Wierd new growth on rocks?

AquaKnight · 04/03/2007, 03:25 PM

I have found a white bulb looking creature(for lack of better words)... it looks almost like a cabbage plant but it grows on the bottom of my live rock and is white???

Does anybody have any idea what they could be??

SaltyDr · 04/03/2007, 03:27 PM

Without a picture tough to say, but would hazzard a guess and say a sponge. Does it kind of look like a pinapple with fine hair projections?

AquaKnight · 04/03/2007, 03:46 PM

Here's a pic... but yea i think your right its a Scypha Sponge... thanks for the heads up... got scared for a second...

SaltyDr · 04/03/2007, 04:51 PM

That's a sponge. Filter feeders. Most will eventually die. Not a bad thing to have.

Drix · 04/03/2007, 06:16 PM

Yep Scypha sponge(sp) or as I like to call them pineapple sponges.

Nano Chris · 04/04/2007, 01:10 AM

I have several of those in my tank/sump (in my cheato too)

saturn tech · 04/04/2007, 01:44 AM

i have one right now that ate(?) two aptasias. the aptasias got on it and the scypha absorbed them. in total i have about 20 that i can see.

AquaKnight · 04/04/2007, 05:20 AM

Cool, I have a lot though, there's maybe 20-30 on one big rock in the my tank (more scattered thoughout), well over 30 in my overflow box (the sponge is literally covered in them), and they're all in the sump too (though strangely not in the refugium).

Could this be related to like an algae outbreak? It blooms heavy, then fades away? The only things I'm worried about, are with this many, if they die off, are they potentially poisonous? I also have a Red Sea Yellow Gorgoinan and a Red Tree Sponge in the tank; are they robbing food from them at all? Should I try and control them by manual removal?

AquaKnight · 04/05/2007, 09:35 PM

;D

drummereef · 04/05/2007, 09:40 PM

I have them too. Harmless filter feeders. I think they are kind of cute.

Snowboarda42 · 04/05/2007, 10:57 PM

why do they die? Just short lived in general?

seapug · 04/06/2007, 10:17 PM

those guys are naturally short lived but you'll probably always have some in your tank. They are a sign of a healthy tank and are natural, living water filters.

AquaKnight · 04/09/2007, 10:46 PM

Thanks for everyone's input. I think they may be becoming a nuisance. Recently 2 started to grow near a soliterary brown polyp and caused it to dive deep into the rock. I thought the polyp would win, but after this and saturn tech's eating two aspiatas, I'll be on the look out and if everything else happens, it'll be sponge hunting time.

That aside, if I didn't have a red tree sponge and gorgonian, could I sustain a nudibranch off them? Or would the nudi eat too many too fast? I could always toss some from the sump or overflow in the tank for him.

04/03/2007, 03:25 PM	#1
AquaKnight Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Emerald Coast Posts: 2,030	Wierd new growth on rocks? I have found a white bulb looking creature(for lack of better words)... it looks almost like a cabbage plant but it grows on the bottom of my live rock and is white??? Does anybody have any idea what they could be??

04/04/2007, 01:10 AM	#6
Nano Chris Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,758	I have several of those in my tank/sump (in my cheato too) __________________ Chris ------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max 130! Setup (Just got back into the hobby) Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon RedSeaMax!

04/04/2007, 01:44 AM	#7
saturn tech Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: san francisco ca Posts: 87	i have one right now that ate(?) two aptasias. the aptasias got on it and the scypha absorbed them. in total i have about 20 that i can see. __________________ One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die. -- Raoul Duke Industrial/ Goth music DJ. Current Tank Info: 55 gal Reef, lots of sand and rocks, some corals, multi legged things, finned things, creepy things,

04/05/2007, 09:40 PM	#10
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	I have them too. Harmless filter feeders. I think they are kind of cute. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

04/05/2007, 10:57 PM	#11
Snowboarda42 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Warshington Posts: 1,094	why do they die? Just short lived in general? __________________ 40B Mixed Reef 100% Captive Grown Corals See, that's the trouble with the world today. Not enough danger to kill off stupid people before they get old enough to breed. Bring back lawn darts! -PrivateJoker64 Current Tank Info: 40B, 20L Sump/Fuge, Mag 9.5 Return, 2x Hydor Koralia #2's, 150W 14K HQI, 139W T-5, Euro-Reef RS-80P Mesh Modded, 40LB LR, 80LB LS, 54x Turnover, Mostly SPS, Some Softys Too.

04/03/2007, 03:27 PM	#2
SaltyDr Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Southwest Florida Posts: 1,191	Without a picture tough to say, but would hazzard a guess and say a sponge. Does it kind of look like a pinapple with fine hair projections?

04/03/2007, 03:46 PM	#3
AquaKnight Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Emerald Coast Posts: 2,030	Here's a pic... but yea i think your right its a Scypha Sponge... thanks for the heads up... got scared for a second...

04/03/2007, 04:51 PM	#4
SaltyDr Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Southwest Florida Posts: 1,191	That's a sponge. Filter feeders. Most will eventually die. Not a bad thing to have.

04/03/2007, 06:16 PM	#5
Drix Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 590	Yep Scypha sponge(sp) or as I like to call them pineapple sponges.

04/04/2007, 05:20 AM	#8
AquaKnight Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Emerald Coast Posts: 2,030	Cool, I have a lot though, there's maybe 20-30 on one big rock in the my tank (more scattered thoughout), well over 30 in my overflow box (the sponge is literally covered in them), and they're all in the sump too (though strangely not in the refugium). Could this be related to like an algae outbreak? It blooms heavy, then fades away? The only things I'm worried about, are with this many, if they die off, are they potentially poisonous? I also have a Red Sea Yellow Gorgoinan and a Red Tree Sponge in the tank; are they robbing food from them at all? Should I try and control them by manual removal?

04/05/2007, 09:35 PM	#9
AquaKnight Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Emerald Coast Posts: 2,030	;D

04/06/2007, 10:17 PM	#12
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	those guys are naturally short lived but you'll probably always have some in your tank. They are a sign of a healthy tank and are natural, living water filters. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

04/09/2007, 10:46 PM	#13
AquaKnight Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Emerald Coast Posts: 2,030	Thanks for everyone's input. I think they may be becoming a nuisance. Recently 2 started to grow near a soliterary brown polyp and caused it to dive deep into the rock. I thought the polyp would win, but after this and saturn tech's eating two aspiatas, I'll be on the look out and if everything else happens, it'll be sponge hunting time. That aside, if I didn't have a red tree sponge and gorgonian, could I sustain a nudibranch off them? Or would the nudi eat too many too fast? I could always toss some from the sump or overflow in the tank for him.