White stuff on my star polyps

[beamer]

The last couple of weeks I have noticed some white, cotton looking buds surrounding my star polyps in the morning before the tentacles come out. What is this. One person said they thought it was a sponge, another said it could be a sponge or a fungus. I've noticed on another rock with star polyps that they also have these q-tip cotton looking buds around the polyps.

I will try to post a link to my pics. Some of the pics are kind of blurred but I didn't know how to remove those from the album.

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/per...2001/my_photos


Thanks, Cindy

[Gresham]

Fungus? Thats a new one to me. You sure that person knows what he/she is talking about? It SURE looks like a common sponge many reef people grow. I have those infesting every sump I maintan.

[beamer]

Thanks, that's just what someone said from reef central, plu ?Eric Hugo? He said he couldn't tell for sure from the picture that it could be either but he really doubted that it was a fungus and wouldn't worry about it. That planted a little seed in my brain so I am concerned about it.

What do I do to get rid of it? It looks like it has a disease that's spreading.

Are these sponges you are speaking of something that people are actually trying to grow. If so, why would you want them to grow on your polyps? I don't especially care to have them infesting my tank.

Cindy

[Gresham]

LOL, Eric was coverring his arse by saying it might be a fungus (speading over the polyps), I HIGHLY doubt it as sponges are an EXTREMELLY common hitchiker of many polyps (I recieve around 50 - 100 diffrent polyp rocks a week, all year long) plus from blowing up your pictures, it really doesn't llok like the white paste that overtakes dying polyps. IMO you have a common sponge in your tank and its not a problem. Yes, many people LOVE to grow sponges, in fact theres a mothod of set-up (tsee Steve Tyree's articles/books for more info) that utilizes sponges as a nutrient export/filter.

If in fact it is the white slime problem, it'll require the bad/infected area to be manually removed (cut it out) and placed in a higher flow area. Unfortunatly, most end up dying all out from the white slime. Some say a bath in a Lugols solution will help, after the infected area is removed.

How fast is it growing/spreading?

To tell if its a sponge, push on it with an object (don't use your hand, many people are sensitive to sponges compounds), if its kinda squishy instead of slimy, its probably a sponge. The sponge may break apart as well, thats fine, don't worry about it. The white slime is just that, its a slime. If it simply releases/spreads slime around when you poke at it, its the problem stuff.

[beamer]

Thanks for your reply!

Its not slimey at all. I don't think it is spreading as much now, if fact, when I was looking at it tonight, it appeared as though maybe some of those white areas where turning purple and maybe becoming part of the polyp. I'll look again in the morning.

It relieves me to know that it isn't a fungus. I'm having enough trouble with my tank without haveing to worry about a fungus that could spread.

I'll check out the info you mentioned that Steve has.

Thanks for the info. Just ready to stop worrying, start relaxing and enjoying my tank.

Cindy

[Craig Manoukian]

I have the exact sponge in my GSPs. It don't bother nothin"!

[Gresham]

Yah, what Craig said Nuttin'

[beamer]

So you don't try to pick them off or anything? I think they are kind of ugly and makes my stuff look like a fungus. They are starting to get not quite as noticeable, maybe I'm getting used to them now. I think some of them may even be starting to turn purple. New buds for the polyp doesn't start off white does it? Probably not.

Cindy

[Craig Manoukian]

Cindy,

When my polyps are extended and waving gently in the current, you can't see them. Sponges are great filter feeders so God must have put them in the ecosystem for a reason, eh?