Sponge problems, snail invasion

[klaval8696]

My tank is 3 years old, I have added nothing new to the tank; but over the last few months the tank has become infested with sponge (at least I think it is sponge). One variety is pink with these long tentacles, another is deep purple and last last is a dreadful black sponge. The tank has also recently had a huge spawning of snails. I only have turbo snails in the tank. There are literally hundreds of small snails. Ideas how to get rid od the sponges?

[Psirex]

Pics?

[cloak]

Unless the sponges are starting to smother some of your corals, they're actually a good thing. As far as the snails go, they might be collonista snails. (harmless) There's some pictures and a little bit of information on the two in the link below.

http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker/hitchhiker.shtml

[klaval8696]

You can see the pink sponge is spreading like crazy. The black sponge is under the large rock to the left of the Toadstool leather. It is not creeping up the edge and starting to cover my Star Polyps. Is is about an inch high off the rock. I'm afraid it will take over. I have purple sponge as well, it is spreading; but does not grow fast. This black sponge and pink sponge however; spread quickly.

[spieszak]

Sponges are filter feeders, so growing rapidly would seem to imply that there is plenty of food to filter. Have you changed your feeding habits/what you are feeding? (start spot feeding corals, or adding phytofeast?)
I would think you could slow down growth by ensuring there isn't as much for them to filter/eat..

[klaval8696]

Sent the pics...thanks for your help. The first pic shows the pink sponge (or I think that's what it is). The second and third show the black sponge (It is on the rock above the anemone in the first picture and you can see from a slightly different angle in the third picture.

[klaval8696]

The only change recently is the addition of Vitachem (been adding because I noticed one of my tangs had the beginning of Lateral Line Disease). Other than that I don't add much else to the water.

[Relly]

Are you using a protein skimmer? If you are, then maybe it is not at full operation. Hey that looks like some pretty good sponge. Can I buy/trade you for some.

[bugs713]

I have white sponges in my weir's and sump's, I've always welcomed them in these places as they are good filter feeders. I've never had them in a DT, yet.

This tank is about 6 months old and the sponge explosion started a week ago.
http://i47.*******.com/x4ou3o.jpg

http://i46.*******.com/23h9fr6.jpg