Sponges

[yardboy]

Since early in the tank setup I've had these sponges growing in various places around the tank, particularly in amongst the zoanthid colonies, which they don't seem to be harming but.....
I have/had a Cladiella which has been with me since the beginning, nearly two years now, and it's always done fine, but a few days ago I noticed it not expanding out like it normally does at lights on. After two days of this, I pulled it out of the tank to move it to another tank, where it might get more nutrients. Attached to its base was a large sponge, grey in color. Hmmm. I broke off the piece of rock that the sponge was on, and cut away where it was attached to the Cladiella, and put it back into its place. The next day the Cladiella was shrivelled and starting to break up and die. Today, I accidentally bumped a Caulestrea while cleaning the tank and knocked it from its perch. Behind it in the rock was another big grey sponge. Yikes! Anyone have any trouble with these guys? I didn't get a picture of the grey ones, but heres one of the white guys, which are out in the open and making me nervous now.

[DAN THE MAN]

I have several types of sponge growing in various places in my tanks and while they may grow in annoying places sometimes i've never had any reason to believe any have harmed any corals. And unless they are tying to over grow the coral I don't think most hitchiker sponges can bring any harm to corals. I have yellow incrusting sponges, 2 dif types of white incrusting ones and some gray incrusting sponges as well as white ball types, and q-tip sponges. Never any problems out of them.

[SPC]

I have some type of brown incrusting sponge that has been a real pain in the neck for the last couple of years. For some reason it has a real propensity for the tube corals in my tank and will grow over them, and subsequently kill them if left unchecked.

Steve