sponge too big for tank! (goes very off topic)

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mr.bubble

Guest
HI! i have a 3 foot long red sponge. its too big for the tank. my tank is only 2 1/2 feet high and the sponge is 3 feet! its sticking out of the water. i bought this sponge when it was only 11 inches high! is there any way i can "trim" the sponge without hurting it? if there is a way how can i do it? also will this sponge contribute to the nitrte? THANKS!
 
ak_reefer

ak_reefer

Member
So your saying this sponge grew 25 inches in 5 months? Anyway as far as cutting the sponge I am not sure how to do it. I know some tree sponges should never be exposed to air, is there any discoloration on the 6 inches that are sticking out of your tank. Sponges are filter feeders they feed off of organic matter and bacteria they will not contribute to your nitrite or nitrate.
 
M

mr.bubble

Guest
Yes! the sponge grew 25 inches in 5 months. my lfs said it would grow very fast. the part that is sticking out of the water is complitely white! Is there anybody that knows how to trim a sponge?
 
reeferx

reeferx

Member
Mr. Bubble you CAN trim a sponge.
I was just reading a thread about someone doing it the other night, but I can't find it now.
I did find this:
You might have some luck in trimming off the whitened, dying ends...
<hr></blockquote>
delete
If no one tells you how, do some digging online, you should find it.
 
reeferx

reeferx

Member
Ok, I found some more threads on it. These people were just trimming it, sounds like with just scizzors or something. I would assume they were at least sterile.
One guy was removing dead matter with a tooth brush, said it grew back quickly. I guess they are pretty hardy in the right environment where they don't get all clogged up.
HTH
Matt
 
M

mr.bubble

Guest
I have an angle fish already! well a flame angle. so i just cut off some of the sponge? can i cut off some of the living parts off the sponge so it wont grow back?
 
reeferx

reeferx

Member
Mr. B I don't know much about sponges. I did read about them recently, but that is about it.
I have no idea how you would retard the growth of a sponge. Yours sounds like it likes your tank, so my guess would be that you could cut some of the live stuff without killing it, but I don't know. Just being honest.
 
M

mr.bubble

Guest
Well i guess it does love my tank. i keep it in a really dark spot. i'm going to take some sissors and just snip some of the sponge. i will do that around 8:00 tonight, in case some expert on sponges post me back and says "WAIT! Dont cut that sponge!" i wish spongebob can see this! :D
 
treble

treble

Member
Once a sponge hits the air, its dead, the sponge is dying. Cut off the part sticking out of the water. Then if any other part of the sponge starts to turn white take the whole thing out cause its going to die. If you leave it in it will slowly decay.
 
M

mr.bubble

Guest
OK. i get that part. i was not going to take it out of the water, AT ALL! I am going to get some nice clean sissors, put them in the tank, and snip some of the sponge. i just dont want the sponge to die.
 
wamp

wamp

Active Member
Bull... Just plain ol' fashin bull... There is no way with your nitrates that high and your tank that young your sponge grew that much in 5 months. I dont belive it!!!
<a href="http://www.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/~abraham/Sponges/sponges.html" target="_blank">http://www.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/~abraham/Sponges/sponges.html</a>
Read.
 
taku

taku

Member
Alright Mr. Bubble, I WANT PICS!! :D
.... not to see if you are lying because frankly I don't care... but I'm extremely curious to see what it looks like. I JUST bought an orange sponge about 2 hours ago! :) I just want to see placement and lighting (you did say dark spot) etc to get an idea of where I should place my litle guy :)
Thanks for any info! :)
 
M

mr.bubble

Guest
ITS NOT BULL! Its just happens to grow really fast. my nitrate isnt THAT high. its only at 30ppm. i keep it in a very dark spot! and it just grew. that is one of the first things i ever got. i got that on week 1. and since then it just kept growing. i know its hard to believe but there was another guy on here posting that his sponge grew too fast and was taking over his polyps and he would cut some of the sponge and then a day later the sponge had grew doble in langh. you want me to show you a pic?! i can do that but not know. maby in a week or so... depending if the photos came out OK.
 
M

mr.bubble

Guest
I would put it in a dark spot with a little current. do not let it touch air! but this is a branching red sponge. got it for $50. but i will send you a pic......... if they turn out OK. I had some other pics of my tank, they were really dark though. sammy lightend them up though.
 
taku

taku

Member
Thanks for the info!
That's all I was wondering. Right now I have it under a shelf in a shady spot... but it's going to outgrow that spot quickly I imagine. Should I just put it under the shelf and let the sponge grow around the shelf? The shelf is rather large.. about 16" x 18" (triangle shaped).
How is your whole 3 ft sponge in the dark? ...Or is just the bottom portion in the shade?
Thanks! :D
 
M

mr.bubble

Guest
You should not put it in the sun for long, algea will start to grow on it and cover up its pores, so it can not feed. my sponge is at the side of the tank behing some rocks. there is hardly any light on the right side of the tank...dont know why. i think some sponges grow quiker than others. i really like those blue sponges!
 
wamp

wamp

Active Member
Your so full of it.. Do you have ADD or something? It seems like you are always posting the stupedist comments or questions. I guess you do it just to see your own words? If you bought a tall sponge, and it does not fit, than cut it. But to say it grew that much in your tank is next to immposible. It would have to grow .16 inches every day.. Thats almost what most sponges in the wild grow a year! You could almost watch it grow!
 
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