Sponge & Feather Duester Plaque

[bbehring]

I received a small critter package and it came with some cheato, a couple small feather dusters. Tubes are about 2" long and the heads are about the size of the head of a thumb tack. It also came with this funky small sponge that was attached to a piece of rubble rock. The sponge was off white in color, fleshy looking with a small bulb/pod at the base with a long, 1 1/2" finger. I placed all into my refugium. The feather dusters multiplied super fast. Soon I had 5 then 10 now they are all over. The sponge began to grow quickly also and then slightly morphed and grew more bulbs and fingers. After about 2 months I pulled out most of the feather duster worms and scrapped the sponge off the rock and size wall of the refugium. Now I'm back to near plague proportions with both these specimines. Also, now the sponge has shown up in my display and is starting to take over a small star polyp colony very rapidly. Is there any way I can rid my tank of these pests? I'm really concerned about the sponges that just showed up in my display this week. I don't have photos, but am thinking that they must be common? Is there something that will eat them? I'm thinking that trying to remove them from my refugium a month ago might have spread spores into the main display tank?

 

[Krish]

Not too sure what will eat the sponges, but I've personally seen butterfly fish go at feather dusters in my cousins tank. Not sure if the butterfly fish actually ate it, but I know he sure tore it to threads! Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in. Good luck!

 

[NaH2O]

Hmmm....what is your filtration like on your tank? Do you skim? How about bioload, and maintenance schedule? Tell us a little more about your system. It might be as simple as too many nutrients that are allowing these guys to overpopulate.

 

[bbehring]

I guess my system parameters would help? System is 55 gal corner bow front with 4 tp 5" DSB in the main display. Running 20 gallon sump w/ 10 gallon refugium. Skim with freedom filter/skimmer (w/ rio 2400) in the display, and an urchin skimmer in the sump (maxi jet 1200). Run a closed look with om squirt 4 way, panworld pump pushing 1100 gph through the closed loop. Also run a mag 5 for the return from my sump. The tank is drilled for the CL and the overflow to the sump. I also run rowa phos in a phas ban reactor. I change water 1 x per week at 10 gal using RC salt. I have a RK@ controller and I maintin my PH at 8.42 to 8.56. Temp between 80.4 and 81.5. Tank is colled with evap fans that turn on and off with set temps controlled by the RK2 unit. I run a 24w PC fixture off photo period from the main display for 8 hours. Main display is lit with 2x24w T5s for 10 hours and 250w MH for 6 hours. Refugium has 5" DSB with some rubble rock and cheato. SG is 1.025

 

[NaH2O]

Your maintenance from what you've said, doesn't sound too bad (water changes), other than being a little underskimmed, IMO....I've never used the freedom filter/skimmer, but from what I've learned, it doesn't do too much in the way of skimming. You haven't listed out your livestock, can you post what's in the tank? Your problems may not be nutrient per se, but more likely too many particulates in the water feeding the dusters. When you scraped the sponge, you probably just spread it throughout the system, as opposed to removing it. You might try picking up a filter sock and blasting the heck out of your rocks, overflow, and sump bottom. Catch all the crud in the filter sock for a day or so.

Also, where is your skimmer in relation to where the tank drains into the sump? Can you post a picture of your sump set-up or explain your sump set-up/baffle placement?

 

[Damsel13]

I thought sponges and feather dusters were good?? Am I wrong?

 

[bbehring]

Yes I think they are good, but man are they propagating in my tank (mostly my refugium) fast. I think I just need to work to thin out regulary. Maybe pull the rubble out to kill off the sponges and just yank the feathers out. If anyone is insterested, I can ship a pack as I pull them out?

 

[Damsel13]

hey, pull the sponges maybe and sell them as Advanced cosmetic sponge make-up remover. :badgrin:

 

[redrooster]

What color are the feather dusters? I might be interested in some. Most angel fish live sponges. I used to have thousands of green ball sponges until I got a Koran angel. He ate all that were accessible in little to no time. If I rearranged any rocks he would immediately check them out and clean off any sponges.

 

[bbehring]

great idea. They're small so I might need to crush them up into a paste and sell as a mask sponge clensing agent.

 

[Beakerbob]

I had an huge infestation of the small feather dusters. They were even growing on my frag plugs and irritating the corals and zoas. I ended up getting a small copper banded butterfly and he took care of my problem.

 

[bbehring]

Beakerbob, interesting. Do the copper bands eat sponges too? I have the small sponge and small timy feather duster infestation in my fuge at the moment. I'm not too concerened as I think I can cull them both from my fuge. I am concerned with the sponges now making it into my main display. Any thoughts?

 

[Beakerbob]

I'm not sure if they eat sponges as I have never seen the copperband do it. However, both featherduster and sponge population has decreased since putting the copperband in the tank.

 

[Damsel13]

Is a Copperband a hard fish to keep? I love this fish but I think 55gal. is too small. What do you all think? Maybe a pistol shrimp and Blennie?