strange stuff

[juiceguy]

I have this piece of Tonga branch for as long as i can remember and i have been noticing this growth over it, at first it was more purple then it changed to the grayish color in the photo. i have no idea what it is, all i know it is slimy to the touch and whatever it touches sticks to it.....anybody know what it is??

 

[cybermeez]

Looks to me like it might be a chicken liver sponge.

 

[Psycho graphic]

x2

 

[juiceguy]

nice call........thx will it grow over corals?

 

[inkblue]

fRy it

 

[reefman]

looks like peanut butter

 

[House of Laughter]

it will eventually turn black - one of my favorites - corals will get covered by it, not vice-versa

House

 

[cybermeez]

It's kind of a cool tank inhabitant, but keep it away from your corals. Like House says it will out compete them for space. Having cryptic sponges like this growing in your tank is a sign of a happy tank. I have a bunch of rock sponges, the ones that are pink, yllow, white or blue that cling in small patches to the rocks. Good filter feeders.

 

[juiceguy]

i know sponges are great filter feeders, it is just that this particular 1 is starting to spread itself out to neighboring rocks and was curious if it will over take real estate for corals. i may put it into my fuge, i don't want to loose the benefits of having it.

 

[cybermeez]

They can, though I've never seen it. If you put it in your fuge make sure it has enough light. Even though it's a filter feeder, this sponge has symbiotic cyanobacteria that need light to survive. Without them the sponge will die.

 

[House of Laughter]

I had the black and it used to fight my blue tort all the time - they would go back and forth where the tort would over grow it and then it would overgrow my tort - the sponge eventually won, but it was awesome to watch evolve.

House