Sponges and phosphate RX

[CNDReef]

I bought a blue encrusting/plating sponge a month ago that was doing pretty good, attached to the rock and wall. Last week I added phosphate rx ( recommendation is 6 drops for my tank but I use only half and retest a few days later) just got home and noticed everything closed up and ticked off and the sponge disintegrated

I’ve trashed it and am going to put new carbon in the reactor.

Do you think the phosphate rx had anything to do with it? Only other thing that I dosed was a couple of drops of iodide ( still dosing 2 part )

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not know.

I've not heard of this happening, but I can imagine that precipitated lanthanum phosphate particles might have gotten into its pores and irritated it.

 

[CNDReef]

Do you know if sponges release toxin when dying?
Water is kind of cloudy and everything is closed up. Don’t want to stress everything out if I don’t have to.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

After 30 minutes to an hour of adding it did you notice any cloudiness of the water? What were your phosphates before you added it? Lanthanum chloride (active ingredient in Phosphate Rx) can also dramatically drop your alk, have you tested that? How are the fish doing? In your post you stated you added it last week and today you noticed a negative change. How many days after adding it were you away from the tank?

 

[CNDReef]

Everything else seams fine , just tested alk and calcium and they’re at 8.3 and 417.
Po4 wasn’t too bad 0.03 Hanna ulr
I really don’t want to do a big water change but I think I might have to

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you know if sponges release toxin when dying?
Water is kind of cloudy and everything is closed up. Don’t want to stress everything out if I don’t have to.

They can certainly contain toxins to reduce being eaten, but I do not know if they get released.