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jl1199
01/17/2007, 12:13 PM
What are the advantages and disadvateges to adding sponges to your tank, and how hard are they to keep?

papagimp
01/17/2007, 12:21 PM
Advantages: Their pretty to look at. Some nudi's will eat certain sponges, but it's hit and miss. No real "advantage" to adding one.

Disadvantages: None that I know of.

As for the ease of their care, it will depend on the sponge but as a general rule of thumb, not the easiest of livestock to keep alive for any amount of time in a home aquarium. Some smaller less decorative species will pop up from time to time, like the q-tip sponges and whatnot, but the nice ornamental sponge trees and tube sponges and stuff along that line, going to be tough. Some will need lighting requirements, others need proper filter feeding foods. Just going to have to do alot of research on them if your hearts truly set on sponges. otherwise, leave em to experts or the ocean.

kipher
01/17/2007, 02:27 PM
FWIW. Don't expose sponges to air. If it develops a air pocket inside of its "body" it will die. Or so I've read, I've never attempted to keep a sponge.

bertoni
01/17/2007, 02:31 PM
[welcome]

Also, a lot of the sponges for sale can be hard to keep.

Crusty Old Shellback
01/17/2007, 02:36 PM
Sponges are filterfeeders and are a great addition to a estabilished tank. The will help filter out some of the bad stuff from the water.

Disadvantage is that if they die, they will polute the tank and cause an amonia spike. But you can generally tell when they die as they turn white.

I've tried several species of sponges in my tank and also have a lot of hitchicker sponges in there as well. They come in all different colors. Some are photosenthetic and will need light. Most, however, like subdued light or darkness. As for not exposing them to air, that's pretty much a wifestale. I do 50% waterchanges on my tanks and my sponges are exposed to the air for about 1/2 hour or more. The biggest thing with exposing them to air is to NOT TOUCH them. As this will squeeze out the water and allow air in them which will kill them. But just exposing them to air generally does not do it.

About the only sponge that I have had a problem with when exposed to air is the blue spong. It seems tempremental at best though. As for my others, I have yellow, pink, red, brown, white, purple, and a few others in the tank. Most are very small but add a little splash of color here and there. They are all hitchickers and I do not feed them or feed the tank and filter feeder food. I just feed my fish pellets and an occasional frozen cube of various varites. However, my tank is well estabilished, it's going on about 8 years old now. ;)

bertoni
01/17/2007, 03:04 PM
There are many species of sponges, including some intertidal sponges. Some will die on exposure to air, some won't. Best not to take the chance, in my opinion.

sunfish11
01/17/2007, 06:43 PM
See these articles...

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rs/index.php

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rs/index.php

awestruck
01/18/2007, 09:10 AM
I have an orange tree sponge and it's doing very well. It rests on a small rock under a ledge--important because this type likes darker, shady spots.