Anyone have Sponges

[MiltonP]

I haven't found alot of info on sponges inmmy books. My LFS has a beauty that is orange and about 4" tall. I believe sponges do best in low light so my 96 powerquad on my 29 may be too much. Any comments?

Aside from rock, 13 hermits, 5 snails, and 4" sand bed, I have only added a candy cane coral so far. I was tempted by a nicely shaped elephant skin, but heard they can be difficult.

 

[Anonymous]

Milton, do some reading on the species they have ro try to find something close. A lot of the sponges offered like the tree sponge usually end up starving or dying from exposure to air (this can take a few months to kill the sponge). Moon sponges and that blue Haliclona species are the only ones I know of that seem to be fairly hardy. the Blue Haliclona seems to grow well under strong lighting. Also if a sponge buys it it can release some nasty chemicals into your water - research carefully.

 

[MiltonP]

Thanks, I'll definitely do some digging before buying. I haven't heard much good about keeping sponges so I probably will pass, especially in a small tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Wait for a few months. There should be some new information coming out that you'd find helpful.

 

[The Pirate]

Steve Tyree wrote a good book on the subject called The Ascidians. You can ask him questions at http://www.dynamicecomorphology.com/

 

[Anonymous]

Steve Tyree wrote a good book on the subject called The Ascidians. You can ask him questions at http://www.dynamicecomorphology.com/

Just to let you know Milton this is a pretty neat book (though he could use a good editor) but ascidians are sea squirts - primitive chordates, what you have or are contemplating are poriferans or sponges. Tyree published a volume before this one that goes into depth on sponges and specifically setting up a cryptic filter zone - it's on the same link Pirate provided above.

 

[brandon4291]

MIlton FWIW I saw the exact same sponge you are describing at my LFS. They called it an orange elephant ear sponge, and I looked through both Borneman's and Sprung's books about inverts and couldnt find anything. I too decided to hold off, and just a few days later I was back at my old college looking at my professor's reef/ he had one in there for a few months and it was slowly dying. In the same system he has some yellow sea fingers, a type of branching gorgonian I think. Anyway, they are filter-feeders and they were thriving, so he had expected the sponge to do fine but it didnt--good luck on interpreting any of this anecdotal data!

If you find anyone having success with one Id like to know, because they look fantastic in the dealer's tank...

Brandon

 

[Rich-n-poor]

I have some really nice Bright Yellow sponge in my tank. With 110 watts on a 37 gallon so your lighting should not be a problem.

I do however dose Kent microvert occassionally as they are filter feeders.

I came acroos this sponge by seeing it on a piece of live rock for sale at my LFS.

I had him bag the rock in water not moist newspaper. It was about the sive of a quarter when i got it. I have transplanted it several times in my tank by ripping a piece off and wedging it between two rocks.

I now have about 8 pieces the size of a computer mouse in about 8 months time.

including a nice one to trade.

rich
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[Anonymous]

Since we are talking about them anyone know an online reputable source that gets the blue Haliclona sp? in regularly? I heard they are seasonal? Gorgeous and being photosynthetic I would feel a little safer trying these - also anyone had experience with them first hand like how toxic are they to neighboring corals?