Black sponge identification?

[JotaDe]

Just noticed this simple sponge on my brain coral, wasn't there 4 months ago, just kind of black.
I'm pretty stoked though since it's my first sponge, I've never purchased one so it's a hitchhiker.

Couple questions regarding it...
Is this just considered a black sponge, or is there a more appropriate name for it?
Should I move it to another location?
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/JotaDe123/IMG_2017.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/JotaDe123/IMG_2016.jpg

[albie611]

nice find..........just be careful with it , some sponges are very fast growers and it could smother your brain coral.

[JotaDe]

Thanks albie611, would you suggest moving it away from the coral?
This being my first sponge I'm trying to do some research on them but I have no idea where to start. Does anyone have an idea of the scientific name of this piece to help my googling :) ?

[Hormigaquatica]

Unfortunatly, there is really no way to give a positive ID on a sponge without microscopic examination. Best bet is to keep it somewhere with decent water flow so it can catch food and wont get overgrown by algae. I would suggest cutting it off of the brain since sponges can be really irritating to corals. Just do that under water if you want to try and keep the sponge alive- exposing it to air will most likely kill it

[JotaDe]

I'll move it this weekend (in and around my Bolts playoff game of course).
So I can't just pull it off the coral, it needs to be cut?

[pastarican]

That's pretty cool looking...big too!
-M-

[bad habit]

Dont wory about killing it I have it in my tank EVERYWHERE it grows on the underside of the rock. It turns black when exposed to light it grows stringers out and up into the water flow. If you new what I do you WILL peel it off your brain and make sure none of it falls back into the water. It will OVERGROW all other corals it is a verry bad nusince at best. I have a few pics of it in my gallery. not very good ones tho but you can see a little of it. If you look at the pic named right third you can see it hanging over the purple mushrooms.

[JotaDe]

Wow, that's pretty scary. I haven't done anything with it yet, want to make sure what I'm dealing with and what I want to do with it before I do anything to it.
It's still attached to the base of the brain, but the brain is so large that it still covers the sponge when extended.

Thanks for that info bad habit.

[Energy]

The black sponge can be an extreme nuisance. Isolate it or eliminate it.

[JotaDe]

As far as removal what are the best tactics to assure that sponge particles won't break off and spread.
The sponge is attached to the bottom hard part of the brain.

-Should I pull it off?
-Scrape it off?
-Do it all out of water?

[bad habit]

most of the time it will pull off pretty goodbut if you want to make sure you get it all place brain in a bowl of tank water peel all off that you can and then use a toothbrush to clean the rest off