Help ID these sponges?

[TehBrainz]

I've had sponges for the longest time in the tank (first two pictures) but always assumed they were good. They've recently started blowing up in size though. I've recently seen new spongelike growths shown in the last two pictures, but they are different than what I've seen up to this point. Can anyone help ID? Or at least help me understand if these are all still "good"?

 

[WheatToast]

@Isopod80?
I would personally keep them.

 

[Isopod80]

The sponges are extremely difficult to positively i.d. from the photos. The "new" ones on the bottom 2 pics. appear to be Clathrina sp. The others, possibly Chondrilla sp. Sponge growth is generally seen as a sign of a healthy, mature tank. I personally have several varieties of sponge in my current system and have had them in nearly every past tank over the years. I happen to like the diversity. The thing to monitor is their spread. Certain varieties can spread very quickly and smother corals. Some varieties can also be quite toxic but if the types currently in your tank don't appear to be causing stress and you run carbon, I wouldn't worry about it. Pull, brush, or scrape any sections you wish to remove as they grow. The best time to do this is during a water change just in case the damaged sponge did release some toxin. Overall, if you monitor and trim them as needed, you can consider them a form of natural filtration. If growth becomes excessive, they can compete with coral, etc. for resources. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[TehBrainz]

The sponges are extremely difficult to positively i.d. from the photos. The "new" ones on the bottom 2 pics. appear to be Clathrina sp. The others, possibly Chondrilla sp. Sponge growth is generally seen as a sign of a healthy, mature tank. I personally have several varieties of sponge in my current system and have had them in nearly every past tank over the years. I happen to like the diversity. The thing to monitor is their spread. Certain varieties can spread very quickly and smother corals. Some varieties can also be quite toxic but if the types currently in your tank don't appear to be causing stress and you run carbon, I wouldn't worry about it. Pull, brush, or scrape any sections you wish to remove as they grow. The best time to do this is during a water change just in case the damaged sponge did release some toxin. Overall, if you monitor and trim them as needed, you can consider them a form of natural filtration. If growth becomes excessive, they can compete with coral, etc. for resources. Just something to keep in mind.

Awesome write up. I'll keep an eye on the spread and will trim as needed if at all.

I run carbon periodically so I'll consider running more often now!

 

[Isopod80]

Agreed, the toxicity levels of the random hitchiker sponges isn't well known in the hobby. Running carbon in a tank with a diverse sponge community is just a good practice.