Hitchhiker or growth??

Jholli90 · Oct 30, 2019

I actually have 2 issues, but I'm going to try and knock them out with one post. Parameters are good as the tank is fallow (Everyone is in quarantine until this Friday). Temp is 77 and salinity .25

I noticed both issues a couple days ago.
The 1st one effects my sponge. There are red spines growing from the bottom of it.
The next issue is effecting the entire tank. It is spreading quickly. It is small, flat, white circles that looks like mold. It is on some rocks, but mostly hermit shells. And I have no idea what either of them are.

Lovemyreef2015 · Oct 30, 2019

The red stuff looks like maybe another type of sponge or algae. And the white circles look like snail eggs. Hard to tell

flsalty · Oct 30, 2019

The red stuff looks like Gracilaria starting to grow. Did the sponge come attached to some substrate? They probably trimmed off some algae when it was collected. Can't help you on the white spots though. Maybe a closeup shot more in focus?

Jholli90 · Oct 30, 2019

flsalty said:
The red stuff looks like Gracilaria starting to grow. Did the sponge come attached to some substrate? They probably trimmed off some algae when it was collected. Can't help you on the white spots though. Maybe a closeup shot more in focus?

I think you're right about the Gracilaria, so that's one mystery down.
Here are some better pics of the white stuff.

Barrett · Oct 30, 2019

Do you have Nirite snails?

Barrett · Oct 30, 2019

Sorry Nerite snails

Jholli90 · Oct 30, 2019

Barrett said:
Sorry Nerite snails

Yes only 2, but that's all Noah needed lol . The crabs ate the others.

Barrett · Oct 30, 2019

The white spots look like nerite eggs.

Jholli90 · Oct 30, 2019

Barrett said:
The white spots look like nerite eggs.

You, and lovemyreef2015 are right. I assumed all snail eggs looked the same, and the nerites hadn't layed any eggs before. Or at least none that I have seen. My other snails are probably related to rabbits considering the rate they reproduce.

Jholli90 · Oct 30, 2019

Thank you for the identification.

Now I have a new question. I would like to have the algae growing in my tank, but not out of my sponge. It can't be good for it. How would I remove it without killing both of them?

flsalty · Oct 30, 2019

Jholli90 said:
Thank you for the identification.

Now I have a new question. I would like to have the algae growing in my tank, but not out of my sponge. It can't be good for it. How would I remove it without killing both of them?

I don't think the algae will hurt the sponge at all. After all, it came like that. You might end up hurting the sponge trying to remove it completely. To me, it would look very natural growing like that. If you don't like how it looks after it grows out, then you could cut it and stick it in a piece of rock somewhere else. Then you would just have to keep trimming the stuff at the base of the sponge. Of course I could be wrong and it could just pull out of where it is. Just take a close look to check.

Jholli90 · Oct 31, 2019

flsalty said:
I don't think the algae will hurt the sponge at all. After all, it came like that. You might end up hurting the sponge trying to remove it completely. To me, it would look very natural growing like that. If you don't like how it looks after it grows out, then you could cut it and stick it in a piece of rock somewhere else. Then you would just have to keep trimming the stuff at the base of the sponge. Of course I could be wrong and it could just pull out of where it is. Just take a close look to check.

I'm a big fan of contrast and think the colors will mix nicely. Since it won't harm the sponge I will leave it.