What are these things in my sump?

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ThatNewFishGuy

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May 4, 2010
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I dont know if its just dirt or if they are living organisms or what, I found them when i was cleaning out my filter sponges in my sump. I noticed that my return pump and parts of the sump itself are coated with these little things.

 

stormywendyann

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Apr 21, 2012
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Those look like some kind of worms. What kind I have no clue.
 

greech

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May 13, 2009
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Graham
Copepods (good things). Looks like a few baby snails as well but not sure.
 

ThatNewFishGuy

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I will try to get a better pic up. I was going to clean my filter sponge. But now that I have these copepods in them, is it safe to rinse the sponges out in cold water? Also, do I need to ever replace these sponges? I was thinking that if I were to replace them, I lose out on beneficial bacteria that may have grown in them after all these months.
 

TL1000RSquid

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Apr 6, 2011
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Rinse the sponges in some old tank water when doing your water change. At some point they'll get pretty nasty looking and you'll want to start replacing them if the tanks been up for months sand bed and rock should be well established and replacing them wont hurt it but if it makes you more comfortable replace half, then replace the second half a week or two later(thats how i do my FW tank sponge replacments)
 

ThatNewFishGuy

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^that sounds like a really good idea. I have 2 of them in sump so I guess Ill go ahead and replace one of them and just rinse out the other during my water change. Thanks Squid!
 

SubRosa

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Pineapple sponges. Beneficial filter feeder.
 

fshfanatic

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I will try to get a better pic up. I was going to clean my filter sponge. But now that I have these copepods in them, is it safe to rinse the sponges out in cold water? Also, do I need to ever replace these sponges? I was thinking that if I were to replace them, I lose out on beneficial bacteria that may have grown in them after all these months.
You can rinse the sponge in tank water, but I am thinking that your sponge is mainly for mechanical filtration and you have another source of biological media? Bioballs, live rock, etc? If you do then rinsing that sponge out in tap water really isnt going to be an issue.
 

ThatNewFishGuy

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May 4, 2010
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You can rinse the sponge in tank water, but I am thinking that your sponge is mainly for mechanical filtration and you have another source of biological media? Bioballs, live rock, etc? If you do then rinsing that sponge out in tap water really isnt going to be an issue.
Used to have bioballs but took em out long time ago because i heard they were nitrate factories and to make room for a aqua c urchin pro skimmer. I have about 100 pounds of live rock. The only concern that comes to mind when rinsing the filter sponge in tap water is wont it kill off those copepods and the beneficial bacteria in the sponge and wont this decay lead to ammonia in the tank?.....Well I guess my LR would take care of that. Am I thinking about that in the right sense?
 
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