thanks about the sponge question

[vizia2]

thanks for advice. I was told by someone about the mandarin after i bought him. So I bought some (I think they call it britazoa cups) they have a lot of stuff growing on it and some small pieces of chunks of dead sponge, was told pods will grow in that. About my red sponge you recommended cutting the dead area off, so that will mean about one quarter of the way up. So the rest of it I should just put in a hole in my live rock, Would that be fine As for the about inch and a half of dead sponge should I leave it in the tank or toss it, because my mandarin likes it, he keeps on nibbling from the dead part.
thanks again

 

[spsfreak100]

Originally posted by vizia2
About my red sponge you recommended cutting the dead area off, so that will mean about one quarter of the way up. So the rest of it I should just put in a hole in my live rock, Would that be fine As for the about inch and a half of dead sponge should I leave it in the tank or toss it, because my mandarin likes it, he keeps on nibbling from the dead part.
thanks again
A dead sponge can produce a lot of wastes. Your best off getting the dead parts out as soon as you can. The older the dead areas get, the more difficult it will be to get out. The sponge should crumble in your hand if it gets too old. Just cut off the dead areas with the Razor Blade, and discard of the dead areas.
Take Care,
Graham

 

[jarvis]

I dont think the cups will work fast enough. I dont blame you for trying though. Some manderins will eat live brine, but is not a healthy diet. You can enrich them because they are filter feeders. As to what I dont have the slightest clue what would be best. I enrich mine with live pytoplankton that I culture as to any benifit not quite sure. I just do it because I have too much of it. An isolated refiguim that has live sand would help your pod population. I feel that any efforts in your tank will not work. I have a manderin with 300 lbs of live rock since adding a sixline wrasse (a competor for a food source). I have notice a slightly less fat manderin. I worry about him getting the proper diet. If I see him decline more I will need to return one of them in order for them both to be happy and it is the right thing to do for the fish.