Subsea
5000 Club Member
No apologies required. It is not necessary to walk on eggshells with me, it gets in the way of knowledge exchange.
Ode to The Sponge
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No apologies required. It is not necessary to walk on eggshells with me, it gets in the way of knowledge exchange.
Subsea
5000 Club Member
Hints on sponge husbandry:
the following post copied from another thread was in response to a phone conversation yesterday with Russ Kronwetter, the diver owner of liveplants.com. Gulf Coast EcoSystems
I have more technical knowledge of organic & inorganic chemistry as well as more biofiltration scientific knowledge. Russ has hands on experience spanning 30 years of his life vested in his passion of all things “wet & salty”. I have known Russ for 15+ years. He is my mentor in this journey to know more about what we love. Russ only recently got into sponges & deep water NPS gorgonions. He was awarded the permit to do so. Florida is very structured with permit regulations concerning the environment.
So, in the last three years, Russ has collected a scant few differrent sponges until he developes husbandry requirements for these filter feeders. At this time, his focus is developing best practices for harvesting handling & transportation. He collects his sponges & gorgonions in two seperate places. One is in 25’ of water 10 miles west of Tarpon Springs. The second location is on a ledge 30 miles west of Tarpon Springs in 45’ of water. Both locations have unlimited water visibility when weather is agreeable. Not just hurricanes create turbulence down under. Winter storm waves create havoc, lifting boulders the size of my Lazy Boy even down at the 50’ reef. Sponges proliferate in this world. This area is home to the “Greek Sponge Fleet”.
Sponges are tuff stuff. When I see Tangs & drawf angels grazing on them, it gave me pause as to how resilient these creatures are. Earlier this month, I battled the worst case of cyno I have experienced in 48 years of reefing. Cynobacteria mat had engulfed yellow ball sponge to the point of seeing a maroon bump on the substrate. The mat was thick and peeled off easily to reveal the brightest yellow I had seen on them. More amazing to me was that the feeding ports on sponge were clean and healthy looking, albeit the sponge had lost 25% of its biomass to the cyno mat.
I regularly grab sponges and shake vigorously or create a water blast to dislodge algae. I often use a soft toothbrush to clean off. If required, I would not be adverse to using brush tipped with hydrogen peroxide.
the following post copied from another thread was in response to a phone conversation yesterday with Russ Kronwetter, the diver owner of liveplants.com. Gulf Coast EcoSystems
I have more technical knowledge of organic & inorganic chemistry as well as more biofiltration scientific knowledge. Russ has hands on experience spanning 30 years of his life vested in his passion of all things “wet & salty”. I have known Russ for 15+ years. He is my mentor in this journey to know more about what we love. Russ only recently got into sponges & deep water NPS gorgonions. He was awarded the permit to do so. Florida is very structured with permit regulations concerning the environment.
So, in the last three years, Russ has collected a scant few differrent sponges until he developes husbandry requirements for these filter feeders. At this time, his focus is developing best practices for harvesting handling & transportation. He collects his sponges & gorgonions in two seperate places. One is in 25’ of water 10 miles west of Tarpon Springs. The second location is on a ledge 30 miles west of Tarpon Springs in 45’ of water. Both locations have unlimited water visibility when weather is agreeable. Not just hurricanes create turbulence down under. Winter storm waves create havoc, lifting boulders the size of my Lazy Boy even down at the 50’ reef. Sponges proliferate in this world. This area is home to the “Greek Sponge Fleet”.
Sponges are tuff stuff. When I see Tangs & drawf angels grazing on them, it gave me pause as to how resilient these creatures are. Earlier this month, I battled the worst case of cyno I have experienced in 48 years of reefing. Cynobacteria mat had engulfed yellow ball sponge to the point of seeing a maroon bump on the substrate. The mat was thick and peeled off easily to reveal the brightest yellow I had seen on them. More amazing to me was that the feeding ports on sponge were clean and healthy looking, albeit the sponge had lost 25% of its biomass to the cyno mat.
I regularly grab sponges and shake vigorously or create a water blast to dislodge algae. I often use a soft toothbrush to clean off. If required, I would not be adverse to using brush tipped with hydrogen peroxide.
Subsea
5000 Club Member
Those farms already exist on the Rio Grande near Brownsville.
Subsea
5000 Club Member
http://www.texasaquaculture.org/
Try this link. Every year, Texas aquaculture assoiation host a banquet with their produce. Mighty fine eating. I think you should attend and network.
Try this link. Every year, Texas aquaculture assoiation host a banquet with their produce. Mighty fine eating. I think you should attend and network.
Reef Invertebrate is Anthony Calfo and Bob Fenner..
Anyway I have been keeping different sponges and actually started aqua-culturing sponges.
I like to especially work with photosynthetic sponges mainly because they are easier to grow and handle being out of the water better.
But I do have others...
Anyway I have been keeping different sponges and actually started aqua-culturing sponges.
I like to especially work with photosynthetic sponges mainly because they are easier to grow and handle being out of the water better.
But I do have others...
Subsea
5000 Club Member
Please elaborate on husbandry of photosynthetic sponges.
https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+2341+2512+3540&pcatid=3540
https://www.live-plants.com/purplesponge.htm
I have tried both the purple sponge and the red spot with little success. Would you share your success?
PS. I confused the two teams Julian Sprung/ Charles Delbric and Anthony Calfo/ BobFener. As an Engish Literature Major, Anthony is the only one in that group not a scientist with advanced degrees.
https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+2341+2512+3540&pcatid=3540
https://www.live-plants.com/purplesponge.htm
I have tried both the purple sponge and the red spot with little success. Would you share your success?
PS. I confused the two teams Julian Sprung/ Charles Delbric and Anthony Calfo/ BobFener. As an Engish Literature Major, Anthony is the only one in that group not a scientist with advanced degrees.
I actually have that red one from liveaquaria see pic below.
You can see the red to the right and again the purple to the left.
That purple to the left is actually the exact same sponge in the previous post.
The previous post is what it grew into but I had moved the red sponge away....
You can all see a yellow ball sponge that I have had for many years in the picture...
Honestly they do not seem to need much at all..
I add silicate to the water for my sponges but I am not sure photosynthetic sponges actually use them for structure.
I also add phyto, bacteria, and other fine particulate food like reef roids. I feed these mainly for other sponges and gorgonia in the same vat.
I can not be sure the photosynthetic sponges even use these. I find them much easier than any other sponges and very fast growers..
You can see the red to the right and again the purple to the left.
That purple to the left is actually the exact same sponge in the previous post.
The previous post is what it grew into but I had moved the red sponge away....
You can all see a yellow ball sponge that I have had for many years in the picture...
Honestly they do not seem to need much at all..
I add silicate to the water for my sponges but I am not sure photosynthetic sponges actually use them for structure.
I also add phyto, bacteria, and other fine particulate food like reef roids. I feed these mainly for other sponges and gorgonia in the same vat.
I can not be sure the photosynthetic sponges even use these. I find them much easier than any other sponges and very fast growers..
Rybren
Valuable Member
I find that those purple sponges grow like crazy in my system. I don't do anything special for them. Love em.
I also have a lot of these branching sponges. No idea what they are or if they are even sponges. Darn sideways photo. Tilt your head to the right
I also have a lot of these branching sponges. No idea what they are or if they are even sponges. Darn sideways photo. Tilt your head to the right
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Subsea
5000 Club Member
I actually have that red one from liveaquaria see pic below.
You can see the red to the right and again the purple to the left.
That purple to the left is actually the exact same sponge in the previous post.
The previous post is what it grew into but I had moved the red sponge away....
You can all see a yellow ball sponge that I have had for many years in the picture...
Honestly they do not seem to need much at all..
I add silicate to the water for my sponges but I am not sure photosynthetic sponges actually use them for structure.
I also add phyto, bacteria, and other fine particulate food like reef roids. I feed these mainly for other sponges and gorgonia in the same vat.
I can not be sure the photosynthetic sponges even use these. I find them much easier than any other sponges and very fast growers..
Love color contrast. What light source are you using?
I find that those purple sponges grow like crazy in my system. I don't do anything special for them. Love em.
I also have a lot of these branching sponges. No idea what they are or if they are even sponges. Darn sideways photo. Tilt your head to the right
To bad you were not in the states I would love to trade for some of those branching ones..
Those look great.
I have allot of respect for those growing sponges. They are different, a challenge and not fully understood for such a simple creature really.
Oh I want to add that one sold by Live-plants may actual be a different sponge.
I had another blue/purple that looked more like that one and I lost it.
It was doing fine but I lost it when I moved. It seems to grow a little different. I may have even got it there.
I have ordered stuff from them.. I had also got one from another person similar but it did not make it either.
I believe there are a few different blue/purple photosynthetic sponges in the hobby right now and they are similar but not exactly the same.
I could be wrong though.
I had another blue/purple that looked more like that one and I lost it.
It was doing fine but I lost it when I moved. It seems to grow a little different. I may have even got it there.
I have ordered stuff from them.. I had also got one from another person similar but it did not make it either.
I believe there are a few different blue/purple photosynthetic sponges in the hobby right now and they are similar but not exactly the same.
I could be wrong though.
Subsea
5000 Club Member
Dave,
Thank you for joining the discussion. In my experiences, light intensity is the lesser of nutrition requirements for both sponges and corals. I was more interested in color rendition of your display lights. I wanted to better evaluate your picture to what I have seen. I will illustrate my point with red tree sponge which I have primarily in two tanks. A 100G 25 year mature reverse flow undergravel Plenum with a cryptic zone refugium combined with a miracle mud filter with no mud changeout for 25 years
and a 20G at 2 months mature.
Same red tree sponge.
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Dr. Dendrostein
Marine fish monthly
The creation is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing
Due to aquascaping, the water is cloudy. I just added Gracilaria Hayi from a production grow out tank. Along with the macro came good hitch hikers: micro stars & bristle worms.
Dr. Dendrostein
Marine fish monthly
I thoughtAnthony Calfo and Bob Fenner had a falling away. One was suing the other?Reef Invertebrate is Anthony Calfo and Bob Fenner..
Anyway I have been keeping different sponges and actually started aqua-culturing sponges.
I like to especially work with photosynthetic sponges mainly because they are easier to grow and handle being out of the water better.
But I do have others...
Subsea
5000 Club Member
@chris85
Come pass a visit at Bear Creek. Galveston to Austin is about 4 hours. Austin is a fun town. Stay a few days. Address and contact information are available at website. I can use help, as I am a dinosaur with video stuff.
A Cajun Aggie in Austin
Operations Mgr, AQR
Patrick Castille
Come pass a visit at Bear Creek. Galveston to Austin is about 4 hours. Austin is a fun town. Stay a few days. Address and contact information are available at website. I can use help, as I am a dinosaur with video stuff.
A Cajun Aggie in Austin
Operations Mgr, AQR
Patrick Castille
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Subsea
5000 Club Member
Hey dude. I referenced a book written > 30 years ago. I know nothing about the tabloids.
@Jomama
In recent BRS TV Friday video release on coral nutrition, I saw where 15% of coral nutrition comes from DOC as a carbohydrate,which is another way of saying algae exudates. I think “jomma juice” fits that scenario.
What do these experts think about that: @Dana Riddle @Randy Holmes-Farley @Lasse @Scrubber_steve
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Subsea
5000 Club Member
I find that those purple sponges grow like crazy in my system. I don't do anything special for them. Love em.
I also have a lot of these branching sponges. No idea what they are or if they are even sponges. Darn sideways photo. Tilt your head to the right
I like that blue branching one. Nice.
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