Sponge around Torch Coral...

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
How do I get rid of this sponge around my torch coral? It hasn't been happy for a while and it looks like the sponge around the base of the torch has gotten larger. How do I remove it? Do I just use an exacto knife and slice it off? All help is welcomed :)
here is a picture
 

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
geez, this site has gotten so slow. I used to get a lot of replies on my threads. I find it hard to believe that no one on here has any suggestions...
 

flower

Well-Known Member

You ask hard questions...in the picture it kind of looks like a tunicate..because I see two holes, or is that the rock?
 

btldreef

Moderator
Expose it to air. If you cut it, it will be more likely to grow back. My suggestion is to cut it back and then expose it to air so you'll have less die off.
 

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/380992/sponge-around-torch-coral#post_3317096
Sorry....The only thing I would suggest is expose the sponge to air

or scrape it off
Yeah I thought about that. I can kinda see the sponge creeping up on one of the heads of the torch and it is not happy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380992/sponge-around-torch-coral#post_3317118

You ask hard questions...in the picture it kind of looks like a tunicate..because I see two holes, or is that the rock?
Lol, I have hard problems I guess. I was told it was a sponge....it could be a tunicate. it's really spongy though and soft. The holes are in the organism...not the rock.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef
http:///forum/thread/380992/sponge-around-torch-coral#post_3317170
Expose it to air. If you cut it, it will be more likely to grow back. My suggestion is to cut it back and then expose it to air so you'll have less die off.
I had thought of that. The rock is at the bottom of the pile...ugh. I guess it would be a good time to reaquascape.... But Flower made me second guess that it is in fact a sponge. It was ID'ed as one.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by JAXFishGirl http:///forum/thread/380992/sponge-around-torch-coral#post_3317498
Yeah I thought about that. I can kinda see the sponge creeping up on one of the heads of the torch and it is not happy.
Lol, I have hard problems I guess. I was told it was a sponge....it could be a tunicate. it's really spongy though and soft. The holes are in the organism...not the rock.
I had thought of that. The rock is at the bottom of the pile...ugh. I guess it would be a good time to reaquascape.... But Flower made me second guess that it is in fact a sponge. It was ID'ed as one.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you hanging...you said it was spongy..tunicates are hard I believe, so you are back to sponge. I agree with BTLDreef cut it back and expose it to air so you have less die off. It's a shame really, nice blue sponge. You don't have to expose it to air for long...any air at all will kill it.
 

spanko

Active Member
I would not think that the sponge would be irritating the torch. Actually should be the other way around IMO. How long has the torch been there? Has it had good tentacle extension before now? Has the flow in the tank changed recently?
 

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380992/sponge-around-torch-coral#post_3317526

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you hanging...you said it was spongy..tunicates are hard I believe, so you are back to sponge. I agree with BTLDreef cut it back and expose it to air so you have less die off. It's a shame really, nice blue sponge. You don't have to expose it to air for long...any air at all will kill it.
Lol, it's fine!! I have a tunicate in my tank, right in the middle of my zoas. It's hard to the touch. I will have to do that. I will cut back as much as I can in the tank and then take the rock out. I can't imagine any thing else is bothering the torch.
 

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by spanko http:///forum/thread/380992/sponge-around-torch-coral#post_3317529
I would not think that the sponge would be irritating the torch. Actually should be the other way around IMO. How long has the torch been there? Has it had good tentacle extension before now? Has the flow in the tank changed recently?
The torch has been there since Feb. the flow hasn't changed at all and my levels are all steady for months
ammonia - 0
nitrate - 5
nitrite - 0
pH - 8.0
calcium - 440
salinity - 34ppt
this was a couple of months ago, you can see how quickly the sponge grew.

 
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