sponges?

xjayx

xjayx

Member
Hey,
I wanted to get some info from you guys on sponges.
What do you guys think the most hardy (yet still attractive) sponges out there are?
How would you care for a sponge and how would you feed it and make sure it stays healthy?
Also, how do you acclimate a sponge if you can't let it touch the air?
Anything else I should know?
I'm hoping to add one to my tank some time soon.
Thanks for any info you could give me.
 
xjayx

xjayx

Member
I believe they are.
I asked the guy at my LFS about them.
He said that the orange tree sponge that I had my eye on is very easy to keep.
He told me that you could feed it micro vert type stuff but just adding trace elements is enough to keep it.
They don't need any lighting or anything.
That's why I figured I'd ask here... I don't want to believe that it's really THAT easy cause it's not a good idea to believe everything your LFS owners tell you...
I know they need good water conditions but is there anything else I should know?
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member
Acclimate the sponge with the dripping technique, then release it into the tank underwater (yes, store water will get into your tank).
Place it in a low light area, or an area lacking lights as they are not photosynthetic. They are also slow-growing, so are prone to get algae growth on them.
I "feed" mine occasionally by stirring up the surface of the sand next to the sponge and making the water in that area cloudy. You can dose phyto for your sponge but I don't think thats absolutely necessary.
I also use a powerhead to clean off the sponge every few days. You don't want any detritous to settle on them.
The biggest success for sponges is not to overfilter or overskim your tank. Good luck!
My sponge:
 
mimzy

mimzy

Active Member
Are they very sensitive to salinity/temperature/SG...anything? Are they that easy that u can just plop them in, feed 'em and let 'em grow?
search time :yes:
I want one! I want one! Lt's see more pix - who's got sponges??
 
xjayx

xjayx

Member
I've heard that some can actually whipe out your entire tank if they die in there.
But I hear that those are only the red ball and black ball sponges.
anyway, thanks mudplayerx for your reply.
 
dirtee147

dirtee147

Member
I almost bought one a few weeks ago but the guy at the lfs told me that no air can hit them. My ? is where can you place it in your tank without any air getting to it ? :thinking:
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member
They mean that you can't take the sponge out of the water. As long as the sponge is underwater, you don't need to worry about air bubbles (within reason of course).
I've had my sponge about 2-3 weeks now, and he was in the lfs for about 3 months. He has been healthy as a horse with great color, so the myth that all sponges eventually waste away and die is misinformed. Although my sponge isn't really getting bigger, the color remains vibrant.
 
dapak83

dapak83

Member
hey guys... ive goten my sponge a few weeks ago from this site.. its about a foot long althoguth it had no rock at the end of it i just stuck it in the sand.. it seems to be doing well!
just my 2 cents!
 
mr_bill

mr_bill

Active Member
Hey mudplayerx, did you get the bit of rock yours in on with the sponge? It really looks great, and I'd love to have one similar but I don't really have a spot that is low light. Would it be detrimental for the sponge to be in full light?
Thanks
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member
My sponge came attached to the rock in the pic. Thanks for the compliments!
Your sponge can be in the light, but it may get algae growing on it. Just blow it off with a powerhead every day and maybe that will prevent it.
Dunno about fragging sponges. I know it can be done, but mine grows so slowly that I can't imagine cutting it.
 
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