Clear this up please

[stanton]

I've done my search on q-tip sponges. Some say its a good thing and thats its a sign of a mature tank. Then others say its bad nutrient export. I found a whole colony in my cannister yesterday. Which is it? Thanks

 

[dburr]

Hmmm....I may be reading this wrong, but,
Some say its a good thing and thats its a sign of a mature tank.
Isn't this the same as a "bad nutrient" export.
A bad nutrient export can be a good thing.
Dan

 

[stanton]

Heck , I maybe looking at it wrong. Never thought of it that way, I was taking it more like poor water quality. Maybe a shark will line me out.

 

[thomas712]

I believe that you are refering to a Syconoid sponge, aka pineapple sponge or Q-Tip sponge.
From everything that I have looked up on these critters, and observed in my own tank, sump, and overflows, these are good filter feeders and are good for your tank. They add natural filtration to your aquaiurm.
If however you find that they are starting to cover everything and grow out of control then it could be an indication of a excess nutrient problem.
Some people think that they are an eyesore, I leave them be as I know that they aid my tank by there filtering.
Thomas

 

[aarone]

i think i may have alot of these, what do they look like? post pics please.
aaron

 

[thomas712]

Sure thing Aarone

 

[aarone]

ok then...i dont have those. I just have a sponge of some sort covering my LR. It looks like a bunch of snot with a hole in each "polyp"
aaron

 

[marvida]

I have them in my tanks. They seem to like caves & other dark places. They seem to come & go which supports the nutrient theory. They don't seem to take over anything & IMO aren't that unattractive. I seem to remember Ophiura saying that they were not a bad thing. That's good enough for me.

 

[stanton]

Thanks guys, I'll keep my eye on them for now. As long as they stay in my cannister I'm content.
I also have some snot looking stuff on a couple pieces of lr.

 

[michaeltx]

there are so many different types of sponges in the SW world its uncanny. there are many that have the visible holes and others you can tell. for the most part they are good filter feeders. there are some that can encrust corals as they grow those are the ones you really have to worry about.
my q-tips sponges looked simliar to the ones Thomas posted but clear.
here is a pic of one of my more pronounce sponges
Mike

 

[michaeltx]

and another completely different one.