sponge infestation?

dannyboy

PLUHH
I have these white globs starting to over run my tank. They started in the sump over flow area, made it to the fuge, and now all in my over flow box and starting to live all over the DT walls. I described them to my guy at the LFS and he said oh ya, sponges. I assume he is correct. Any way to get rid of these things? Pretty nasty lookin. Thanks in advance.
 
Sponges are filter feeders,beneficial and reef safe.Sounds like the common q-tip sponges that grow in sumps and overflows where snails don't regularly graze.

Leave them be.
 
The lights are all off atm, I can try tomorrow for a pic but I think they are too small, only about 1/4 inch tall, looked a lot like what I saw pics of the pinapple sponge. Would more turbo snails starve them out? Think I only have 6-8 in my 75 DT tank.
 
No,snails don't out compete them for food.They need an area where they can attach to the surface,snails constantly moving on the glass(and other things) doesn't give them enough time to attach and grow before being ran over.That's why most people see them behind the overflow towers and the sump/refugium because there are no snails there and maybe other critters that might find them tasty.
 
No,snails don't out compete them for food.They need an area where they can attach to the surface,snails constantly moving on the glass(and other things) doesn't give them enough time to attach and grow before being ran over.That's why most people see them behind the overflow towers and the sump/refugium because there are no snails there and maybe other critters that might find them tasty.

hmm interesting i just always figured they were a no, to low light sponge cause i've only ever seen em in the shaded areas or areas where theres no light.
 
I don't think sponges cares if there is light or no light.One of the reasons people see sponges on the underside of rocks/dark places because algae can't grow on them.The sponges in my overflows and refugium sure are getting plenty of light.,they seem to do grow more where there is decent flow.
 
I don't think sponges cares if there is light or no light.One of the reasons people see sponges on the underside of rocks/dark places because algae can't grow on them.The sponges in my overflows and refugium sure are getting plenty of light.,they seem to do grow more where there is decent flow.

That does make sense. i've also heard of some poeple that will make dark sponge refugiums were there is absolutly no light so the sponges can florish. I dont know if they do no light so that they grow beter or because there is no algae competing for nutrients.
 
i have actully seen q-tip sponges in my protein skimmer at the bottom where theres less bubbles.
 
I'd just leave them be. They aren't doing any harm. If you REALLY hate the way the look, sponge is very easy to remove by hand, just peel it off.
 
Sponges are filter feeders. Few tanks have an adequate amount of food to keep them healthy or alive for long with out purposely providing for their needs. Typical methods used to deprive algae of nutrients deprive them of food, good skimming deprive them of food. If you want to keep them then bottled phytoplankton is a good start. Usually people with tube worms and clams have the best luck with sponges and tunicates as they all are filter feeders, if you purposely provide for one you provide for them all. Basically what this all means is that with out special efforts they will very likely disappear on their own due to starvation.
 
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