Stringy thing? Never seen anything like this!

[stevo01]

 

[stevo01]

Like this? This is a sponge in my pico.

 

[ahiggins]

I have some that look like that as well. This ones little tentacle is about 6" long....thats what threw me off in the first place! lol

 

[Lionfish Lair]

There are sponges that grow like this...

 

[ahiggins]

I saw the second and third pic-thats how I IDed it from wet web media

 

[Vincent100]

Light are on moonlight so can't get great pics but I'd say mines the same as yours

 

[ahiggins]

Light are on moonlight so can't get great pics but I'd say mines the same as yours

Looks like a clone!

 

[Vincent100]

Iv got some in my sump , always been told sponge is a sign of good water quality so we must be doing something right lol

 

[stevo01]

These are pretty cool guys!

 

[Lionfish Lair]

May I say something about the whole water quality thingy.... sponges like dirt. O.O They are filter feeders. I'm not sure how that all got started that it was a sign of good water quality when it typically means you have enough nutrients/organics in your water to feed them. They are cool as far as biodiversity is concerned, yet are not the positive indicators we are lead to believe they are.

 

[stevo01]

May I saw something about the whole water quality thingy.... sponges like dirt. O.O They are filter feeders. I'm not sure how that all got started that it was a sign of good water quality when it typically means you have enough nutrients/organics in your water to feed them. They are cool as far as biodiversity is concerned, yet are not the positive indicators we are lead to believe they are.

Absolutely, I look at sponges/filter feeders, and leather corals as nature's way of balancing these parameters.

 

[Vincent100]

Thank you for that lionfish....I was always lead to believe it's good water ...I now know better and your right I do have alot of nutrients in my water which iv been trying to lower so what you have just said makes sense

 

[Reef_Collector28]

It's a type of sponge. In my buddies display tank it got crazy but it's not a threat. Normal filter feeder that comes on live rock

 

[Patientman]

So while sponges may like water on the "dirty" side ... would it be safe to say that having them in display or sump may help toward improving the water quality?

 

[ahiggins]

They populate because of excess nutrients...they can't uptake enough nutrients to make a dent in the excess we have.
Specifically, I realized tonight my nitrate shot up to 20-25. Not crazy but I've been trying to find the sweet spot and I've passed it. Gonna do a wc tomorrow. Maybe he will make it, maybe not lol

 

[ahiggins]

I have been feeding a ton lately to see how fast the nitrates raise. Took about 2 months of heavy feeding for it to outrun the skimmer lol

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Thank you for that lionfish....I was always lead to believe it's good water ...I now know better and your right I do have alot of nutrients in my water which iv been trying to lower so what you have just said makes sense

It doesn't mean you have bad water, as most of us have/have had sponges. I have them in my tank and enjoy them.

 

[Anthony Putrino]

H

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thank you for that lionfish....I was always lead to believe it's good water ...I now know better and your right I do have alot of nutrients in my water which iv been trying to lower so what you have just said makes sense

Ill take a healthy tank and fish and corals and super cool biodiversity over numbers any day.
Ive noted that over time, as my feeding habits and food types change. Ive gotten little phases of different life. In my lil 30, its all about sponges, tunicates, and copepods. No amphipods or iso pods, the bristleworms are all gone. I started tossing the asterinas more regularly and the stomas came back.
Part of the fun really.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

sweet pic.