How to care for tree sponge?

[floridacatfish]

My LFS has two - one red and one orange. The LFS owner said they don't tend to live long in tanks, and that he really hated to even have them in his store.
I think they look awesome. Right now I don't have any sponge eaters, and would love to give it a try. I read that they need low light area, high flow, and are filter feeders..... I know they don't like bubbles too.
Any suggestions on keeping these two alive? What can I do to give them the right food / environment?
Haven't bought them yet.

 

[rotarymagic]

Originally Posted by Floridacatfish
http:///forum/post/2882669
My LFS has two - one red and one orange. The LFS owner said they don't tend to live long in tanks, and that he really hated to even have them in his store.
I think they look awesome. Right now I don't have any sponge eaters, and would love to give it a try. I read that they need low light area, high flow, and are filter feeders..... I know they don't like bubbles too.
Any suggestions on keeping these two alive? What can I do to give them the right food / environment?
Haven't bought them yet.
skimmerless, marine planktons (reef roids, etc.), turf scrubber (or other similar acting combo), try not to expose to air, you want alot of food in the water which requires something like a good refugium/DSB or turf scrubber to pull inorganics out quickly (the NO3 and PO4 we can test for.)
If you have a protein skimmer set on kill, I doubt you'll be able to keep it or most other "obligate" filter feeders alive..

 

[floridacatfish]

I guess I should have posted a little about my tank ;-)
150g, 225lb LR, 75g sump/refuge ... no skimmer yet - I use RO/DI water and have just a trace of phosphates - hoping to get those down to 0 (I'm at 0.1-0.2 now).
Lights: 3 250 14k MH, 4 96 CF, and moonlights
2 korila 4's, and 1 korila 2, with return pump.
Readings:
temp 79
pH 8.3
1.026
NH3 -0
NO2-0
NO3-10
Ca 480
Alk - hard to read, but in the "safe" range.
Had thought about getting a skimmer to help with the NO3.
Current residents
Longnose hawk
valentini puffer
two GSM w/ 2 bta
midas blenny
Could I just make my own photoplankton like I've seen in one of the threads? Any other supplements, or food needed?
I'll have to look into making a turf scrubber this weekend ... would be cheaper than a skimmer anyways.

 

[rotarymagic]

Originally Posted by Floridacatfish
http:///forum/post/2882671
I guess I should have posted a little about my tank ;-)
150g, 225lb LR, 75g sump/refuge ... no skimmer yet - I use RO/DI water and have just a trace of phosphates - hoping to get those down to 0 (I'm at 0.1-0.2 now).
Lights: 3 250 14k MH, 4 96 CF, and moonlights
2 korila 4's, and 1 korila 2, with return pump.
Readings:
temp 79
pH 8.3
1.026
NH3 -0
NO2-0
NO3-10
Ca 480
Alk - hard to read, but in the "safe" range.
Had thought about getting a skimmer to help with the NO3.
Current residents
Longnose hawk
valentini puffer
two GSM w/ 2 bta
midas blenny
Could I just make my own photoplankton like I've seen in one of the threads? Any other supplements, or food needed?
I'll have to look into making a turf scrubber this weekend ... would be cheaper than a skimmer anyways.
You need to have more marine planktons in the water than just phyto... you need zooplanktons too... a turf scrubber is definitely going to help you out.

 

[floridacatfish]

I found a thread on making phyop, but haven't found anything on zooplankton. ???
Going to do the plumbing for the algae scrubber this week. Maybe by the time I have it up and running, I can get some phyto and zoo ready.