How do i get rid of pineapple sponges

Joshua Agostoni · Mar 28, 2018

Ever since i started my tank ive had pineapple sponges in my sump but not in my main display, i did some research on the forums and found out their harmless. However over time there are tons of them now.

How do i remove them ( i know i can just clean my sump i plan on it ) if there is another way i'd like to know.

How do i prevent them from coming back..

I'm worried that they might get into my protein skimmers pump and my other pumps and cause them to malfunction.

cmcoker · Mar 28, 2018

They grow in my skimmer chamber but haven't had problems with them in any if the pumps. I don't really worry about them.

Silicates in the tank can contribute to sponge growth, so maybe check if silica is breaking through your rodi. If so you could add a silicabuster cartridge from spectrapure, if you wish to limit their growth

timnem70 · Apr 18, 2018

Get rid of them? Seriously? They are what your refugium is for man. Great filter feeders. Its the low light high nutrient rufugium system you've created. Leave them alone.

DQM5 · Apr 18, 2018

why get rid of them?? they are harmless, they are actually beneficial cause they filter the water. imo you should keep them, since they are in your sump. i have plenty in mines

but that's totally up to you.

removing them probably use a useless credit card scaping them and then siphon them out.

1979fishgeek · Apr 20, 2018

I agree on the silicates being a contributing factor in sponge growth, I use NSW with naturally high silicates and get crazy sponge growth with numerous species dominanting all areas of the tank. If you do want them gone decreasing silicates will have a effect.

60CubeReefer · Apr 20, 2018

Mine came and went. One day noticed a bunch all over the place. Within a couple weeks, all gone.

Fudsey · Apr 20, 2018

I have tons of them in my sump and growing on my rock it my DT. I started with dry rock and I'm sure that's where my silicates come from.

But if they do something good, why destroy that?

EDIT: A pic for ref.

Kamden Uelton · Apr 20, 2018

They are very helpful, They act as a natural skimmer you shouldn't want to get rid of them... but if you really want to get rid of them I found that Hypselodoris Kanga eats Pineapple Sponge (the nudibranch is rare and you probably won't be able to find it in aquarium stores

.)

1979fishgeek · Apr 20, 2018

If it’s a tank less than a year old I expect lots of changes will take place, pineapple sponges were all over my tank in the first year now I get more interesting species instead.... Yellow ones, white ones, dark red, pink, orange, blue and one that unfortunately looks like liver! Lol

I’d take it as a sign you have a healthy reef, you are doing something right and your tank has lots of biodiversity.

Few of mine, all beneficial.

timnem70 · Apr 20, 2018

Hard and soft varieties. Forgive the aptasia in the 3rd pic. Im going hunting tommorrow for em. This tank is really mature and I love looking in the crevices and crannies and seeing, yellow, black and flesh colored Sponges. Sump is full of them and other Stuff.

1979fishgeek · Apr 20, 2018

My fourth pic had a Aiptasia hiding in plan site as well! Lol

Love sponges, you got some lovely ones.

norfolkgarden · Apr 20, 2018

Joshua Agostoni said:
Ever since i started my tank ive had pineapple sponges in my sump but not in my main display, i did some research on the forums and found out their harmless. However over time there are tons of them now.

How do i remove them ( i know i can just clean my sump i plan on it ) if there is another way i'd like to know.

How do i prevent them from coming back..

I'm worried that they might get into my protein skimmers pump and my other pumps and cause them to malfunction.

Lol, please send them to me!
I want more.

Reefkeeper12 · Jan 14, 2020

timnem70 said:
Get rid of them? Seriously? They are what your refugium is for man. Great filter feeders. Its the low light high nutrient rufugium system you've created. Leave them alone.

Actually if you care about corals you’ll remove those pesky sponges, because the sponges IME take out the trace minerals your corals need and you spend time replenishing via adding nutrients or water changes. True most sponges utilize silica for their exoskeleton and therefore have no need for calcium or carbonate however they do utilize most of the other reef trace minerals your corals use.

I love my corals I don’t need to be overdosing nutrients to keep my corals happy cause the sponges are stealing the good stuff from them.

Louisthefishguy · Feb 3, 2021

Reefkeeper12 said:
Actually if you care about corals you’ll remove those pesky sponges, because the sponges IME take out the trace minerals your corals need and you spend time replenishing via adding nutrients or water changes. True most sponges utilize silica for their exoskeleton and therefore have no need for calcium or carbonate however they do utilize most of the other reef trace minerals your corals use.

I love my corals I don’t need to be overdosing nutrients to keep my corals happy cause the sponges are stealing the good stuff from them.

I had one on 2 of my frags so going to look if there are more.
I don’t dose so wouldn’t want the corals running out of nutrients.