Identify: Red branching coral-like growth all over tank.

[Delphinus]

Aren't foraminiferans tiny and hard and have sharp pointy bits? I'm with Doug, I'm thinking this is a red sponge, it looks more spongy and soft to me?

I've seen sponge grow in different colours in my tank - reds, blues, oranges, white, yellow. It seems like the yellow for some reason has more staying power though for some reason.

[simplycoral]

Looks like the start of "Callyspongia spp." to me. (Frilly Sponges)

Frills on the top look soft but are rather stiff.


Callyspongia.jpg


Simon.

[mitchelljared]

Well the points are indeed sharp and calcareous, so it's either the sponge above (Callyspongia spp", which would be cool because well...they look cool)...or the Homotrema rubrum (foraminiferan...which seems to be 90% likely what they are). Either way...good for the tank.

[simplycoral]

Its a common misconception that all sponges are soft & well spongy

An internal ‘skeleton’ is present in almost all sponges. There are two basic components - spicules and collagen fibers.

Spicules are elaborate crystals produced from compounds precipitated by scleroblast cells in the sponge tissue. Spicules are either calcereous (precipitated from calcium ions and carbonate ions) or siliceous (precipitated from silicate salts). The spicules serve at least two roles in the sponge: a kind of mesh-work internal skeleton, and, in some cases, as a protective device against predation.

The Callyspongia spp. in your tank has calcereous spicules..

Simon.