Need Help with What Appears to be an Aggressive Sponge Growth

[AKL1950]

I’ve got an area in my tank that has had this growth for some time, but it has stayed on the underside of the rocks and wasn’t a problem. I assume it’s some sort of sponge growth. It is now moving up the side of the rocks and starting to grow on the shadow side of Acro’s on the edge of the rock.

is there a way to control it, make it recede back away from the corals. Pretty much impossible to take the rock out.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

You can try injecting it with h2o2

 

[AKL1950]

You can try injecting it with h2o2

It covers about 16” on the underside of that rock. That would probably be a major task to remove it. I’m thinking the easiest thing to do will be remove the Acro frags it’s affecting, clean them and relocate them. The sponge is staying in the shadows and I don’t care if it’s there, I just don’t want it messing with the Acro’s.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

An urchin would probably take care of that very quickly, but i personally wouldn't worry. Sponge growth tends to sap trace heavy metals from the water, so I let the populations do what they want in my tanks. Even if it starts growing underneath your frags, there's very low risk of it directly hurting the coral.

 

[TheSheff]

An urchin would probably take care of that very quickly, but i personally wouldn't worry. Sponge growth tends to sap trace heavy metals from the water, so I let the populations do what they want in my tanks. Even if it starts growing underneath your frags, there's very low risk of it directly hurting the coral.

It must depend on the sponge because I had sponges growing up onto my alveopora forcing it to close up.

 

[AKL1950]

It must depend on the sponge because I had sponges growing up onto my alveopora forcing it to close up.

What instigated my concern was this Acro. It started looking bad and that’s when I noticed the sponge starting to grow on it. Not sure which is cause and effect. Did the coral start going down because the sponge got on it, or did the sponge get on it because the coral was already going down hill.