What is this?

Wiscofish · 04/22/2013, 08:42 PM

http://i.imgur.com/6lSv2ez.jpg
What is this white thing on my live rock?

[Mod Edit: FYI, I changed your img to a link as it was huge and hard to view even on a large monitor. -Dino, RC Staff]

thegrun · 04/23/2013, 07:10 AM

The picture is not good but it looks like a small colony of pineapple sponges. I've never seen them cluster like that, but their profile looks like a sponge. A different camera angle would help the ID as I'm uncertain with my guess. Try a search of pineapple sponges and see if the picture matches what you have.

MARINECRITTERS · 04/23/2013, 08:54 AM

Definitely not a pineapple sponge, I have some of these growing in my tank and the closest guess I can get is some species of foraminiferan, they seem to have a hard calcium structure and filter feeding tips ( not sure though ),
Good thing is that they are harmless.

Wiscofish · 04/23/2013, 11:43 AM

Yeah, I would say it dosent look like pineapple sponge. Definatly a hard skeletal structure. Any other opinions on what it is or if I should try to get rid of it. Thank you.

MARINECRITTERS · 04/23/2013, 04:27 PM

Don't get rid of it, they are harmless.

SushiGirl · 04/23/2013, 06:33 PM

I agree with MARINECRITTERS.

MARINECRITTERS · 04/23/2013, 06:38 PM

I do see some vermited snails though ( hard white worm like creatures who spit out webs ) They are worth getting rid of, they can irritate coral.

Wiscofish · 04/24/2013, 03:43 PM

Thanks for the tip about the snails

04/22/2013, 08:42 PM	#1
Wiscofish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 26	What is this? http://i.imgur.com/6lSv2ez.jpg What is this white thing on my live rock? [Mod Edit: FYI, I changed your img to a link as it was huge and hard to view even on a large monitor. -Dino, RC Staff] Last edited by Dino; 04/23/2013 at 04:57 AM.

04/23/2013, 08:54 AM	#3
MARINECRITTERS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 1,525	Definitely not a pineapple sponge, I have some of these growing in my tank and the closest guess I can get is some species of foraminiferan, they seem to have a hard calcium structure and filter feeding tips ( not sure though ), Good thing is that they are harmless. __________________ MarineCritters, life in the sea is superb Current Tank Info: 91 Gallon Reef

04/23/2013, 04:27 PM	#5
MARINECRITTERS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 1,525	Don't get rid of it, they are harmless. __________________ MarineCritters, life in the sea is superb Current Tank Info: 91 Gallon Reef

04/23/2013, 06:33 PM	#6
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	I agree with MARINECRITTERS. __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

04/23/2013, 06:38 PM	#7
MARINECRITTERS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 1,525	I do see some vermited snails though ( hard white worm like creatures who spit out webs ) They are worth getting rid of, they can irritate coral. __________________ MarineCritters, life in the sea is superb Current Tank Info: 91 Gallon Reef

04/23/2013, 07:10 AM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	The picture is not good but it looks like a small colony of pineapple sponges. I've never seen them cluster like that, but their profile looks like a sponge. A different camera angle would help the ID as I'm uncertain with my guess. Try a search of pineapple sponges and see if the picture matches what you have.

04/23/2013, 11:43 AM	#4
Wiscofish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 26	Yeah, I would say it dosent look like pineapple sponge. Definatly a hard skeletal structure. Any other opinions on what it is or if I should try to get rid of it. Thank you.

04/24/2013, 03:43 PM	#8
Wiscofish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 26	Thanks for the tip about the snails