Urchin Manicures Sponge

[Subsea]

As I got behind on maintenance with too many “irons in the fire” and too many tanks, I removed a lot of 20 year mature live rock overgrown with GSP. In the process, I found sponges in need of a cleaning station. For the yellow ball sponges, a tooth brush worked just fine for brushing off Cynobacteria and film algae. However, the elephant ear sponge had a fungus/bacteria infection on its edges. This morning at first light, I noted urchin doing what I had not done; he was mowing off and consuming this part of the sponge.

I will observe this process with interest. I had considered using scissors to remove the affected tissue. Lawnmower Blennie and the Tangs normally nibble on red tree sponge.

Note the last picture with urchin moved off. He mowed at most 1/3 of deteriorating tissue.

 

[Subsea]

I like it when the janitors take care of business. This small blue leg hermit crab is manicuring hair algae on red encrusting sponge. The yellow sponge on bottom left was just cleaned with vigorous tooth brushing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It would be interesting to know if the urchin only eats dying/dead parts of the sponge, or mows the whole thing down given the chance. :)

 

[Subsea]

It would be interesting to know if the urchin only eats dying/dead parts of the sponge, or mows the whole thing down given the chance. :)

In this case, with much food in the tank, he moved on and only eat damaged edge. Urchins in my seaweed tanks like red macro algae which is my money crop.

In a seperate tank which came thru flat worm treatment (Red Planaria) and is in 3 month isolation, with small blue leg hermits that are manicuring yellow ball sponges.

 

[Subsea]

It would be interesting to know if the urchin only eats dying/dead parts of the sponge, or mows the whole thing down given the chance. :)

Urchins are a robust consumer of many different things. The only thing that I have seen them stay on is Bortacladia & Red Gracilaria.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookbotryo.htm
“Botryocladia is a truly beautiful specimen that does very well in the marine aquarium. It features stiff, lightly calcified branches with fluid filled air bladders to stay upright. It resembles a cluster of grapes and so is sometimes referred to as Red Grape Caulerpa, although its not related. It's found in different forms worldwide but the dominant species here in Florida is Botryocladia occidentalis. The algae can grow quite large in its natural environment to about 12" in diameter. The plant is anchored by a single holdfast to hard bottom, ledges and on artificial reefs and is found to depths of about 65'. It can be a sensitive algae to keep in the aquarium and requires a stable alkalinity, good flow and overall excellent water quality to survive. The plant is highly palatable to fish.”

I started growing Gracilaria Parvispora 20 years ago, initially using it to feed tangs and growing it in a macro algae refugium/vegetable filter. Gerald Hesslinger at IndoPacific SeaFarm calls it
“Tang Heaven Red”:

http://ipsf.com/tangheaven.html
Tang Heaven Red™
The natural red seaweed diet of Tangs
“Yellows, Hippos, Nasos, Blues, Koles, Achilles, etc. as well as many omnivores such as pygmy angels. Why invest in "terrestrial" diets like Romaine lettuce when a superior marine alternative is now available? Tang Heaven Red is 100% live natural seaweed from the place that made tangs famous - Hawaii's Kona coast. Tested and proven by IPSF for more than ten years as a COMPLETE diet for all of the popular ornamental surgeonfishes. High in natural fibers, which are known to combat, prevent and cure head and lateral line erosion disease. More convenient and economical than nori (dried seaweed). We achieve TOTAL wild color retention in Hawaiian tangs with the high levels of fresh pigments in Tang Heaven Red. Rich in garlic esters, Tang Heaven Red has superior medicinal properties which must be experienced to be fully appreciated. Shipped alive as moist fronds which you can add directly as food to your main tank.”

@Randy Holmes-Farley
While I trust Gerald Hesslinger, he wrote this more than two decades ago.

Is their any research with data to further support that HLLD is a diet deficiency?

 

[Subsea]

Green emerald crabs have joined blue legged hermits as a member of the janitor crew that clean ornamental sponges.

 

[Subsea]

I have been doing a lot of catch up on aquarium maintenance, now I am moving many ornamental sponges needing upkeep to a 30G tank operating in low 70’s.
Ten days go, this tank was treated with quadruple dose of flat worm exit.

 

[Subsea]

This is a deepwater NPS that survived 2 years with less than tender loving care:

Yellow Finger Gorgonian (Diodogorgia nodulifera)​

The yellow finger gorgonian or yellow sea rod is a deep water variety native to the Caribbean. It's found from depths of 80 ft to over 100ft. This beautiful non-photosynthetic gorgonian features thick cylindrical fingers a bright yellow skeleton with large white polyps. This specimen needs to be placed in a lower light environment with good water circulation. NPS animals need to be fed regularly with a quality coral formula, plankton or prepared