Check out this Australian Sponge!!!

Hypertek99

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Trying to get some info on this. Anyone have any idea??? It's so pretty but why does it have polyps??? It's the first one from Australia. The seller i'm buying from named it White Lightning Sponge. They said it's the first on in the states. They say it's a certain morph that's why it has the white polyps. It's so cool. It looks like the sponge is sharing a symbolic relationship with some zoo's???
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grisha

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could it be a thic gorgonia frag ...?
 

jendub

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no.... it is a sponge.

I think it has a symbiotic relationship with zoanthids. I am trying to get more information from the diver. When I find more info, I will post it.=)
 

jendub

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those are cool.

I do not have much knowledge in sponges but this is what I know about the white lightning sponges so far.

The sponge is called a Clathria sp.(scientific name). It has a symbiotic hydrozoa relationship. From my understanding, and this is from the diver, they are only found from a certain part in Australia. The polyps come out during the day and night to feed. So you do have to feed these sponges.

I am still gathering more info so if I come acroos anything else, I will post.

jen=)
 

Reef Goddess

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That looks just like the ones that get down here except the symbiotic hydroids are yellow on the sponges. Probably wouldn't be too easy to keep. Looks very cool tho!
 

Patwa

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something exactly like this came in to Toronto a few weeks back....one of my buddies emailed me and was freaking out about a "white zoa" that he saw at the store....LOL!....

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=25861&d=1187412913

....i was playing a volleyball tournament that weekend so I never got around to checking it out in person......

BIG pieces of this thing were going for $40....well, this store sells everything for $40....heck, they had 3 massive colonies of duncans (50-60 heads) for $40 each......crap, maybe I should have checked out the sale now that i think about it :(

Jen, hopefully you're not paying a lot for this piece...it's obviously not that rare, although it definitely is not traded that often.

Zach
 
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jendub

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something exactly like this came in to Toronto a few weeks back....one of my buddies emailed me and was freaking out about a "white zoa" that he saw at the store....LOL!....



Zach

I actually am paying close to what I am charging. They are shipped to me in a full bag of water which weighs a ton, plus they are the size, if not bigger, then a dinner plate.

The Canadians are getting theirs from the same location in AU. There is only one place that they are collected in AU and to my knowledge I am the only store directly importing them to the US at this time.

Ciao,
Jen
 
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jendub

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Here is some information on proper nutrition for these sponges.

In order to keep them healthy, it is important to feed your tank live phyto plankton on a regular basis. It is also important to ensure you are getting the freshest phyto possible.

I use Reef Nutrition- Phyto Feast http://www.reefnutrition.com/phytofeast/index.htm

One sure way to tell if your plankton has degraded, is to give it a smell test. Live phyto should smell like liquid nori, once it degrades it will smell like foul skimate. I know it is a glamorous job.=)
 

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