# Please help ID this thing



## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

Would love to know what this is, or what's going on here.

Is this candy cane a gonner? If so, can I 'save' an area that appears to be unaffected?


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Im sure that it's a type of sponge Greg. Leaving it out in the air a while may kill it mostly, while the coral should produce some mucous to keep it moistend?


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## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

Thanks Will.

Outside of the water it appears there's all sorts of things on it.










Melting










Back in










Maybe didn't leave it out long enough.


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Looks improved. Might take several exposures. Just wiat for the coral to poof up normally again first. Also, might help to pat it dry with an aborbant material.


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## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

How bad are these guys? If they weren't affecting corals, would you leave them? Looking around on the webs I find some people are pretty complacent with sponges.


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Sponges are ridiculously beautiful imo.

Greg, I don't have a lot of experience with them, just a little really. But I know that their growth is exponential. And once they are somewhere in your tank, they can appear elsewhere in your system easily. If they didn't bother anything, they would probably be a very benificial living water scrubber/filter- but given their growth and potential invasiveness, it may be asking for trouble to let them spread far before acting.

If you were doing soemthing like a sponge and macro algae garden, they;d be very cool and welcome.


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## Nighttrooper (Apr 19, 2011)

pineapple sponge
they are filter feeder
cleans water


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

The sponges are just growing well as the conditions are right for them. Unfortunately, it's just growing where they are causing problems for the coral and you have to take action or they will grow to a point and choke out a polyp head.

Personally I leave them as they are part of the biodiversity of the system and as Nighttrooper mentioned, are filter feeders to help with removing particulate organic matter (POM) in the water column. Just trim/remove as you see fit. If they are growing _too fast_, cut back on the feeding just a bit 

JM2C/E


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

very attractive sponge. Did it just come on as a hitchiker?

I want one for my fuge


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## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

Thanks all for the advice. Yes these were hitch hikers.


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