Please help me to identify this thing

[williamc]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Something is growing all over my LR. I have no idea what it is.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Please let me know what it is and if it is harmful to my tank. I have attached some pics. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Thanks</span></span>
:doh:
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[fish scales2]

looks like sponges to me.

 

[williamc]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Fish Scales2</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Can you elaborate little more about sponges? </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Thanks</span></span>

 

[purplegorilla]

They are filter feeders. Good for your system.

 

[seedless reefer]

Sponges for sure.

Nothing to elaborate on sponges lol they are just sponges.

Great little treasures! I have a ton of multi colored sponges in my tank.

Mostly they just hang out all day and filter water...well ok all they actually EVER do is hang out and filter water.

 

[seedless reefer]

ABOVE was my 1000th post BTW

 

[williamc]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Thank you everyone. As you can tell, I am new keeping salt water tanks. </span></span>

 

[raisingtwo2006]

I read somewhere that you have to watch out if they start growing too close to your corals.. I have one that sticks out from the rock about 5 inches, he's starting to want to grow over my zoas.. I'm getting ready to trim him back.

 

[williamc]

Kimberly,
Can you post a picture of the sponge before and after trim?

 

[raisingtwo2006]

I can post one from before..I haven't trimmed it yet. It looked just like yours before it went psyco on me Gimme one sec..

 

[raisingtwo2006]

Here you go.. sorry that it's kinda blurry, had to try to angle the pics from the side.. One of the pics is the front on view of it starting to peek around the zoa rock.. the others.. well, are pics of it from as much of the side as I could get. The thing started on that back rock.
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[williamc]

Kimberly,
Nice tellow tang. Thanks for the pics.

 

[calireefer]

Do your's retract when you touch them. I have a bunch that look just like yours. A few days ago I was using a turkey baster to clean off my rock work and I noticed that these sponges or tunicates are able to retract and make themselves a lot smaller real fast. Its very interesting to watch.

 

[raisingtwo2006]

No problem, that tang is a camera hog.. it took me forever to get a couple pics where he wasnt' completely in the way.

And no, I haven't seen mine retract at all...

 

[jmaneyapanda]

RaisingTwo2006;161466 wrote: I read somewhere that you have to watch out if they start growing too close to your corals.. I have one that sticks out from the rock about 5 inches, he's starting to want to grow over my zoas.. I'm getting ready to trim him back.

I wouldnt worry about that. I had sponge that grew all over my corals, and it was just an ugly nuisance. Of course, if it grows to the point of smothering or excessively shading, then, yes, trim them back.