Plating sponge disintegrating??

[britnicole1724]

Well, as shown…. It was NOT like this last night. I don’t have time to test water before work but I will this evening. Last week when we checked everything was in line and normal for us.

We were going through a hair algae outbreak but it’s gotten a lot better and is going away.

No sure what could have caused this? It was steadily growing and has doubled in size since we got it in December.

 

[Doctorgori]

There are a few sponge specialist around here I thought, perhaps check through old threads and shake a few out @ …my advice being limited
anyway, I’ve had a few of those, in my case I moved it into a less lit area, it worked …getting flow right is critical AFAIK …
..

 

[N.Sreefer]

@WheatToast may be able to help you they seem very knowledgeable on inverts and macro perhaps also sponges.
@vetteguy53081 may also be able to help.

Only input I have is do you dose silicates? What do you feed? And is there a chance you sponge was above water level during a power interruption or water change?

 

[britnicole1724]

@WheatToast may be able to help you they seem very knowledgeable on inverts and macro perhaps also sponges.
@vetteguy53081 may also be able to help.

Only input I have is do you dose silicates? What do you feed? And is there a chance you sponge was above water level during a power interruption or water change?

No. It is mid level and has not been out of the water for any reason at all. We do not dose silicates. The guy we got it from said it wasn’t necessary as it wasn’t something he ever did…

 

[britnicole1724]

There are a few sponge specialist around here I thought, perhaps check through old threads and shake a few out @ …my advice being limited
anyway, I’ve had a few of those, in my case I moved it into a less lit area, it worked …getting flow right is critical AFAIK …
..

But for this to happen over night and not in the last 2 months we’ve had it? We did change the flow a couple of weeks ago because we had a dead spot in the center of the tank that was getting 0 flow. We moved our gyre flow pumps from the back wall to the sides and flow had been much better. Maybe it disrupted the sponge though?

 

[Shon]

Overnight? Maybe something tried making it into a home. Got crabs?

 

[britnicole1724]

Overnight? Maybe something tried making it into a home. Got crabs?

We have an emerald crab and a porcelain crab that we haven’t been able to find. Can’t figure out if it died or molted and is hiding. Haven’t found a body or anything though.
We do have a lot of hermit crabs but I haven’t ever seen any of them near it.m, including the emerald.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is black sponge and does not feed off silicates but uscs wild sponge that is undesirable and toxic if disturbed
Best defense is:
-exposure to air
- inject with vinegar
- cut off

all above to be done Outside if the tank in a bucket of tank water

 

[britnicole1724]

This is black sponge and does not feed off silicates but uscs wild sponge that is undesirable and toxic if disturbed
Best defense is:
-exposure to air
- inject with vinegar
- cut off

all above to be done Outside if the tank in a bucket of tank water

It’s a blue and purple plating sponge. Same thing as a black sponge??

 

[britnicole1724]

This is black sponge and does not feed off silicates but uscs wild sponge that is undesirable and toxic if disturbed
Best defense is:
-exposure to air
- inject with vinegar
- cut off

all above to be done Outside if the tank in a bucket of tank water

It came from Jason Fox. The guy we got it from showed us proof of purchase and it is definitely purple and blue. Maybe the coloration appears off in the photo? Also it is not something I want to further kill…

 

[N.Sreefer]

It came from Jason Fox. The guy we got it from showed us proof of purchase and it is definitely purple and blue. Maybe the coloration appears off in the photo? Also it is not something I want to further kill…

Try snapping a couple more photos and focus on the middle (damaged section) in one of them it will help alot with figuring out whats going on. If its from jason fox mabey its the JASON FOX PURPLE PHOTOSYNTHETIC SPONGE. Looks similar just under diff lighting.

 

[britnicole1724]

Try snapping a couple more photos and focus on the middle (damaged section) in one of them it will help alot with figuring out whats going on. If its from jason fox mabey its the JASON FOX PURPLE PHOTOSYNTHETIC SPONGE. Looks similar just under diff lighting.

That’s definitely what it is. I know that for a fact. I had lights off in this photo with our kitchen light on. I’m taking lunch in about 2 hours so I’ll try to get a better one with my macro lens. I didn’t have time to try and get better ones before work this morning.

 

[vetteguy53081]

A couple pics under white lighting (bright) would help. If it’s not black as appeared, we’re talking a whole different specimen

 

[vetteguy53081]

If purple sponge, it is a collector sponge that prefers low light and water flow. It’s a plating type of sponge that uses light as a food source

 

[vetteguy53081]

It’s a blue and purple plating sponge. Same thing as a black sponge??

No…. Corrected as it appeared black

 

[britnicole1724]

If purple sponge, it is a collector sponge that prefers low light and water flow. It’s a plating type of sponge that uses light as a food source

Hope these are a bit better. Todays not our day. Got home to my foxface having spots all over. Something is most definitely off in the tank I just have no idea what

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hope these are a bit better. Todays not our day. Got home to my foxface having spots all over. Something is most definitely off in the tank I just have no idea what

Very nice
Center core has some rot. Add iodine and kz sponge power to the water
Foxface:
Can be sand
Large spots would be either ich or lymphocystis
Dozens of dots- velvet
Please post a couple pics of fox face under white lights

 

[britnicole1724]

Very nice
Center core has some rot. Add iodine and kz sponge power to the water
Foxface:
Can be sand
Large spots would be either ich or lymphocystis
Dozens of dots- velvet
Please post a couple pics of fox face under white lights

Any recommendations on iodine? I have Red Sea iodine+ I dose once a week - have heard mixed things on dosing daily.
Foxface spots can only be seen under blue lighting. I turned white on to get a better look and you can’t even see anything. On his tail the spots appear to be yellow like his skin.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any recommendations on iodine? I have Red Sea iodine+ I dose once a week - have heard mixed things on dosing daily.
Foxface spots can only be seen under blue lighting. I turned white on to get a better look and you can’t even see anything. On his tail the spots appear to be yellow like his skin.

Those dots are mucus spores from ich both past and pre-existing. This fish will have to be quarantined and treated. Coppersafe would be a safe medication at therapuetic level of 2.25-2.5 at 80 degrees and you will need a reliable test kit to monitor level- No API kit either.

 

[britnicole1724]

Those dots are mucus spores from ich both past and pre-existing. This fish will have to be quarantined and treated. Coppersafe would be a safe medication at therapuetic level of 2.25-2.5 at 80 degrees and you will need a reliable test kit to monitor level- No API kit either.

Humblefish seems to think they are coral stings and that as long as he’s eating and swimming fine then to not pull him. I’ve never noticed white dots on him or any of my other fish either.