Ongoing sponge battle

[Will Wohlers]

Anyone have a good method for killing sponges? I have these long greyish colored tube sponges everywhere and they're starting to grow over some sps colonies. I've tried tooth brush and a siphon I've tried exposing to air plus limiting my nutrients. These jerks are the devil. They come back and if you break a piece off and don't catch it the dang things seed wherever it lands. I'm about at my wits end. Any fish or invert that will eat these things and not munch on my sps? HELP

 

[DSC reef]

As far as I know manual removal is best. The more I fed the tank the more sponge that grew. I would just double down on manual removal.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Both inverts and fish that eat sponges might be dicey. Angelfish might ignore the sponges and eat your corals(plus need a tank large enough to keep them)
Nudibranches that eat sponges are rather specific, they tend to eat one genus only. There are some reef safe starfish that will snack on sponges like formica indica. But no guarantee they will what you have, mine really likes pineapple sponges, doesnt touch my tree sponge. Also are not the easiest invert to keep alive.

 

[29bonsaireef]

Angels will help with most sponges, but then they may nip at corals. I used to have a yellow sponge that grew everywhere and when I lowered my lights a lot of it bleach out and died.

 

[jda]

More light. If I am understanding what you are describing, I have never had them grow anywhere near the light... less shadows means less sponge. Does these grow in the shadows or out in the open?

I have a dwarf angel that will eat the ones that he can get to. The rest are out of the way in the shadows where they do not really bother anything.

 

[Will Wohlers]

I'm blasting the tank with light and while they don't grow as serious out in the light the still send runners up the rocks into the light. What kind of dwarf angel? I have been wanting a flameback but worried it'll nip my prized sps. Would a flameback eat them?

 

[blkhawk10]

I have a type of grey looking sponge too but it's not in tube form it grows on the rocks like a normal sponge. I've been able to control it by injecting it with aiptasia x and letting it sit for about 20 minutes.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Do you have a picture of it maybe an id might help with how to eliminate.

I have a type of grey looking sponge too but it's not in tube form it grows on the rocks like a normal sponge. I've been able to control it by injecting it with aiptasia x and letting it sit for about 20 minutes.

Wonder if you would get the same results with simple super glue.

 

[Will Wohlers]

I'm in the hospital right now waiting on my wife to give birth to our daughter but as soon as we make it home I'll snap a pic.

 

[Gareth elliott]

I'm in the hospital right now waiting on my wife to give birth to our daughter but as soon as we make it home I'll snap a pic.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I'm in the hospital right now waiting on my wife to give birth to our daughter but as soon as we make it home I'll snap a pic.

Congratulations in advance!

 

[Sabellafella]

I'm in the hospital right now waiting on my wife to give birth to our daughter but as soon as we make it home I'll snap a pic.

Wow congratulations god bless!

 

[Will Wohlers]

Thanks guys daughter number 3 so I'm slightly out numbered

 

[KrisReef]

Sponges are not supposed to live out of water very long. I wonder how yours would fare if you put aeration into the tank?
I’ve had a similar sponge, it’s persistent but I blast light and it only grows on the inderside on a few rocks. Tank is fairly bare,
250 halides x2 over 46”x26” @ 18”depth.

Your wife is a saint, congratulationsx3

 

[29bonsaireef]

Now that I think about it I've seen sponges similar to the one you described. Almost like a fungus, veiny in an way with lots of stringy shoots? A lot of inlets and shallow rock rubble areas have this sponge. So, if it is the same, I'm not sure you can combat it with light because they get blasted. No coincidence, this is always where the juvenile angels hang out as well.

Manual removal might be your best bet. You could try introducing an angel. The Caribbean deepwater pygmys are usually really good on not pecking SPS, but there's always a chance.

 

[jda]

I have an African Flameback Angel. It is a good fish that does not pick too much. However, I have never seen it acutely go aftr these sponges. Flame appears does a better job, but nips around at the rocks more.

I also have 5 daughters - 2 bio and 3 adopted. Good luck.

 

[Will Wohlers]

Thanks everyone. We just had the baby and she's healthy as can be.....7 lbs 2 oz and hopefully this one will be into reef tanks.

Bonsaireef yeah that's exactly them. I have tried manual removal but they always come back. I've actually wanted to add a fireball angel but worry about the sps. If it turns out to not be an sps nipper do you think this species would go after the sponges?
Will

 

[Will Wohlers]

Thanks everyone. We just had the baby and she's healthy as can be.....7 lbs 2 oz and hopefully this one will be into reef tanks.

Bonsaireef yeah that's exactly them. I have tried manual removal but they always come back. I've actually wanted to add a fireball angel but worry about the sps. If it turns out to not be an sps nipper do you think this species would go after the sponges?
Will

 

[29bonsaireef]

I know the bigger angels really love sponges. I've only really kept Atlantic/Caribbean species. Queens and Rock Beauty will eat them all day, but they definitely are not reef safe fish. I've kept both Flameback and Cherub pygmies with SPS. They nipped occasionally, but never enough to harm or kill corals. As Far as eating the sponges.. it's a toss up.

 

[Will Wohlers]

This is a pic of the jerks. They have no problem growing under 4 bulb t5 plus ai hydra 26s cranked up. Manual removal seems like the recommended way. ... maybe I'm just not as diligent as needed. I really want to put a little helper in there to eat the jerks as I vacuum them.