Anyone have experience growing encrusting sponges on live rock for food?

[livinlifeinBKK]

Shop near me just got in another shipment of amazing quality live rock straight out of the ocean and this one piece in particular has a good size chunk of encrusting sponge on it. My Fromia loves encrusting sponges so I was just curious how difficult it would be to propagate them from this piece...does anyone have any experience with this? Also if you wanna see the other pieces just out of curiosity I included the link. I consider myself really lucky to have access to rock like this! Live rock for sale

 

[vetteguy53081]

Shop near me just got in another shipment of amazing quality live rock straight out of the ocean and this one piece in particular has a good size chunk of encrusting sponge on it. My Fromia loves encrusting sponges so I was just curious how difficult it would be to propagate them from this piece...does anyone have any experience with this? Also if you wanna see the other pieces just out of curiosity I included the link. I consider myself really lucky to have access to rock like this! Live rock for sale

Dponges thrive in areas of low flow and light
Large angels are the primary fish to feed on sponge
Be careful with excitement of sponge as some contain toxins

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Dponges thrive in areas of low flow and light
Large angels are the primary fish to feed on sponge
Be careful with excitement of sponge as some contain toxins

It's just my Fromia indica star I was thinking of since he's not part of the study I'm planning due to being a different Fromia species than those I have access to enough of (plus he's been member of the tank for over 6 months). I just know they like encrusting sponges like that from prior observations. Didn't know some could emit toxins though!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Is it weird to wanna buy a ton of that rock just because of the quality without any precise plan for it? Haha

 

[vetteguy53081]

It's just my Fromia indica star I was thinking of since he's not part of the study I'm planning due to being a different Fromia species than those I have access to enough of (plus he's been member of the tank for over 6 months). I just know they like encrusting sponges like that from prior observations. Didn't know some could emit toxins though!

Mainly black and yellow sponge will

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Mainly black and yellow sponge will

Would you consider this one yellow or white?

 

[Pkunk35]

My god where do you live I want some of that sweet sweet rock!

many sponges need silicates I believe, also kz makes a product called sponge power that helps them grow.

and no, it is not weird to want to buy that quality rock, more rare than any coral out there nowadays…

gorgeous and gl!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Would you consider this one yellow or white?

White
Yellow is like lemon

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

My god where do you live I want some of that sweet sweet rock!

many sponges need silicates I believe, also kz makes a product called sponge power that helps them grow.

and no, it is not weird to want to buy that quality rock, more rare than any coral out there nowadays…

gorgeous and gl!

I'm over here in Bangkok actually...if I could send you some I would! Glad I'm not the only one who really has an appreciation for high quality live rock these days! And you're right, I completely forgot sponges need silicates! It costs like the equivalent of $5 so I might just get it as a snack for him along with a few other nice pieces...

 

[Bucs20fan]

If your star doesnt eat it, keeping it alive will probably require a product like Spongexcel or similar to keep silicates in your water.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

If your star doesnt eat it, keeping it alive will probably require a product like Spongexcel or similar to keep silicates in your water.

Yeah, not sure I wanna have to dose a new product for something originally intended as food

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I might still get a few pieces though even though I'm not sure what to use it for right now besides keep it in a spare tank with water that has nitrates and phosphates to feed everything...it's the only shop that gets it straight from the ocean and they're not a very big shop so I worry they'll stop stocking it at some point and don't know where else you can get this kind of quality (considering it was almost certainly brought straight from collection in water coolers to the shop so never a moment to dry out or lose any biodiversity due to shipping/handling even...Live rock for sale

 

[ying yang]

It's just my Fromia indica star I was thinking of since he's not part of the study I'm planning due to being a different Fromia species than those I have access to enough of (plus he's been member of the tank for over 6 months). I just know they like encrusting sponges like that from prior observations. Didn't know some could emit toxins though!

Not an expert ( very far away from being one ha ha )
But on a side note ,some animals are toxic if eaten as a defence mechanism to stop them from being eaten,some have no toxins/poison in them but other animals have evolved alongside them knowing nature gives clues like black and red and black and yellow and the likes so would be predators leave them alone,and ones with same colours with no poison/toxins get left alone just because off their colours.
Some have toxins/poisons naturally but some Get it from what they eat like some sea slugs,some nudibranches and can get from many things like sponges,hydroids and I think some gorgonians so basically steal the toxins from what they eat and a predator will go to eat it then spitvit out due to taste or if eat it completely then could die,so other animals have evolved to know what to eat and what to bot attempt to eat etc
Been along time since read or watched videos on it but can vaguely remember something about certain nudis eating hydroids then as it ingests the stinging part,the nudi then stores it ( forgetting all tje technical names off part off nudi lol ) But stores it in its extremities and as a defence mechanism can basically fire the stinging part of the hydroids it ate at a would be predator .
Will share a link as probably explained something wrong ,bit even iff explained correctly ,be better to have exact names off parts off nudis that stores them etc

As I say only sidenote as I find fascinating and you saying you was unaware of sponges being toxic etc

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Not an expert ( very far away from being one ha ha )
But on a side note ,some animals are toxic if eaten as a defence mechanism to stop them from being eaten,some have no toxins/poison in them but other animals have evolved alongside them knowing nature gives clues like black and red and black and yellow and the likes so would be predators leave them alone,and ones with same colours with no poison/toxins get left alone just because off their colours.
Some have toxins/poisons naturally but some Get it from what they eat like some sea slugs,some nudibranches and can get from many things like sponges,hydroids and I think some gorgonians so basically steal the toxins from what they eat and a predator will go to eat it then spitvit out due to taste or if eat it completely then could die,so other animals have evolved to know what to eat and what to bot attempt to eat etc
Been along time since read or watched videos on it but can vaguely remember something about certain nudis eating hydroids then as it ingests the stinging part,the nudi then stores it ( forgetting all tje technical names off part off nudi lol ) But stores it in its extremities and as a defence mechanism can basically fire the stinging part of the hydroids it ate at a would be predator .
Will share a link as probably explained something wrong ,bit even iff explained correctly ,be better to have exact names off parts off nudis that stores them etc

As I say only sidenote as I find fascinating and you saying you was unaware of sponges being toxic etc

I know the defense mechanism you're referring to it's called aposematism I believe such as poison dart frogs who are only poisonous due to their diet and colors warn predators...I was just unaware very many porifera contained toxins...it is very interesting though

 

[ying yang]

Nudibranchs, Colorful Sea Slugs: Gills, Chemical Defenses, Camouflage

Nudibranchs, colorful marine slugs with gills, cerata, chemical defense mechanism, and camouflage, are a favorite for underwater photographers, scuba divers

www.livingoceansfoundation.org

2 screenshots from above article, better explaining it than I did,about eating sponges and obtaining the toxins from the sponges and bit I tried explaining about eating htdroids and obtaining and using the stinging cells as darts lol

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Nudibranchs, Colorful Sea Slugs: Gills, Chemical Defenses, Camouflage

Nudibranchs, colorful marine slugs with gills, cerata, chemical defense mechanism, and camouflage, are a favorite for underwater photographers, scuba divers

www.livingoceansfoundation.org

2 screenshots from above article, better explaining it than I did,about eating sponges and obtaining the toxins from the sponges and bit I tried explaining about eating htdroids and obtaining and using the stinging cells as darts lol

Thanks for the heads up! I don't think I could really culture the sponge successfullly anyway tbh...The only thing I'm 99% sure about is that poison dart frogs do get their poison from diet as you can feed them fruit flies and keep them as pets (that's hugely beside the point though haha)

 

[ying yang]

I know the defense mechanism you're referring to it's called aposematism I believe such as poison dart frogs who are only poisonous due to their diet and colors warn predators...I was just unaware very many porifera contained toxins...it is very interesting though

Yeah I find it all very interesting and get more enjoyment from tank from all the " creepy crawlies " rather than the fish and corals pffft
Speaking of fish and imposters,the blue streaked cleaner wrasse also has an imposter that mimics it,the cleaner wrasse cleans dead tissue and parasites from all kinds off fish and sure everybody seen the images of cleaner wrasses inside a large eels mouth cleaning Inside and think wow the eel or large fish could easily eat that and why doesn't it,but gets left alone as doing a service but then another fish who pretends to be the cleaner wrasse takes bites out of the " client fish " rather than cleaning it.
Another example like in my first thread of one animal mimicking another for its own benefit, nature is truly amazing ha ha

Tropical Fish Cleaners and Their Mimics – Marine Life Society of South Australia Inc.

mlssa.org.au

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Yeah I find it all very interesting and get more enjoyment from tank from all the " creepy crawlies " rather than the fish and corals pffft
Speaking of fish and imposters,the blue streaked cleaner wrasse also has an imposter that mimics it,the cleaner wrasse cleans dead tissue and parasites from all kinds off fish and sure everybody seen the images of cleaner wrasses inside a large eels mouth cleaning Inside and think wow the eel or large fish could easily eat that and why doesn't it,but gets left alone as doing a service but then another fish who pretends to be the cleaner wrasse takes bites out of the " client fish " rather than cleaning it.
Another example like in my first thread of one animal mimicking another for its own benefit, nature is truly amazing ha ha

I had one of those for a short time!! I really thought it was a wrasse at first!

 

[ying yang]

I had one of those for a short time!! I really thought it was a wrasse at first!

Yeah can easily be caught off guard ha ha.
I know when I bought my blue streaked cleaner wrasse over a year ago,I stood there staring into the lfs fish tank for what seemed like an eternity ( probably good 20 minutes ) and zooming in on my phone video trying to see its mouth and if downturned or in middle off mouth, I felt like a proper weirdo,employees at the lfs telling me,don't worry its a true blue streaked cleaner wrasse and remember telling them,we'll if your confident,won't mind me double checking then hey ^_^ ,they told me to fill my boots lol
And even after confirmed at lfs,still tried for ages in my tank trying to check again with taking multiple videos and photos off its mouth, but such a small fish that never stops and so dang fast, it so hard to check the mouth ha ha

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Yeah can easily be caught off guard ha ha.
I know when I bought my blue streaked cleaner wrasse over a year ago,I stood there staring into the lfs fish tank for what seemed like an eternity ( probably good 20 minutes ) and zooming in on my phone video trying to see its mouth and if downturned or in middle off mouth, I felt like a proper weirdo,employees at the lfs telling me,don't worry its a true blue streaked cleaner wrasse and remember telling them,we'll if your confident,won't mind me double checking then hey ^_^ ,they told me to fill my boots lol
And even after confirmed at lfs,still tried for ages in my tank trying to check again with taking multiple videos and photos off its mouth, but such a small fish that never stops and so dang fast, it so hard to check the mouth ha ha

Try identifying a fish like that with a foreign language being primarily used!