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Potentially if you know the species name, yes.What kind of lighting should sponges have?
Is there a way to identify if they're photosynthetic or not, ie. color or species?
There's too many. Looking for maybe a generalization by color?Potentially if you know the species name, yes.
@JCM is correct, it is impossible for generalization by color for sponges. There are at least 8,000 extant species, that diversified over a course of 600 million years or so and developed mutualistic relationships with photosymbionts multiple times. Yes that is way too many sponge species, but at the same time, because of the diversity there's really no real link between the capacity for photosynthesis (via their symbionts) and the color of sponges.There's too many. Looking for maybe a generalization by color?
They came on live rock straight from the ocean (gulf of Mexico)Best way to go about it is look at under which conditions they grew in the tank they came from, or if you are buying wild collected ones, looking up the vague ID they came with.
And then first try to recreate that in your tank, even if that means you don't like how it looks in that spot. If that works, you frag it with low risk and you can put those where you like and experiment. If it doesn't work, you have to move it around the tank until you find a spot it likes.
Even more important than amount of light is amount and especially direction of flow imo.
Were they already present or show up from the rock once in your tank for a while? If the latter, then they are happy with how they are now. If the former, can you tell which side of the rock was "up"? And where the sponges are in relation to that?They
They came on live rock straight from the ocean (gulf of Mexico)
They were already on the rock. I did try to use what clues I had to put them upright.Were they already present or show up from the rock once in your tank for a while? If the latter, then they are happy with how they are now. If the former, can you tell which side of the rock was "up"? And where the sponges are in relation to that?
Well that's good to know (about no photosynthetic in the gulf)I don't know of any photosynthetic sponges from the Gulf. I have 9 or 10 in my NPS tank. They are of various colors. Light is not necessary. In fact, strong light is bad for them. It causes algae to grow on them. The algae smothers them so that they cannot get proper water flow. Most important is flow. There should be a moderate flow towards them. You will have to feed them microscopic food e.g. phyto. If the tank is relatively new, there isn't much of a chance they they will live. They prefer an older tank. Good luck.
Older tank, for me, means several years. My tank is over twenty years old. Daily, I stir up the bottom to get all of the microfauna into the water column that sponges need. You are lucky to get the sponges. There are vendors that sell them for a lot of money.Well that's good to know (about no photosynthetic in the gulf)
I bought live rock from 2 places and one seems to be from shallower water and has more macros than sponge so I tried shading the sponges some for now.
Flow seems to be adequate.
I've heard about them liking older tanks but all my rocks are live from the ocean so is that really the same as a "new" tank?
Ammonia is almost gone overnight.
Older tank, for me, means several years. My tank is over twenty years old. Daily, I stir up the bottom to get all of the microfauna into the water column that sponges need. You are lucky to get the sponges. There are vendors that sell them for a lot of money.