take it out
May be a pineapple sponge but it looks weird, id yank it
That’s what she said

 

[Adrian Em]

Take it out
May be a pineapple sponge but it looks weird, id yank it
That’s what she said

Read that those aren't harmful?

 

[AydenLincoln]

I agree with a sponge but hard to identify what kind in the photo.

 

[olonmv]

Read that those aren't harmful?

They’re not. Harmless filter feeders and eventually go away on their own. What you have kinda looks like a bleached bubble algae. The 3rd pic looks like detritus has settled on it.

 

[CK00020]

Sponge isn’t harmful, but not that beneficial either so if not 100% sure I’d take it out

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I'm not familiar with any translucent, ball-shaped sponges, so I'd actually guess it's a tunicate (translucent, ball-shaped tunicates are relatively common) - but without a pic under white light, it's very hard to say for certain (and it could very be something like bleached bubble algae).

Either way, tunicates and sponges like this would be harmless/beneficial filter feeders (I'd keep it if it's either of those - bleached bubble algae might even be beneficial in a sump/refugium setup as long as it can't spread to the DT from it).

 

[Adrian Em]

Here it is with better lighting.

 

[Adrian Em]

I'm not familiar with any translucent, ball-shaped sponges, so I'd actually guess it's a tunicate (translucent, ball-shaped tunicates are relatively common) - but without a pic under white light, it's very hard to say for certain (and it could very be something like bleached bubble algae).

Either way, tunicates and sponges like this would be harmless/beneficial filter feeders (I'd keep it if it's either of those - bleached bubble algae might even be beneficial in a sump/refugium setup as long as it can't spread to the DT from it).

Better pictures posted.

 

[Adrian Em]

Sponge isn’t harmful, but not that beneficial either so if not 100% sure I’d take it out

I’m leaning that way. Just kinda curious at this point.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Better pictures posted.

I can see one opening into that ball in the pics (which means it's either a sponge or tunicate, so it's a harmless/beneficial filter feeder) - is there a second opening anywhere? If there are two openings, it's almost certainly a tunicate.