What is this thingy?

[mutts]

I was moving around the rock in my 5.5 gal and saw a bunch of these little white polyps on the underside of a rock and was wondering what they were and if they were good or bad?



Thanks!

[dakar]

Actually what you have there is a sponge... we dubbed them pinapple sponges for thier shape, though I'm sure they have a real name.

Very common in younger tanks, sometimes to alarming numbers, they are harmless and potentially helpful filter feeders that will tend to disappear as the tank matures (more competition for excess nutrients as they become more scarce?).

[mutts]

Thanks darkar, I was so worried that it was somthing bad and I didn't want to even try to get rid of that many. Thanks!!!!!

[graphixx]

yep pineapple sponge or a Q-tip sponge, it is a good sign you tank is coming along nicely!!!!!

[mutts]

Great because I just found some in the 55 gal

[JustDavidP]

Scypha ciliata - Just Google It :D

Goooood stuff... nature's own filtering service. They will do no harm, but will populate in high numbers if the nutrient load gets up there. They die off as the tank matures and the water quality gets cleaner. They can come and go with husbandry cycles.

Dave

[dakar]

Originally Posted by JustDavidP

Scypha ciliata - Just Google It :D

I knew someone smarter than me had the 'real name' for them... Thanks Dave!

[JustDavidP]

:D Not smarter...I'm sure... but happen to have an incredible love for the hobby. Even though I don't have reefs per se, I still need to know....

Go figure... in High School, you couldn't PAY me enough to sit still and learn something like this. I was too eager to find a way out to hang out back and smoke etc. Now, I read about something (like your sponges) once...and I retain all the information ... again...go figure.

It may have to do something with the fact that I'm not smoking that stuff anymore

Dave