Unknown type algae/ sponge

[jcrouse911]

Well this has been growing for about the last two months. I noticed it started quite small in the corner of the rock and then seemed to populate just this rock. I have not found it anywhere else in the tank as of yet. It is very soft and you can actually move away the dark red color and see white as the base: It seems to regrow the red color after being touched in about 1 week: I thought it was a red algae but know im not sure: It is not connected at all to the other spots on the rock and seems to be slowing down in its growth. I'm looking for some guesses or even a good opinion on what maybe it is: I have small snails that came in a piece of rock and they seems to crawl over it and not damage it at all...System is a FOWLR system with a small cleaner shrimp and 1 blue leg hermit: Fish are blue reef devil, Clown fish, and two small damsels:

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee226/jcrouse911/fish/DSC01315.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee226/jcrouse911/fish/DSC01320.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee226/jcrouse911/fish/DSC01322.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee226/jcrouse911/fish/DSC01322.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee226/jcrouse911/fish/DSC01325.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee226/jcrouse911/fish/DSC01326.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee226/jcrouse911/fish/DSC01327.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee226/jcrouse911/fish/DSC01328.jpg

[cichlid1409]

looks like red cyanobacteria. does it easily come off the rock?

[jcrouse911]

I've looked at cyno online and the pics ive seen are nothing like this: It does not appear slimy or thin at all: It's puffy and maybe 2-3mm thick: I have not seen hairlike threads or slime: I have not tried to pull it off the rock but I guess it's always an option:

[cichlid1409]

maybe not try to pull off but shoot some water at it using a turkey baster or something like that. if it just blows off its probably cyano if its a sponge it wont blow off the rocks. do you see what might be an osculum ( place where water is expelled) ? if it is a sponge it should have one.

[Sea-agg09]

How quickly does this grow?

Sponges grow VERY slowly, and the growth you are seeing would take months to develop. Sponges are also very porous, which this doesn't appear to be. Sponges also tend to grow under rocks, where light is not available. If any algae grows on a sponge, it cannot filter and then dies. While not impossible, encrusting on top of rocks is not characteristic of sponges.

Unfortunately, it's probably cyano. There are 1234567890 species of cyanobacteria, so growth patterns are different depending on what kind it is. Just looking at pictures isn't really the best way to judge.

[soymilk]

its cyano.

p.s. you need a bigger clean up crew.

[nacra99]

Looks like cyanobacteria but can't really tell from the pic.
Cyano grows really fast and is soft / slimy. Take your finger and wipe a corner off the patch in the morning before the lights come on. If you come back in a day or two and it has grown back, you got yourself some cyano.
If it is nice and firm and has some texture to it, its probably a sponge or some sort of macroalgae.

but from what you are describing so far, i have my money on cyanobacteria.

[Sea-agg09]

p.s. you need a bigger clean up crew.

+1

[jcrouse911]

Alright was able to remove most of the mass of it by hand today and it actually is quite slimy when handled: It seemed like it might have been dying off since the majority of it came off easily and even the puffy white under material came off too.. Ordered some Macroalgea from florida and plan on putting it on the main tank since theirs no real color or corals in the system right now: I forgot to say in the orginal post that all this is in a 100 gallon tank so I'vd stepped up the water changes for now and hopefully it will all disappear.... Thanks HFB peeps for all the advice and help....

[TexmexVin590]

Put it on a peanut butter sandwich lol....j/k