Are some sponges diseased?

Gtownguy487 · 03/05/2012, 09:22 AM

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spongecompfaqs.htm

Ive been seeing a lot where people are saying certain sponges are bad. The white foamy kind or whatever. Os this true>? Is the first picture on that thread accurate? I have a lot of sponge in my tank that looks similar. I have Florida Rock, Tampa Bay. Some of the sponge is around zoas' and some are all over a Fox coral's base.Any links on more reading and descriptions and pictures of bad sponges?

Thanks in advance.

Ron Reefman · 03/05/2012, 10:13 AM

IMHO it's unlikely you will have any 'bad' sponges on local LR. Did you get it from TBS?

If you have sponges that survive in your aquarium, most of the time that's a good thing as they are good filter feeders. However, there are lots of sponges you can collect around Florida that will be very difficult to flat out impossible for even an experienced reefer with a mature tank to keep alive. Have you noticed there are a huge number of really cool colors and shapes in sponges in the ocean, yet our LFS and online sites don't sell many? That's because they are very hard to keep. Sponges have rather different needs than most fish and corals, which is what we aim for in our tanks.

Gtownguy487 · 03/05/2012, 10:22 AM

Yea it was TBS..

I have A LOT of sponges and people say it means I have a healthy aquarium.. However Ive also read online that sponges usually suffocate other corals and here recent I heard there are diseases that are sponges. So im very lost on which way to think here

Gtownguy487 · 03/05/2012, 07:24 PM

Bump

03/05/2012, 09:22 AM	#1
Gtownguy487 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 430	Are some sponges diseased? http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spongecompfaqs.htm Ive been seeing a lot where people are saying certain sponges are bad. The white foamy kind or whatever. Os this true>? Is the first picture on that thread accurate? I have a lot of sponge in my tank that looks similar. I have Florida Rock, Tampa Bay. Some of the sponge is around zoas' and some are all over a Fox coral's base.Any links on more reading and descriptions and pictures of bad sponges? Thanks in advance.

03/05/2012, 10:13 AM	#2
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	IMHO it's unlikely you will have any 'bad' sponges on local LR. Did you get it from TBS? If you have sponges that survive in your aquarium, most of the time that's a good thing as they are good filter feeders. However, there are lots of sponges you can collect around Florida that will be very difficult to flat out impossible for even an experienced reefer with a mature tank to keep alive. Have you noticed there are a huge number of really cool colors and shapes in sponges in the ocean, yet our LFS and online sites don't sell many? That's because they are very hard to keep. Sponges have rather different needs than most fish and corals, which is what we aim for in our tanks. __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

03/05/2012, 10:22 AM	#3
Gtownguy487 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 430	Yea it was TBS.. I have A LOT of sponges and people say it means I have a healthy aquarium.. However Ive also read online that sponges usually suffocate other corals and here recent I heard there are diseases that are sponges. So im very lost on which way to think here

03/05/2012, 07:24 PM	#4
Gtownguy487 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 430	Bump