How long should I wait before I add a sponge?

[vbrevolution]

Hello, I have a 40 gallon tank that I started back in October. In December I added my first fish and last week I added a cleaner shrimp to the tank. I have approximately 20-25 pounds of live rock and a protein skimmer. I know you should add sponges to an already established reef tank but could anyone give any advice on how long I should wait before adding a Red Ball Sponge? And how will I know when my tank is ready? Thanks in advance.

Edit: Sorry, duplicate thread.

 

[James M]

Welcome to reef2reef !!!
I would wait to your tank matures and that’s at the 6+ month mark. They need really good water conditions and require really good care.

 

[tenten900]

Wait till you're take mature more till you add a sponge. Also sponges filter feed so you have to find ways to feed it or theyll die. I have a black vase sponge that I bought from my lfs and I experimented around with different type of filter feeding food products. The best imo is korallen-zucht sponge power as I seen actual growth from my sponge. I been meaning to get different species of sponges but havent seen any available locally.

 

[vbrevolution]

Thanks. Any idea how long I should wait for my tank to mature? I was looking for a time frame or a way to know when my tank is ready.

 

[dwest]

Hello, I have a 40 gallon tank that I started back in October. In December I added my first fish and last week I added a cleaner shrimp to the tank. I have approximately 20-25 pounds of live rock and a protein skimmer. I know you should add sponges to an already established reef tank but could anyone give any advice on how long I should wait before adding a Red Ball Sponge? And how will I know when my tank is ready? Thanks in advance.

Edit: Sorry, duplicate thread.

I’ve been a reefer for over 25 years. While I have few sponges growing from liverock, I would never add one to the tank. Success rate is very low. We tried adding some back in the old days, with no long term success. I’m sure there are reefers out there that can do it, but I wouldn’t try. I’ve never tried a red ball sponge BTW.

 

[DSC reef]

As your tank grows and matures you will start to see different variety of sponges growing on the rock and in the sump. I would advise against adding any non photosynthetic sponges to your tank. Their needs are quite plentiful.

 

[James M]

Thanks. Any idea how long I should wait for my tank to mature? I was looking for a time frame or a way to know when my tank is ready.

I would wait to your tank matures and that’s at the 6+ month mark. They need really good water conditions and require really good care.

 

[vbrevolution]

I would wait to your tank matures and that’s at the 6+ month mark. They need really good water conditions and require really good care.

DSC reef: I doubt I'll ever see sponges growing without directly adding them as I started with the purple reef rock. Other than that my only tankmates are my Mandarin Goby and a Scarlet Skunk cleaner shrimp.

James M: Thanks, I thought I would have to wait a few years before adding one (or two if all goes well) which I may still do since there's a bunch of info I'd like to learn about successfully keeping sponges.

 

[Hermie]

I feel like people discourage buying sponges because corals are more popular and "in stock" by fish stores. I mean... I am not trying to question people's motives, only to say that corals also need good care to survive, and corals are generally not discouraged "before the 6 month mark." From a paper I read, the things that slowed sponge growth are high phosphates or nitrates, and that the specific species studied preferred to uptake "particulate organic carbon," so things larger than DOC, so larger than .7um generally... which includes diatoms. The main issue you will run into is the store may have not taken good care of the sponge and you will have no idea until it's too late.