Purple Sponge (photosynthetic)

[Privateye]

Mine didn't go quite that wild. It maybe got 7" in diameter in its hayday. I had it isolated at the top of a rock, which was mostly its own doing because it choked-out the zoanthids on the rock. It didn't drop any babies though. It would just spread sideways.

 

[Rob A]

So they can just spread all over the tank from one spot??

It will attach and plate out like in the picture..... that started as a 1 inch piece

I attached a 1 inch piece of sponge to a rock with a rubber band and after a few days it attaches to the rock then I removed the rubber band and shoved the sponge/rock up against the side of the tank where I wanted it to grow. I also did one near the bottom of the tank the same way to see the difference in growth. The lights are off now I will post both pics later. I find babies popping up here and there around my tank I don't know how they got there maybe a fish takes a nip a spits it out and it grows where ever it settles who knows¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[DmitryB]

So they can just spread all over the tank from one spot??

It will attach and plate out like in the picture..... that started as a 1 inch piece

I attached a 1 inch piece of sponge to a rock with a rubber band and after a few days it attaches to the rock then I removed the rubber band and shoved the sponge/rock up against the side of the tank where I wanted it to grow. I also did one near the bottom of the tank the same way to see the difference in growth. The lights are off now I will post both pics later. I find babies popping up here and there around my tank I don't know how they got there maybe a fish takes a nip a spits it out and it grows where ever it settles who knows¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Ok that's concerning about them spreading since they seem to be very aggressive!

I ordered a Blue photosynthetic sponge from Tidal Gardens.

 

[Michael Hughes]

I ordered a Blue photosynthetic sponge from Tidal Gardens.

Same!

I wonder if keeping them in lower PAR would help control their spread?

 

[Rob A]

Ok that's concerning about them spreading since they seem to be very aggressive!

I ordered a Blue photosynthetic sponge from Tidal Gardens.

That "Blue" sponge is just a "purple" sponge in different lighting . If you are worried about crazy growth wait until it happens and just cut it back. Most LFS will give you credit for it depending on how available it is in your area.

 

[DmitryB]

That "Blue" sponge is just a "purple" sponge in different lighting . If you are worried about crazy growth wait until it happens and just cut it back. Most LFS will give you credit for it depending on how available it is in your area.

I did notice the color! LOL

 

[Rob A]

Here are a couple of pictures that I just took . I went back to see when I put those 2 in and it was 10/25 so both pics are of about 11 months growth from a 1 inch piece . They both are about 7 inches across and 5 inch plates you can see they like the higher light and scallop better with it. They also get a lot of flow

 

[DmitryB]

Here are a couple of pictures that I just took . I went back to see when I put those 2 in and it was 10/25 so both pics are of about 11 months growth from a 1 inch piece . They both are about 7 inches across and 5 inch plates you can see they like the higher light and scallop better with it. They also get a lot of flow

I do like the idea of putting it on the glass if it plates the way it did on yours. Kind of a floating coral! Just have to think about other corals that would be placed near it, which would be some kind of SPS.

 

[Spartan76]

This is the one thing a regret putting in my tank. It spread everwhere and shaded corals. took a lot of effort to get it out. Once in a while I’ll still find a dime size piece sprouting up somewhere. I would not do it again. Note that the red variety did not spread like that ime.

 

[Rob A]

I do like the idea of putting it on the glass if it plates the way it did on yours. Kind of a floating coral! Just have to think about other corals that would be placed near it, which would be some kind of SPS.

The guy that gave me the frag had it in the back corner on the overflow box and it was plating just like in my pic it was only plating out a few inches and the frag was from the smooth part growing on his overflow. You can see they grow up and out. He justs cuts it back to control it. You can use a scalpel to trim it if it gets in the way.

You got me thinking that I need something for my 180 in my office. I used to have a decent piece someone gave me when I started the tank but I had to chemiclean it and the sponge died that was 4 years go and never got around to replacing it. I'm going to trim a piece off the lower sponge in my lagoon and move it upstairs to the 180 in my office somewhere on the overflow. I'll post pics

I'm also thinking starting pieces in different spots around my lagoon to see how these sponges behave under all the different flows and lighting and to fill in spots on the pvc tubes and whatnot. I'll cut some pieces and attach them to rubble then I'll glue the rubble to the pvc with dollar store gel cyanoacrylate glue.

 

[DmitryB]

This is the one thing a regret putting in my tank. It spread everwhere and shaded corals. took a lot of effort to get it out. Once in a while I’ll still find a dime size piece sprouting up somewhere. I would not do it again. Note that the red variety did not spread like that ime.

I feel like one almost certain death way to get rid of it is with Chemiclean if it turns into a monster!

Red sponges are rarer I think? I would have gone with a red, but I have not seen it for sale.

 

[carol3]

I got mine from Tidal Gardens aboutthree years ago and I love it, it's beautiful, easy to frag and has never shown up anywhere else in my tank or sump for that matter. To frag it, use scissors, cut as much off as you want , sell to your LFS. You can cut it up right in your tank, super easy (some sponges don't respond well to being out of the water). As for spreading elswhere in the tank...maybe they have a different variety than Tidal Gardens sells or maybe they have fish or crabs that bite off chunks, nothing in my tank has ever touched it. It adds great color to the display. If you should ever tire of it, take the rock out, rip off the sponge, use a knife or dental pick to get the last bits off or cover the bits with super glue.

 

[rvitko Verified Sponsor]

I've treated my tank with chemiclean a few times, the sponge always comes back and in 3 years it is not much bigger than the one Rob A shows, I have heard horror stories but I think it varies with the tank conditions, I have found it to be an agreeable inhabitant. In my case the chemiclean turns it white, within a month the whole thing is purple again, its not like it dies it just looses its symbiant like a bleaching in a coral.

 

[BryanM]

I haven't had to prune mine yet, but it is seemingly pretty easy.