White, fuzzy, dense forest, tubular pieces but don’t see worms.

[SoHereEyeSit]

This is a birds nest coral which started a little smaller as a frag, the white stuff has taken over the skeleton of the bottom of the birds nest (what was previously birds nest but is now skeleton because it was overshadowed, if you know birds nest you get it). So these used to be skinny legs last month but are now white dense forest and I’m afraid it’s hurting the coral and possibly invasive. This stuff is invading the rest of the rock and frags on it. It isn’t spreading like a matted algae but like it’s traveling to different places and proliferating. I don’t know it’s origin.
SOLVED: pineapple sponge colony

 

[thrillreefer]

It looks like a sponge to me. Non-moving, right?

 

[SoHereEyeSit]

It looks like a sponge to me. Non-moving, right?

Non moving. First saw it on this coral base, only the dead part so basically fresh coral skeleton. It has popped up other places on the rock but seems to prefer coral frag bases, I can see it sprouting on the two other frags I have on this small rock structure. But also small a sprouts on rock itself

 

[SoHereEyeSit]

It is rigid (nearly unaffected by flow) but soft and malleable (easily bent and squished but holds its shape afterwards). Tubes and hairs makes
up the dense fuzz but almost certain there are no worms in tubes. (Maybe they’re nocturnal? I will check that tonight)

 

[ChrisV]

Are you talking about the pineapple sponges, or something else?

 

[SoHereEyeSit]

Are you talking about the pineapple sponges, or something else?

Oh idk whatever the white fuzzy stuff is under the birds nest. Let me do some pineapple sponge research

 

[SoHereEyeSit]

Are you talking about the pineapple sponges, or something else?

totally are pineapple sponges, thank you. They're digging the shade of the birdsnest and my zoas, they just seem really up in their space giving my zoas little room to retract and move. Have you ever heard of them starving out a small coral like zoas?

 

[ChrisV]

totally are pineapple sponges, thank you. They're digging the shade of the birdsnest and my zoas, they just seem really up in their space giving my zoas little room to retract and move. Have you ever heard of them starving out a small coral like zoas?

I've not had them bother zoas. I don't think they have nematocysts. Doesn't mean they can't choke out corals by other means, but I've never seen it happen in my tanks.