Sponges

2008pollyanna

Reefing newb
Hi,
My live rock appears to have lots of dark blue/purple sponge growing on them. The sponge like to grow on the least lit area of the rock. I think its sponge...it looks lightly raised, soft and velvetty. Alittle slimmy smooth to the touch. Even abit like a fungus type...small and some have a eye type mouth. Are they harmless? I know they dont live long...can they cause swings in levels? How do you get them under control if you have lots?
 

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Either sponges, or more likely since you say they have little mouths, tunicates. Both prefer shaded areas, and both are harmless to your other animals and reef safe.

Tunicates supposedly prefer more nutrient rich water, so getting your nitrates and phosphates down as close to zero as possible will help.

Even if you do nothing, tunicates rarely live very long in our tanks, and both them and sponges are harmless anyways, I'd just call them nice rock decoration and leave them be, especially since they are such a neat color.
 
Thankyou Biff,
Its good to hear good news... We have installed this evening our new RO DI system. I have the run off running into my washing machine and have started a load of clothes. So, hoping my KH comes down when its aok to start making for my tanks. Also, ph has been lowering alot with the RO water changes I have done with purchased RO water. What do you all use if my Ph needs a boost? Thats my next thought...and what are you all testing for to make sure you have correct levels. A rep from Fosters mentioned a iodine tester??? Strontium and Molybdenum tester??? I have the essential...Calcium, KH, phosphate, Ph, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia.
I really think I need a decent ph pen, though...any of you have suggestions? My budget is about busted with my RO DI system and TDS unit. I have never seen a Ph tester, let alone calibur one? Is it hard?
 
You don't need to get a digital pH monitor, although they are really nice. Regular test kits are usually sufficient for our tanks. Iodine, strontium and molybdenum tests aren't necessary either, if you do water changes, the salt mix will contain these elements. The test kits that you already have are the important ones.
 
Thankyou Biff,
Its good to hear good news... We have installed this evening our new RO DI system. I have the run off running into my washing machine and have started a load of clothes. So, hoping my KH comes down when its aok to start making for my tanks. Also, ph has been lowering alot with the RO water changes I have done with purchased RO water. What do you all use if my Ph needs a boost? Thats my next thought...and what are you all testing for to make sure you have correct levels. A rep from Fosters mentioned a iodine tester??? Strontium and Molybdenum tester??? I have the essential...Calcium, KH, phosphate, Ph, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia.
I really think I need a decent ph pen, though...any of you have suggestions? My budget is about busted with my RO DI system and TDS unit. I have never seen a Ph tester, let alone calibur one? Is it hard?

Be sure to add tap water to the washer ro out water and let it mix before you add clothes because it can stain then. I know from experience.
 
Biffer is right about the test kits. Just monitor your temperature, salinity, pH, alkalinity and the biological system through ammonia, nitrite and nitrate testing. Usually only the nitrate is necessary after your tank is cycled. The calcium is not even really necessary if you do frequent regular water changes and do not have a large amount of stoney corals and or huge amounts of coraline algae. If you use a good RO water and do not use flake, freeze dried or pellet foods, and thaw then strain your frozen foods even phosphate tests are usually not needed. Usually you would develop algae problems with high phosphate levels before they got so high as to prevent coral growth. Water mixes are balanced so as to provide things proportionally and surprisingly the chemicals (and salts) are proportionally used up by the tank system and its inhabitants. A pH meter is nice, but is no more accurate than chemical testing, and often it is lees accurate because people fail ti regularly calibrate them or use old calibration fluids to do their calibrations. A cheap home aquarium version pH monitor will typically cost $75 or more.
Using the waste water from your RO filter to wash clothes will mean that the water will be harder water and will therefore require that you use more detergent. Not a whole lot more, as a typical RO water is pretty inefficient. Figure on needing about 10 to 15 percent more soap for the same results.
 
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