Sala
New Member
ys. Anyone can tell me whats this? Its all over in my sump on the glass
Help!
- Thread starter Sala
- Start date
ys. Anyone can tell me whats this? Its all over in my sump on the glass
I'm assuming you're talking about the pineapple sponge, if not, maybe a pic that's not all blue?
Sala
New Member
Not a great picture but, I agree looks like pineapple sponge. Filter feeder and they’re fine
Sala
New Member
How do I get rid of them?
They are not generally harmful, and you'll usually just find them in the sump and the dark undersides of rocks. They just filter/clean the water (a minor amount).
If you are bent on getting rid of them, I'd say you must take either a biological or chemical approach. Many harsh products used for other purposes (e.g., Chemiclean, Erythromycin, Vibrant) also kill sponges in my experience. Even so, it'll be a hard battle and may be stressful on other tank inhabitants. So be prepared. You can also probably employ some other inverts or fish to nibble on them in your sump... as well as manual scraping them off the sides.
If you are bent on getting rid of them, I'd say you must take either a biological or chemical approach. Many harsh products used for other purposes (e.g., Chemiclean, Erythromycin, Vibrant) also kill sponges in my experience. Even so, it'll be a hard battle and may be stressful on other tank inhabitants. So be prepared. You can also probably employ some other inverts or fish to nibble on them in your sump... as well as manual scraping them off the sides.
Sala
New Member
Thanks for the help
In my experience pineapple sponges are just part of the process of 'maturing' a tank. They need silica to grow and sometimes they can be the result of high silica levels in the water you're using for water changes. Or it could just be the tank finding it's natural balance and they'll slowly die off and something else starts competing for whatever it is they're eating. I always get them and have never done anything to get rid of them; they just seem to go away. I can poke around and fine one or two in all of my systems but they've never been an issue.
The only thing I would suggest is an ICP test. I do this once a year and that last time indicated that I had high high levels of silica in my RODI water. I changed out the DI resin and it seems to be resolved. However, for pineapple sponges I wouldn't do anything until they've been around for a while and/or have reached plague levels.
The only thing I would suggest is an ICP test. I do this once a year and that last time indicated that I had high high levels of silica in my RODI water. I changed out the DI resin and it seems to be resolved. However, for pineapple sponges I wouldn't do anything until they've been around for a while and/or have reached plague levels.
