Found this on a rock in my sump...ID please?

[Shooter7]

Have not noticed this on previous water changes. Was sucking some stuff out of my refugium area and came across this rock with this pitch black "thing" or "stuff" on it:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v385/DavidW/DSCN0270.jpg

Any ideas?

[whiteshark]

Hard to tell, but I think it may be cyano. Anyone else?

[whiteshark]

Or maybe some type of sponge...

[Shooter7]

Doesn't look like any cyano I've seen. If it helps any, this was on a rock that has had some chaeto over the top of it for awhile too, so wasn't getting any fuge light.

[reefshadow]

i have a sponge in my tank that looks very similar to that

[whiteshark]

I would lean, then, towards a sponge.

[Fishfreak218]

i say sponge or some kind of tunicate thingy

[Shooter7]

So, the main vote getter is a sponge, eh? Well, I guess if I'm growing a sponge like this in the tank already, that's a pretty good thing. Hope I didn't disturb him too much.

[wrassie86]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7542323#post7542323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shooter7
So, the main vote getter is a sponge, eh? Well, I guess if I'm growing a sponge like this in the tank already, that's a pretty good thing. Hope I didn't disturb him too much.

I dont know a whole alot sponges,but it may not be a good thing.might be time to do some checking/reading and see if may indeed be hurting your tank.Its been awile but i remember reading that black/brown sponges were not very nice and could be toxic.Articals may have been in the old expert forums or WWM. I have some dark purple growing in my tank as well as orange and yellow sponges but none that size.
Could very well be harmless.But might be worth checking into

[Shooter7]

Well, "toxic" certainly isn't a good thing. Anyone else have any input on this? Else mister black gunk might be going bye bye.

[Chupakabra-King]

I have one of those sponges in my main display . It hasnt hurt a thing . Its been in there since '98 .


Its mainly under the rocks . Its getting pretty huge . Im not getting rid of mine any time soon . I like it . I'd say keep it .

[jaymz101]

mainly they go toxic when they die. Dont let it touch the air and if you notice it bleaching, get it out quick.

[Shooter7]

Well, it got some air time because when I first moved the chaeto over and saw it, I grabbed the rock and picked it up to look at it. So I'll keep a close eye on it now. Makes me think....I need a carbon restock...

[wrassie86]

Yup after doing alittle research on them after i made my post.I found some pretty interesting stuff.Most are mainly toxic when injered or dying as jaymz101 said,altho some appear to be toxic at all times having no problems wipeing out soft corals.Some go after Acros and are a boring species.most if not all need excesse nutrients in the tank to survive.Also if you dont want it to take over all the rocks in your sump you need to section it off so it cant spread.
I did find a pic of another tank here on RC where a sponge that looked like your was getting ready to smother a candy cane coral.

[Shooter7]

hmmm...could be why he was on the bottom part of a rock on the bottom of my refugium, under the chaeto. About the only place he might get increased nutrients as my trates/phosphates are always virtually undetectable and I feed pretty lightly. He is separated from the other rocks in there and isn't under the chaeto anymore, so we'll see. I have requested ID help and advice from Mr. Calfo as well, so I'll see what he has to say if/when he has time to review my request. Thanks for your looking into it as well.
:beer:

[wrassie86]

Let us know what Calfo says,i'd be interested in his response.

[Shooter7]

No word from Anthony as yet, but did get a response from Greenbean, whose opinion I think is also very good.

"Almost all sponges are toxic to some degree, but not many are going to cause problems. There really isn't any good way to tell how toxic a given sponge is by looking at the color though since many species of varying toxicity share the same colors.

I wouldn't worry about it."

[dvarner32]

sponge

[Shooter7]

Thanks dvarner :cool:

[dvarner32]

Sorry the last one was so short, just wanted to put my 2 cents in. I'm moving out of state and trying to post some corals for sale. Gotta get 50 posts first though. I have that at work and people ask me what it is all the time. An untrained employee took it out of the water and killed it. That's why I say it is a sponge.