Orange tree sponge

[jpa0741]

Any success stories on keeping a orange tree sponge. I know many will say it is doomed but I had to give it a try. This is what I know sofar. It was not exposed to air. Low light (I have pc lighting). High flow. Feed tank photoplankton and cyclop-eze every couple days. Any other hints would be great.

Thanks, Jeff

 

[alyssia]

I have kept one under the same conditions for 6 months and so far, so good. I got a yellow one at the same time but it wasted away a few months ago.

 

[jpa0741]

Originally Posted by alyssia
I have kept one under the same conditions for 6 months and so far, so good. I got a yellow one at the same time but it wasted away a few months ago.
Cool, I hope mine makes it. It sure does add a lot of color to a tank.

 

[xdave]

I had one for many years. IMO the reason people have trouble with these is, they buy one that was poorly collected, it's entire foot should be attatched to rock, and/or the tank is either too hot or too well lit. I had mine in sort of a "looks like a plant" tank, gorgonians and feather dusters and stuff.

 

[hot883]

Here's a pic of mine. I got it May 9 this year. No real long term success to jump about but is doing well. I do nothing special for mine as I heard the pores could get clogged if you spot feed it. Mine is in my 125 with 520w of PC's.

 

[jpa0741]

Originally Posted by xDave
I had one for many years. IMO the reason people have trouble with these is, they buy one that was poorly collected, it's entire foot should be attatched to rock, and/or the tank is either too hot or too well lit. I had mine in sort of a "looks like a plant" tank, gorgonians and feather dusters and stuff.
What do you consider too hot? I keep my tank around 79-80f. Do you think it is too well lit with pc's?

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by jpa0741
What do you consider too hot? I keep my tank around 79-80f. Do you think it is too well lit with pc's?

I have PC's and I keep my tank at 81.5

 

[alyssia]

BTW, I like how you have your sponge in the rocks. I'm going to move mine like that. I have it in the sand and it keeps falling over.

 

[jpa0741]

Originally Posted by alyssia
BTW, I like how you have your sponge in the rocks. I'm going to move mine like that. I have it in the sand and it keeps falling over.
I have the base between 2 rocks.

 

[puffer32]

Here's mine, I have it in the sand bed and its doing great. When i first got it it started to die, but i am doing something right cause it has gotten much bigger and stopped getting die off awhile ago. Yours is right in the path of a PH, good thing to do, they like lots of flow.
First 2 pics are what it looked like when I got it last 2 are now.

 

[xdave]

72-78 is their normal range.

 

[grumpygils]

Originally Posted by jpa0741
Any success stories on keeping a orange tree sponge. I know many will say it is doomed but I had to give it a try. This is what I know sofar. It was not exposed to air. Low light (I have pc lighting). High flow. Feed tank photoplankton and cyclop-eze every couple days. Any other hints would be great.

Thanks, Jeff
I phyto every 2 to 3 days. Cyclopeese and have him in a moderate to heavy flow under MHs and VHO. He seems to be doing well?

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by puffer32
Here's mine, I have it in the sand bed and its doing great. When i first got it it started to die, but i am doing something right cause it has gotten much bigger and stopped getting die off awhile ago. Yours is right in the path of a PH, good thing to do, they like lots of flow.
First 2 pics are what it looked like when I got it last 2 are now.

Wow, that sponge looks great!

 

[puffer32]

Thanks, its come a long ways, thought that he was a goner afew days after we got it, some of the tips were turning white as you can see in the first pic, and was alittle pale, I clipped off the white tips and it seemed to rejuvinate after that, got a nice dark orange, I think he really adds to the tank

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by puffer32
Thanks, its come a long ways, thought that he was a goner afew days after we got it, some of the tips were turning white as you can see in the first pic, and was alittle pale, I clipped off the white tips and it seemed to rejuvinate after that, got a nice dark orange, I think he really adds to the tank

That sounds like what happened to my yellow one. It got white and transparent looking, then looked like it had cyano all over it.