Sponge question/guidance please

[alexkharden]

Anybody who's seen my posts knows I'm new to the reef world. I've been trying to hold my questions and answer them myself as much as possible, but I've got a few that aren't easily answering themselves for me. I'm going to pay each question in it's own thread for coherency sake. Thank you in advance everyone.

First question, are my stand alone sponges dying? All the sponges that came on the rocks seem to be doing fine, but the ones on their own don't seem like they are. See the pictures and tell me what you think.

Thanks again!

 

[jamie callard Verified Sponsor]

Sponge can he hard to keep when you put it in the tank any chance they csme oit of water and got exposed to air

 

[alexkharden]

Sponge can he hard to keep when you put it in the tank any chance they csme oit of water and got exposed to air

Well they were definitely exposed to air when I mounted them on the rocks. Can they recover from that?

 

[jamie callard Verified Sponsor]

I liked this link when i added my first sponge

Here is a second link with good info as well

 

[Triggreef]

Some sponges can be exposed to air, some cannot. If it's not doing well try to move it to a new location. Might not be the spot, but even the position in the spot. They grow to make use of the specific flow they are in so if the position is wrong, water could not flow, or even might flow through it the wrong direction.

 

[Triggreef]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/6/inverts2

Edit - ah I see Jamie posted same link above

 

[pugcrush]

If you want a sponge, try to find the photosynthetic blue/purple one. It kind of encrusts & plates out like a monti. Super fast grower that it can almost be invasive, but it's one of my favorite pieces.

 

[Triggreef]

If you want a sponge, try to find the photosynthetic blue/purple one. It kind of encrusts & plates out like a monti. Super fast grower that it can almost be invasive, but it's one of my favorite pieces.

Sweet! I just got that one from Pacific east

 

[alexkharden]

I liked this link when i added my first sponge

Here is a second link with good info as well

Both of those were good links, and I read them both. Unfortunately, what I took from it is that my sponges are goners, as I just learned that I had a checklist of everything to do wrong, and I did every one. I didn't buy them, they came with my live rock, and I had no clue what to do with them, but I still feel bad because I definitely killed them. All of the white equals death, as I understand it. I'm actually surprised that any of the sponges on the rock survived, but they all appear to be doing fine. In the future I do want sponges, but only when my tank is matured and ready, and when my refugium is running and producing life, and when I'm better educated.

My biggest blunder is when I mounted them, as I pulled them completely out of the water and even compressed the sponges around the base as I pushed them into the epoxy.

How do you do it properly? I can't see squirting super glue under water...or can you? I used jb water weld and super thick super glue gel. Wrong compounds, or just wrong application?

 

[jamie callard Verified Sponsor]

i was able to secure mine into a whole in the rock no need to glue. some that you buy come on a small piece of rock you just need to make fit in your tank

 

[alexkharden]

i was able to secure mine into a whole in the rock no need to glue. some that you buy come on a small piece of rock you just need to make fit in your tank

I've found that I pretty much have to mount everything at this point. My tank is new so I've had the flow high, everything not mounted ends up in the sand.

 

[MurphyJ]

Sweet! I just got that one from Pacific east

Collospongia auris or Blue Photo Sponge. Will be bright iridescent blue in high light or deep purple in lower light. Grows off the rock in whorls and is very beautiful. Has a leather or rubbery feel to it and can be removed from the tank to propagate with no issues from exposure to air. The base has a webbing like the jute back of a rug so easy to remove from rock when it starts to grow in a direction you don't like. Mine grows around, but not on gorgonians and my Nem clones often hang out in the folds.