I.D. Please!! They are taking over

AzCondor · 02/09/2010, 05:18 PM

Hi,
I have noticed a steady increase in these little white to brown colored little cone tube looking things all over my tank and they have now migrated into my protein skimmer and seem to be releasing long strands of algae material. Sorry I am not very good at describing things so I hope these pictures can help. I am about to do a 25% water change and scrape them off but how to get them out of my skimmer i still don't know.

Thanks,
Connor

jfunk18 · 02/09/2010, 05:31 PM

the look to be a type of sponge

bertoni · 02/09/2010, 06:31 PM

The first picture looks like cyanobacteria or dinoflagellates, which indicates a nutrient problem, most likely.

AzCondor · 02/09/2010, 08:19 PM

The usual frequent water changes, physical removal, and possible chemical treatment with chemi-pure or kalkwasser to up ph to 8.5?

bertoni · 02/09/2010, 08:30 PM

Oops, I meant the second picture.

The other pictures might show sponges, I agree.

tahoe61 · 02/09/2010, 08:31 PM

Pineapple sponges and diatoms/cynobacteria. As long as there is something to eat in your tank you are going to have sponges, and feather dusters. They do no harm and filter the water to a small degree. The pineapple sponges will level off as the tank ages.

02/09/2010, 05:18 PM	#1
AzCondor Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 72	I.D. Please!! They are taking over Hi, I have noticed a steady increase in these little white to brown colored little cone tube looking things all over my tank and they have now migrated into my protein skimmer and seem to be releasing long strands of algae material. Sorry I am not very good at describing things so I hope these pictures can help. I am about to do a 25% water change and scrape them off but how to get them out of my skimmer i still don't know. Thanks, Connor __________________ Vegetarian-A bad hunter. Someone who survives by consuming not food, but the stuff that food eats. The vegetarian was forced to subsist on slower prey, such as the broccoli and carrot.

02/09/2010, 06:31 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The first picture looks like cyanobacteria or dinoflagellates, which indicates a nutrient problem, most likely. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/09/2010, 08:19 PM	#4
AzCondor Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 72	The usual frequent water changes, physical removal, and possible chemical treatment with chemi-pure or kalkwasser to up ph to 8.5? __________________ Vegetarian-A bad hunter. Someone who survives by consuming not food, but the stuff that food eats. The vegetarian was forced to subsist on slower prey, such as the broccoli and carrot.

02/09/2010, 08:30 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Oops, I meant the second picture. The other pictures might show sponges, I agree. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/09/2010, 08:31 PM	#6
tahoe61 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: On the state line Posts: 730	Id Pineapple sponges and diatoms/cynobacteria. As long as there is something to eat in your tank you are going to have sponges, and feather dusters. They do no harm and filter the water to a small degree. The pineapple sponges will level off as the tank ages. __________________ JBJ 28 gal HQI, CPK fuge, Tunze 9002 and West Coast 1/15 chiller. Neil Y. is the man. Current Tank Info: Nano

02/09/2010, 05:31 PM	#2
jfunk18 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 10	the look to be a type of sponge