New tank with lots of these...

I've got quite a few of these popping up in my tank. Tank is almost one month into it cycle, which brings up another question...haven't seen any significant changes in ammonia, nitrite or nitrate levels. There's three dalmation Molly's for the last three weeks that a friend brought over to 'get things started'.





Those are the best photos I could get, hopefully you can see it. White, soft, fuzzy tube like thing-a-ma-jig. Theyre under 1/2" tall, and hollow in the middle, at the right angle you can see down inside them.

I've looked through every hitch hiker thread and link I've come across, but haven't found these anywhere.

They certainly don't seem threatening, but from what I've been learning lately you really can't tell!

 

Looks like pineapple sponges.

What are the numbers of your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

 

They are pineapple sponges and harmless.

 

Just finished a water test, and for the first time I'm seeing a slight amount of ammonia...

Ammonia 0.6 (usually 0.1)
Nitrite 0.1 (has always been same)
Nitrate <5 (has always been same)
Phosphate 0.25
Calcium 540
Ph 8.25
Sg 1.025

Temp about 80 F

I had the live rock in rubbermaid tubs for two weeks before I was able to add it to the tank. The big pieces were in a tub with a powerhead and heater, the rubble pieces were in a tub with a powerhead but no heater.

Water and live rock have been in the tank for just over 3 weeks, and fish for just over 2 weeks.

 

Those are definitively pineapple sponges. I had alot when I first set my tank up and they eventually only existed in the sump. Completely harmless.

What test kits are you using? I would think ammonia would be zero by now but maybe not if you started with dry rock. Maybe a little bit of nitrite still at this stage. Also, calcium seems a bit high. Not TOO high just dont normally see calcium that high. Are you dosing calcium? If not what salt mix are you using cause I gotta get me some ;D

If you have a KH test kit test for alkalinity as well. Should be in the 9-12 degrees range. Sometimes high calcium can lower alkalinity, but your pH seems fine at this "age".

Also, were the molly's already acclimated to full saltwater when you added them? I have always been interested in the species that could adapt to fresh, brackish, or saltwater.

 

I have a month old tank with a bunch of those too. Good to learn the are harmless, got the same info from my LFS store today too.

 

To add, you should be testing magnesium as well. I recommend getting a Red Sea Pro Multi test kit (calc, mag, & alk). That is high calcium if your SG is in fact 1.025. Are you using a refractometer that has been calibrated?

It sounds like the Mollys were since they came from his buddy. I myself converted one to keep a QT cycled. I converted it from full fresh to SW by doing a drip acclimation over a 12 hour period. No issues at all, in fact it gave birth in the tank (most I ever saw was 3, but none ended up making it since I did not do anything special for them). They actually go into brackish water to give birth, so this makes sense. They are really great fish, and are a fish that could help shy fish to stay out in the open more IMO.

 

Buy a bottle of Dr. Tim's one and only and add it to your tank - will finish off your cycle in a couple days. Something doesnt seem right that your ammonia is still there.

 

+1 on ID, personally i would say -1 in adding anything to speed the cycle up. give nature time and it will do and create everything it needs to be stable.

 

Thanks for the quick id on the pineapple sponges everyone! Today there are even more, they're pretty cool looking.

I'm using a Nutrafin master test kit, and the salt is Instant Ocean Reef Crystals.

Yesterdays test was the first time I've seen any ammonia, just checked it again and it's lower at 0.2. Surely that wasn't the spike? From what I've read it should have gotten quite high. Unless I missed it, I did a test at day 5, 9, 16, 21 and now 22. Maybe they were spaced out too much.

The Molly's were acclimated by my friend, he has a bunch in his frag tank.

I will see what I can find for a magnesium tester, seems my 'ultimate kit' is falling short. I just checked my refractometer to a bottle of distilled water and it was a bit low, recalibrated and its closer to 1.027 if that makes things any clearer.

Tested a couple other things...

GH off the chart, >500 from what I can tell
KH 110, the test kit recommends taking action to get it 150-190
Iron 0
Nitrate <5
Nitrite <0.1
Ammonia 0.2


THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP!