SpgIDF6

FAQs on Sponge Identification 6

Related Articles: Sponges in Marine Aquariums

Cocoon? Nope, Poriferan! 10-6-07 Hi guys, <Hi Mark> just got to say I love your site and you've been a tremendous help in the past. <On behalf of everyone here, I thank you!> Anyway, we just discovered this cocoon in our tank and have no idea what might be surprising us in the near future with its presence. <Hmmm, a Butterfly fish perhaps? <G> Sorry, couldn't resist!> Do you guys have any ideas? <Yes, I do. Although it does look like a cocoon, it's actually a harmless, filter feeding, Poriferan/sponge. Please see this link, as well as the related FAQ's/articles linked at the top of the page for more information re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sponges.htm .> For reference, the tube on the tube anemone in the background is about 4" tall. We have a 90 gal. tank with a couple of corals, a tube anemone, copper banded butterfly, 2 blue Chromis, a coral beauty, a black percula clown, a sand sifting star, a short spine sea urchin, a handful of hermit crabs, and a handful of snails. The snails do seem to reproduce in our tank quite frequently and Ralph, our copperband butterfly, likes them as an appetizer! <Escargot!> Thanks for <You're very welcome! -Lynn>
Mark

Re: Cocoon? Nope, Poriferan! 10/6/07 Hi guys, <Hi Stephanie> Just want to say I love your site!! <Why, thank you!> So we were looking around in our tank tonight and we discovered this cocoon. <Whoa, deja vu!> It's a little over an inch long, the tube on the tube anemone in the background is about 4" long. We have a 90 gal. tank that has been up for about 1.5 years. For inhabitants we have a copperband butterfly <Named Ralph -- love that name!> a coral beauty, 2 blue Chromis, a black percula clown, a sand sifter star, a tube anemone, a short spine sea urchin, a handful of hermit crabs, and handful of snails. The snails like to reproduce and Ralph, our copperband butterfly, likes them as appetizers!! <Heeee! I never could stomach escargot, but there are those that love 'em!> We do have a few corals as well, some purple and green mushrooms, <Nice> a Chile coral <Pretty, but yikes, difficult to keep.> a few different colored Zoanthids, and star polyps. We'd love to know what is growing in the cocoon and will be joining us soon. Do you guys have any ideas? <Yep. Although I'd love to tell you that something really neat is going to pop out of that cocoon, it's not. It's actually a Poriferan/sponge, a harmless filter feeder and pretty neat looking! Please see this link, as well as the related FAQ's/articles linked at the top of the page for more information re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sponges.htm . Enjoy!> Thanks, Stephanie <You're most welcome! -Lynn>

Weird little white things... 8/28/07 Heya, <Good evening> I have used your web site on countless occasions and usually I can find the answer I'm looking for relatively quick, <awesome> but I can't seem to find a question similar to mine so here goes. I noticed a while ago that there was this strange white egg looking thing attached to some of my live rock (pic 1&2), along with other odd things I said "hey that's cool, wonder what it is" and went about my business. However, this afternoon I decided I needed to clean my canister filter and to my surprise there were many (twenty+) of these things (pic 3&4) I had seen on my rock earlier. I hate cleaning my filters because I always have to rinse so many little critters down the drain (even though I quite often spend 20 minutes picking out as many of the little guys as I can before flushing the rest). <And to you, my heart my friend'¦ I do the same thing. :-)> But I've had my tank for almost a year now and I've never seen these egg like things before, and now they're all in my filter. Any idea on what they are? <They are sponges. They're likely some kind of Sycon sp. Some aquarists call them 'pineapple sponges' because they look a bit like little pineapples. I've had them before myself. Sometimes they bloom (reproduce like mad) and then suddenly disappear as mysteriously as they came. Or, sometimes they stick around. In any case, they're harmless unless they start clogging up things.> And thanks so much for your web site... like I said earlier I use it very often. ~Andrew
<Best,
Sara M.>

Quick response needed on coral... 8/27/08 Hi thanks for your help. I have been doing a little research on here tonight about my coral. <...? What is pictured is a sponge...> I am including some pictures so maybe you can tell me whether everything is ok or not and what I can do to hopefully fix it if it's not ok. I received a hardy coral pack last week and the orange sponge was a bonus coral. I do not know to much about these corals unfortunately. I'm wondering if the sort of clear layer around the sponge is just from stress and will be ok or if it's deteriorating. Please give me information on this and what to do. I do not want to jeopardize the fish and other recently bought corals in my tank which is 75 gallons. Also the other corals I was wondering if you could identify them for me and tell me how to feed them and if they look ok. Thank you <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marinvind1.htm the bottom of the page... Likely to be trouble here... with a non-photosynthetic species, newbie... I do hope this msg. gets back to whomever you purchased this "pack" from. Bob Fenner>

Re: Quick response needed on coral, sponge... -- 08/27/07 I am sorry to write you again about the sponge. I looked at the information you told me to look at. Would you say that my sponge is dying? <Mmm, not quite yet... but very hard for most home hobbyists to keep such non-photosynthetic species for much time period> Do you think the sponge is emitting any toxins, and should I remove it from my tank? Thank you for all of your help <Unfortunately this may be the case... and yes, I would. Pardon my dispassionate responses... Am unsettled that a company would send you such an inappropriate "bonus" organism... Trouble for it, you and your other livestock. Please do contact them re, send my email along. Bob Fenner>

Help With ID... Likely Sponges (Poriferans) 8/22/07 Hello, <Greetings, Mich here.> Thank you in advance for your bounty of knowledge. I have looked through the site and found people with similar questions, but most times you asked for a picture( so I attached one). <Is a start... Using your cameras macro feature would be even better... the macro feature typically looks like a flower/daisy and will allow your camera to focus on images that are quite close.> In my fish only with live rock tank (170 gallon) I recently re-worked the aquascape due to my Triggers constantly fighting. When I moved some of the live rock that has been in the tank for 5-6 months now I noticed this strange cotton type cocoons growing on the underside of a few of them. I am wondering if the are harmful and should be removed, or just another life form taking residence in my tank that I should enjoy? <Likely the latter.> My tank consists of a Niger Trigger, Picasso Trigger, Porcupine puffer, Lunar Wrasse, Panther grouper, Snowflake Eel, Lionfish and a 3 or 4 large red hermit crabs. <An aggressive set up.> I have not had a problem with any sick fish or anything in the past 8 months ( knocks on wood) <Glad to hear... keep knocking!> and have not added any fish in the past 6 months. The only thing I have added to the tank is the live rock, which hasn't had a new addition in about 3-4 months. All the fish are very active and appear fat and healthy. <All good!> Again thanks for all your help and advice. <Welcome!> They are bright white and resemble cotton balls. <I suspect these are sponges that often grow on the undersides of the live rock. When you rearranged you rockwork you likely brought them into view. I cannot really make out much from the picture, but I doubt these are anything that you need to be concerned about. More here and related links in blue: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spongesii.htm> My picture isn't to good because of the reflection I kept getting with the flash. <Using the Macro feature would help with image clarity as well. Cheers, Mich>

Help With ID... Likely Sponges (Poriferans) 8/22/07 You guys are awesome thanks for the help. <Welcome!> For the life of me can't figure out why I didn't use the Macro feature. <Heeee! Ya Coulda had a V8!> Oh well live and learn. <C'est la vie!> <You are most welcome. Mich>

Help! I need somebody Help! Not Just Any Poriferan... the $140 Q 8/15/07 Hello everyone at WWM! <Hola Esteban, Michelle ya belle aqui> I am somewhat alarmed. I have looked all over your website and have had no luck identifying this little creature. <Well I just had to laugh, I saw the photograph. Is a Poriferan, a sponge, a harmless filter feeder.> At first it was just like a little bubble looking thing, but now it has started growing very nasty looking hair. It frightens me. <Hey Jude don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sponges.htm > I don't know if it's bad, but it looks pretty gross. <Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.> If anyone could help me ID this furry little monster, <I'd like to be under the sea, in an octopus' garden with this sponge. Oh what joy for every girl and boy, knowing they're happy and they're safe. Some similar here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spongeidfaq4.htm > I'd much appreciate it! thanks!!! <Welcome! We get by with a little help from our friends.> Esteban
<Michelle>

Sponge/Anemone ID, and Mantis comp. 8/8/07 Hi guys, just a quick thank you for the much appreciated information on your site. I was told at my LFS that this is a colonial anemone on a sponge, an "orange spider sponge"; is this correct? <Mmm, maybe... are the greyish parts ever "polyp-like"? This may be a sponge growing on another sponge> if so what is the taxonomy. <Any idea where this/these organism/s are from?> Also, are mantis shrimp detrimental to a reef setup? <Can definitely be... are predaceous... some can get quite large, consume shellfish, other crustaceans, even fishes> I have had no luck removing this specimen, I got a snowflake eel, not solely for the purpose but thinking he might dine on it, but alas he hasn't. I'm starting to admire his resilience. Thank you for your assistance. Cameron Teague <See WWM re traps, baiting... strategies. Bob Fenner>

Re: Sponge/Anemone ID 8/9/07 > Subject: Sponge/Anemone ID, and Mantis comp. > Hi guys, just a quick thank you for the much appreciated information on your site.> I was told at my LFS that this is a colonial anemone on a sponge, an "orange spider sponge"; is this correct?> <Mmm, maybe... are the greyish parts ever "polyp-like"? This may be a sponge growing on another sponge>> if so what is the taxonomy.> <Any idea where this/these organism/s are from?>> Also, are mantis shrimp detrimental to a reef setup?> <Can definitely be... are predaceous... some can get quite large, consume shellfish, other crustaceans, even fishes>> I have had no luck removing this specimen, I got a snowflake eel, not solely for the purpose but thinking he might dine on it, but alas he hasn't. I'm starting to admire his resilience. Thank you for your assistance. Cameron Teague> <See WWM re traps, baiting... strategies. Bob Fenner> Hi, I have been told that they have "flowers", I'm guessing polyps, that emerge after time. I have only had it in my system for about a week. I'm guessing it's just getting used to my system. The supply from my LFS comes from Cairns, then gets shipped over night to Hobart, Tasmania where I live. <Mmm, well... the polyps should have been in evidence by now... I do suspect that this is a sponge on a sponge more and more. BobF>

Follow up on Sponge/Anemone ID 8/15/07 > > Subject: Sponge/Anemone ID, and Mantis comp. > Hi guys, just a quick thank you for the much appreciated information on your site.> I was told at my LFS that this is a colonial anemone on a sponge, an "orange spider sponge"; is this correct?> <Mmm, maybe... are the greyish parts ever "polyp-like"? This may be a sponge growing on another > if so what is the taxonomy.> <Any idea where this/these organism/s are from?>> Also, are mantis shrimp detrimental to a reef setup?> <Can definitely be... are predaceous... some can get quite large, consume shellfish, other crustaceans, even fishes>> I have had no luck removing this specimen, I got a snowflake eel, not solely for the purpose but thinking he might dine on it, but alas he hasn't. I'm starting to admire his resilience. Thank you for your assistance. Cameron Teague> <See WWM re traps, baiting... strategies. Bob Fenner>> Hi, I have been told that they have "flowers", I'm guessing polyps, that emerge after time. I have only had it in my system for about a week. I'm guessing it's just getting used to my system. The supply from my LFS comes from Cairns, then gets shipped over night to Hobart, Tasmania where I live.> <Mmm, well... the polyps should have been in evidence by now... I do suspect that this is a sponge on a sponge more and more. BobF> Well it's been about two weeks and polyps are staring to appear. What does this mean? Apart from it's alive. Does that mean it's not a sponge? <You know... with this nice close-up pic... I do think this is an encrusting Gorgonian (an Octocoral... Sea Fan), not an Anemone (Hexacorallian) at all. See the Net re... Oh, is NOT a sponge. BobF>

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