star polyp growth

[h2ocritters]

Could anyone help me ID the stuff growing on my star polyp. Should I be concerned?

 

[Mihai]

I'm not sure to what you refer. I see some sponges (white stuff), and some Athelia sp. (clove polyp) corals. Both are harmless (even beneficial).

M.

 

[h2ocritters]

Mihai, thanks for the reply. I am looking at what appears(to me anyway) to be two separate things. 1) the round white barrel shaped object with a hole at the tip and 2) white stringy wormy looking stuff.

 

[Mihai]

Well, for 1 it's certainly a sponge, more precisely a Sycon sponge. It's a good guy, and a good sign.

For 2... I think it's a foraminiferan - a keeper.

http://reefs.org/hhfaq/

M.

 

[h2ocritters]

Thanks Mihai for your help

 

[SnowManSnow]

I have growths of these guys sometimes, and they have never hurt anything. The weird thing is they tend to grow out when my water isnt as clean as it should be.

I've learned to see them as a warning sign to change water

I MAY be the only one that has noticed this.. and i MAY be crazy

GL!
B

 

[Mihai]

It makes a bit of sense: they need something to eat - maybe dirty water. However, I had them in clean water when I had them.

M.

 

[MartinE]

They look like urn sponges, I have had them through clean and dirty water no problems with them so far. You can add a little more flow, or blow the stuff that accumulates on them off regularly and that might reduce the food source for the sponges.

 

[xxdean057xx]

i would use a turkey baster to clean the gsp a little. looks dirty

 

[FragMaster]

For the life of me I cant see a single anthelia on those GSP'S?
If your talking about the GSP'S themselves being anthelia sp. (clove polyps) I am fairly certain they are Pachyclavularia sp. ( GSP'S)

 

[Mihai]

Well, see the brown stalks with arms sticking out of the GSPs? I'm pretty sure that they are Anthelia sp.

M.

 

[FragMaster]

Those are the GSP'S dude.

 

[Mihai]

Wow! I agree. They look exactly like Anthelia just much smaller. When I look at the size of the sponges I realize that you're right - those are the GSPs.
It's funny how a picture fulls you when you have nothing to relate the size to.

M.

 

[FragMaster]

Yup.