Sponge Habitat

[Subsea]

I hope it thrives! I like the look a lot. If it was an SPS coral, it would be called some crazy name and sold for a very high price. lol.

This variety is differrent than the tree sponges I get from GCE. I once got a similar sponge from Reeftopia, however the largest I ever saw was 6”. Aquadome had a red one as well. I was not confident enough to grab both of them. I have had it now for 72 hours and I can see it likes where it is. The dome was closed yesterday and if the red sponge is still there, I will get it.

 

[Subsea]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
I am confident that the Orange Tree will survive. I just received confirmation that the Red Tree is available. They cost $70.

I am trying two things that are a change for me and would like your thoughts on them.
1. I am reducing salinity from 1.03 spg to 1.028 spg.
Caribbean & Florida GulfCoast lagoons
often exceed that and that is where I get
sponges & janitors from. However, I was
recently given some SPS that were not happy
and have come down to 1.028spg.

2. I am running these systems between 73-75 degrees. I felt that higher temperatures favored bacteria and often generated stress to maintain faster growth.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
I am confident that the Orange Tree will survive. I just received confirmation that the Red Tree is available. They cost $70.

I am trying two things that are a change for me and would like your thoughts on them.
1. I am reducing salinity from 1.03 spg to 1.028 spg.
Caribbean & Florida GulfCoast lagoons
often exceed that and that is where I get
sponges & janitors from. However, I was
recently given some SPS that were not happy
and have come down to 1.028spg.

2. I am running these systems between 73-75 degrees. I felt that higher temperatures favored bacteria and often generated stress to maintain faster growth.

I would not assume that sponges need the higher salinity that might be present in a lagoon, since they also presumably grow well in the open water, which would not typically be that high. I think lowering it to reach a happy medium for all involved makes perfect sense.

I have no idea on which temps might best serve sponges in a reef tank.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sea-Surface-Height-left-and-sea-Surface-salinity-right-computed-by-the-Gulf-of-Mexico_fig8_277110384

 

[Genvid]

That blue sponge looks nice. I have seen a blue sponge like that at Steve Tyree website in respect to cryptic zone filtration. However, you are in the light.

Did it grow from the rock or did it come in grown already on the rock.

She grew out of the stone.

 

[Subsea]

She grew out of the stone.

Where did the live rock come from?

 

[Llyod276]

Are sponges more or less plug and play, excuse me, set and forget?? Will they survive off the water column?? My clown sifts sand daily, cause she's neurotic and breeding.

Not into dosing phyto, I do dose reef roids minimally as a broadcast feeding and to keep the phosphates from dropping. Nah, im lying, i don't have the patience to spot feed all my coral, #lazy reefer.

But I'm always looking for that extra thing that does something and looks good doin it...

 

[Subsea]

Are sponges more or less plug and play, excuse me, set and forget?? Will they survive off the water column?? My clown sifts sand daily, cause she's neurotic and breeding.

Not into dosing phyto, I do dose reef roids minimally as a broadcast feeding and to keep the phosphates from dropping. Nah, im lying, i don't have the patience to spot feed all my coral, #lazy reefer.

But I'm always looking for that extra thing that does something and looks good doin it...

I don’t spot feed anything. I do focus on the microbial food web. The display that I keep is 25 years mature.

 

[Genvid]

Where did the live rock come from?

This is not a living rock, it is a dry rock, more than two years old. After a year I added a living Australian rock.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Are sponges more or less plug and play, excuse me, set and forget?? Will they survive off the water column?? My clown sifts sand daily, cause she's neurotic and breeding.

Not into dosing phyto, I do dose reef roids minimally as a broadcast feeding and to keep the phosphates from dropping. Nah, im lying, i don't have the patience to spot feed all my coral, #lazy reefer.

But I'm always looking for that extra thing that does something and looks good doin it...

I would say that large sponges are very challenging and most often die over time.

 

[Llyod276]

Go figure. Guess I'm stuck with the 700,000 pineapple sponges.

 

[Subsea]

This is not a living rock, it is a dry rock, more than two years old. After a year I added a living Australian rock.

Initially, the vision for AquaCulture Ranch was a sustainable growout facility ((10KG in a 20’ by 40’ greenhouse) for live rock using dense Texas holy rock inoculated with Gulf Live Rock. Sounds like you maricultured your own live rock with your blue sponge.

I have looked at some of your threads to get a. Idea of your experience level. Keep on trucking.
A Cajun Aggie in Austin, Tx &
A Laissez Faire Reefer

 

[Subsea]

So now, I have twin towers of Orange & Red
Tree Sponges:

 

[Subsea]

In continuing a Caribbean lagooon theme, I am bringing in gorgonians that I have fragged

Sorry for excess blue as exaggerated by iPad

 

[Subsea]

Yellow ball sponges with Cynobacteria are in light isolation in HOB. I removed light blocking lid.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yellow ball sponges with Cynobacteria are in light isolation in HOB. I removed light blocking lid.

THe one sponge I had success with was a yellow ball sponge completely shaded by an arch of rock above it. When dosing both silicate and vinegar, it thrived and grew considerably, though slowly.

 

[Subsea]

THe one sponge I had success with was a yellow ball sponge completely shaded by an arch of rock above it. When dosing both silicate and vinegar, it thrived and grew considerably, though slowly.

When I first dosed vinegar without protein skimmer, I didn’t know what I was doing. Now, I know, I am growing bacteria that feed sponges and other filter feeders.

In this tank,it has surprised me how much small blue leg hermits manicure sponges of diatoms & Cynobacteria.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Can anyone identify what this is on my rock. I think it's a sponge, but I don't know if it's dangerous for a tank or not. It's dark blue

The majority of sponges are good, but for determining if you have a problem sponge:

Yeah, that's definitely a sponge. Most sponges are completely harmless/beneficial, but some can be invasive and/or harmful to corals (thankfully, these are rare).

To tell if a sponge is chemically harmful: if a healthy, established coral starts closing up or looking to be in bad shape on the side closest to the sponge as the sponge grows closer to it, and nothing else has happened (lighting changes, parameter swings, pests, etc.) that could explain it, then the sponge is probably chemically harmful.

Chemically harmful sponges are very rare.

For invasive sponges: unless it shows signs of being chemically harmful or starts actively growing over and smothering a coral's flesh/polyps, it's harmless. These can grow over the skeletons of corals, around the base/stalks of corals, even up into the water column above corals (where they're over the coral but not growing on the flesh or polyps themselves), etc. without harming the coral at all - as long as the coral flesh and polyps can get food, light, and flow, the sponge is harmless.

Invasive sponges are moderately rare.

Invasive and chemically harmful sponges are incredibly rare.

 

[Subsea]

At this time, Red tree sponge is moved to 18” deep 30G tank from 75G tank that was 18” deep. It was becoming increasingly necessary to remove stuff (POC) from tree surfaces. During those cleanings, cardinals & tangs feed very aggressively on that POC (Particulate Organic Carbon)

Now, the the large red tree sponge is in a low nutrient tank with flame scallops as a filter feeder bioindicator of ecosystem health. I suspect that the sponge’s appetite is more inclusive of microbial food size considering seasonal fluctuations with available food types.

PS: orange Tree sponge looks great as I have added more accent lighting.

 

[vlangel]

Somehow I missed this thread Patrick. Fascinating read; thank you and everyone else who contributed. I have some thriving sponges but it makes me want more.

 

[Subsea]

Red tree sponge is requiring much TLC: