wierd growth in tank, please help

[Robert]

I recently started a marine tank and I am noticing a wierd growth in the tank. Looks like strainds of hair with white clumps on the strands. What is it? How do I get rid of it and prevent recurance?

[OrionGirl]

Sounds like it might be one of many types of sponges. They aren't bad, indicative of a healthy system. I wouldn't get rid of it, but if you think you must, manually pulling the clumps out will get rid of it short term. Long term, it will probably return.

[Robert]

so the stuff isn't some odd algea. Is there anything i can get that will use it as a food source to keep it from covering everything in the tank?

[OrionGirl]

Not really. There are many angels and nudibranches that eat sponges, but the angels will get large and most aren't reef safe, and the nudibranches are obligate feeders who will die once they've polished off the sponges. The pygmy angels don't really eat sponges to the same extent. Rather--the bicolor angel in our tank ignores sponges completely. Other pygmy/dwarf species might be different. I would make sure on both the id of the stuff, as well as the willingness of the fish to eat it before making a purchase.

Algae are usually colored. You can touch this stuff, and it should feel like a sponge. If it doesn't, we'll have to try again to identify it.