Orange sponge- harmful?

pjsonnentag · 09/13/2011, 06:36 AM

I recently got a few zoo rocks from live aquaria (for the most part very nice). Unfortunately, the piece with the best looking orange and green zoos on it is being over run by an orange sponge and the polyps are dying off. I’ll try to get a pic later tonight. Could the sponge be killing off polyps? Or is it most likely taking over a rock that polyps just happen to be dying on? Any advice?

pjsonnentag · 09/14/2011, 06:25 AM

Here's the pic of the sponge-any ID? Sorry for the quality- quick phone pic before work this morning.

mrabolli · 09/14/2011, 09:02 AM

my understanding is that the sponge isnt dangerous or "toxic' but when it lives underneath a coral like that it will dominate and grow around and over it so to speak. I would think that the coral would die off because its delicate and probably cant function naturally any longer being crowded out.

pjsonnentag · 09/19/2011, 09:31 AM

That seems to be exactly what happened. No general tank toxicity is evident since all other new coral frags are doing fine. It looks like the sponge just grew underneath the base of the zoa polyps and they withered away. I moved the piece to the sand bed so the sponge doesn’t spread onto another coral and I’m keeping an eye on my other new frags. They were nice, zoas, but it’s not a total loss because the sponge is a pretty bright orange- not a bad addition.

Any advice if I see it on any other frags? Expose the frags to air and pick off the sponge? I know porifera can propagate by fragmenting- is this likely to spread?

mrabolli · 09/19/2011, 12:20 PM

That's probally going to be the only frag with the invasive sponge. I really would be surprised if there was much spreading other than that frag. Isolating it was probally the best thing to do. I've kept sponges before and they usually don't do that great in the long haul. Some of the yellow and orange encrusting types like you have seem to be hardy and do well though.

09/13/2011, 06:36 AM	#1
pjsonnentag Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 88	Orange sponge- harmful? I recently got a few zoo rocks from live aquaria (for the most part very nice). Unfortunately, the piece with the best looking orange and green zoos on it is being over run by an orange sponge and the polyps are dying off. I’ll try to get a pic later tonight. Could the sponge be killing off polyps? Or is it most likely taking over a rock that polyps just happen to be dying on? Any advice?

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09/14/2011, 09:02 AM	#3
mrabolli Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Pembroke Pines, FL Posts: 284	my understanding is that the sponge isnt dangerous or "toxic' but when it lives underneath a coral like that it will dominate and grow around and over it so to speak. I would think that the coral would die off because its delicate and probably cant function naturally any longer being crowded out.

09/19/2011, 09:31 AM	#4
pjsonnentag Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 88	That seems to be exactly what happened. No general tank toxicity is evident since all other new coral frags are doing fine. It looks like the sponge just grew underneath the base of the zoa polyps and they withered away. I moved the piece to the sand bed so the sponge doesn’t spread onto another coral and I’m keeping an eye on my other new frags. They were nice, zoas, but it’s not a total loss because the sponge is a pretty bright orange- not a bad addition. Any advice if I see it on any other frags? Expose the frags to air and pick off the sponge? I know porifera can propagate by fragmenting- is this likely to spread?

09/19/2011, 12:20 PM	#5
mrabolli Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Pembroke Pines, FL Posts: 284	That's probally going to be the only frag with the invasive sponge. I really would be surprised if there was much spreading other than that frag. Isolating it was probally the best thing to do. I've kept sponges before and they usually don't do that great in the long haul. Some of the yellow and orange encrusting types like you have seem to be hardy and do well though.