Milky white sticky-outy things

[blorkiemom]

I've looked through the ID FAQs and don't see anything like this--hoping it's not some pesty thing. I've had this rock (cycling a QT tank) for about 5 weeks; these guys only appeared last week and they are spreading fast. They are small, milky white--polyps?--that have a little bulge toward the top and a tiny crown. They are appearing singly, but some have fuzzy white stuff around the base. There's no light on the tank, BTW, if that helps. Thanks for any help!

Arrgh--sorry about posting same pic twice. First time adding a pic and I don't see how to remove the duplicate.

 

[revhtree]

Looks like sponge to me. I have that stuff growing all on the lr.

 

[blorkiemom]

Well, then! All is fine. I guess I just have no clue what baby sponges look like. Apparently SpongeBob SquarePants isn't a very good reference point. Thanks, Revhtree!

 

[revhtree]

Ya, they really dont look like you would think a sponge would look like. Tangs love that stuff!! Your Welcome!

 

[MantisFreak]

I can't tell from the picture. However, if it is a tube that is hollow it could be a Serpulidae featherduster tube.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rs/

 

[blorkiemom]

I know it's a bad picture! And that was the best of the lot. Wrong lens, I guess.

Thanks for the link--that's a handy one to bookmark. These guys, though, don't look hollow. I've got some things I know are feather dusters: hard white tubes that lie along the rock with little feathery heads that pop in and out. These are squishy (looking) tubes with a faint crown that is always out. They stick straight out of the rock and don't move at all. I'm surprised to see anything growing on this rock as I don't have any lights at all on the tank and the room isn't bright.

 

[revhtree]

Sponge

 

[blorkiemom]

So revhtree, do they grow into big things that look like sea sponges (the kind in my marine books, not the kind in my bathtub ) or do they stay little?

 

[MantisFreak]

These are squishy (looking) tubes with a faint crown that is always out.

There's the proof. The good reverend is correct. This is going to be a scypha ciliata most likely.

 

[blorkiemom]

Ding ding ding! We have a winner. That's exactly it. Thank you so much, everyone, for the help! Off to look them up . . .

 

[evenings]

what I would to know is if these things are good for the tank. I noticed them today all over my heater and behind the rocks.. seems to me they do no like much light. help

 

[blorkiemom]

From what I read, they are neither good nor bad--just are. It looks like they go away eventually when the nutrients they need are no longer present. The sponges I have like the light, though--at least the NO light I have on my QT--so maybe not the same thing?

 

[revhtree]

Some fish and inverts like to eat them.

I had tons behind one rock against the glass, where I could see behind. I added three pep. shrimp and they got behind that rock, and the sponge was no more.