[B Lo]

I am in the process of doing a fishless cycle on a new aquarium. I added live rock a couple of days ago and have been running 36 watt LED lighting quite often since adding the LR. I noticed that an opaque nearly white series of bulbous growths have been spreading from the center of the live rock that was added to seed base rock. Would someone please advise what this is and whether I should be concerned? My apologies for the so-so photo. The tank is a bow-front and it's hard to shoot decent closeups. Thanks in advance for any tidbits of wisdom.

 

[helenwheels]

Hi B lo, welcome! Your pic did not come out. You have to have 6 posts to attach a pic. Please use those posts to tell us more about your tank?

Is the bubble algea you are wondering about spherical, green, shiny and feels hard to the touch?

 

[B Lo]

Thanks for your reply. I posted the link without the www preceding it. It's hosted at imgur. Please let me know if you can see it. If not, I will give you the full low down on my tank. Thanks again!

 

[helenwheels]

Got it. Are you talking about the white mass in the middle? It looks like a sponge.

 

[slo5oh]

You can put the www in the front. Makes it a clickable link, much easier for us on phones etc.
My vote goes with some type of sponge also.
I think I even have one similar in my tank.
here's mine:

the white blob under the hermit on the right

 

[helenwheels]

I fixed the link, it is clickable now.

 

[B Lo]

Thanks to those who replied.

Yes, it's the white blob in the middle. Here's a better picture with the blue lights completely off. This thing undulates a bit and there seem to be little bubbles that are forming and spreading at amazing speed. This thing has roughly doubled in size in two to three days of being in the tank.

HERE: i.imgur.com/FKFJVW1.jpg

(Sorry; it won't let me post the full link: "To be able to post links or images your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 2 posts. Please remove links from your message, then you will be able to submit your post.")

Still think it's a sponge? What should I do? I am concerned with the rate it is growing...

slo5oh, the thing in your photo looks like a Pineapple Sponge...

 

[helenwheels]

It really looks like an encrusting sponge to me.
Sorry about the post count restrictions on pics.

 

[B Lo]

No worries on the picture restriction. This potential sponge is really creeping my wife out. I was out of town on work for a day and she started freaking out about how it grew in size in less than 24 hours. It's not fuzzy at all. It looks more like relatively buoyant / floaty bubbles with a stretchy base.

Different question: Any idea what the little red filaments are at the bottom left of the rock?

It really looks like an encrusting sponge to me.
Sorry about the post count restrictions on pics.

 

[B Lo]

Hopefully it comes through this time!

 

[B Lo]

I left the light's off over the past day. This thing appears to be flattening out a bit. However, there are fibers that are extending from it to other portions of the rock. Does anyone know what species this thing is? I have never seen anything like it before.

 

[Yrahcaz]

Yeah that's a sponge. Nothing to worry about.

 

[B Lo]

Not the stereotypical looking sponge to the right, but the white colored thing? I'm seriously surprised. I was waiting to hear it was an alien lifeform or some kind of mold.

Can it sting me? Will it release toxins? How much should I expect it to spread? How does it grow so quickly? Bovine growth hormone?

My mind has been blown! Any idea what species it is?

Yeah that's a sponge. Nothing to worry about.