Keeping A Sponge Clean?

teddscau · 02/19/2019, 02:56 PM

Hey, so I was reading somewhere (forget where) that it's important to keep your sea sponges free of any sort of sediment, as it interferes with feeding.

Anyways, I bought this gorgeous tennis ball-sized red ball sponge three weeks ago, and he's been doing great. Its seven osculum are wide open most of the time (he closes them once or twice a day at certain times for an hour or so), his colour is great (an even "coat" of red), and he's only had a touch of tissue necrosis (I found a big airbubble on his underside the one day which I immediately removed, but it caused a bit of tissue damage which I cut off). I've been feeding him two or three times a day, and the rest of the day he feeds on bacteria and nutrients from the water column (we've removed the skimmer, so he should have a lot to eat). I have placed him near my dendros, so he's getting similar light intensity as they do, and the current sweeps across his osculum (helping them to pull the water out of his body) without blowing into his osculum while also being gentle on his body.

Anyways, I've noticed the past week or so that tiny particles(?) appears to have gotten trapped in his outer layer, giving him a bit of a "dusty" look. I tried blowing it off by squirting him with water using my target feeding stick (being careful not to get any air bubbles on him), but it wouldn't come off. I was wondering if I should just ignore it, or if I should try gently brushing him with a soft toothbrush. Thanks

teddscau · 02/21/2019, 02:58 PM

No replies, eh? Well, I went ahead and gave him a gentle scrubbing with a soft toothbrush. It did an amazing job of removing all the particles trapped on his surface, and he's a lot more colourful and porous now. I think I'll start brushing him every other week to make sure he stays clean. He didn't seem too upset about the whole thing as he opened up his operculum again after an hour or so.

norfolkgarden · 03/02/2019, 07:13 PM

Following. No advice. Just interested in learning with you.

Louis Z · 03/04/2019, 07:08 AM

Maybe low flow area with reduced or semi filtered water . Does this one have to be under lights .

shred5 · 03/04/2019, 08:14 AM

I grow allot of different sponges including a red ball sponge.
I occasionally have to blow stuff off mine too..
If it does not come off it might be algae. Sometimes mine get a little cyano on them but it blows of rather easy so it is probably something else.
I would not know if you could brush it off but it does not sound like a good idea to me.
I have lost sponges to them getting covered though. I have used my finger on some sponges to remove debris.. Red ball sponges are more tender on the outside though.

I run pretty low nutrients for my sponges to keep algae off and pretty high flow..
I feed bacteria, phyto, spongepower and add silicates to the tanks. I also add a small amount of carbon source to help bacteria.

I have not really paid much attention to my red ball sponge. I have had it maybe 6 months and is sitting in with my liverock holding tank for my new system. It has no fish and allot of macro algae.

02/19/2019, 02:56 PM	#1
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	Keeping A Sponge Clean? Hey, so I was reading somewhere (forget where) that it's important to keep your sea sponges free of any sort of sediment, as it interferes with feeding. Anyways, I bought this gorgeous tennis ball-sized red ball sponge three weeks ago, and he's been doing great. Its seven osculum are wide open most of the time (he closes them once or twice a day at certain times for an hour or so), his colour is great (an even "coat" of red), and he's only had a touch of tissue necrosis (I found a big airbubble on his underside the one day which I immediately removed, but it caused a bit of tissue damage which I cut off). I've been feeding him two or three times a day, and the rest of the day he feeds on bacteria and nutrients from the water column (we've removed the skimmer, so he should have a lot to eat). I have placed him near my dendros, so he's getting similar light intensity as they do, and the current sweeps across his osculum (helping them to pull the water out of his body) without blowing into his osculum while also being gentle on his body. Anyways, I've noticed the past week or so that tiny particles(?) appears to have gotten trapped in his outer layer, giving him a bit of a "dusty" look. I tried blowing it off by squirting him with water using my target feeding stick (being careful not to get any air bubbles on him), but it wouldn't come off. I was wondering if I should just ignore it, or if I should try gently brushing him with a soft toothbrush. Thanks __________________ Dotty the firefish, Delilah and Little Henry Ocellaris clownfish, Pixel (convict tang) and Darwin (blue tang), pyjama cardinalfish, Riku and Kenji the orchid and elongate dottybacks, and Jeremy (yello Current Tank Info: 160g reef tank with mushrooms, leathers, zoas, SPS corals, NPS corals, firefish, a school of pyjama cardinalfish, a pair of designer Ocellaris, two tangs, a striped blenny, two dottybacks, and a watchman goby

02/21/2019, 02:58 PM	#2
teddscau Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 214	No replies, eh? Well, I went ahead and gave him a gentle scrubbing with a soft toothbrush. It did an amazing job of removing all the particles trapped on his surface, and he's a lot more colourful and porous now. I think I'll start brushing him every other week to make sure he stays clean. He didn't seem too upset about the whole thing as he opened up his operculum again after an hour or so. __________________ Dotty the firefish, Delilah and Little Henry Ocellaris clownfish, Pixel (convict tang) and Darwin (blue tang), pyjama cardinalfish, Riku and Kenji the orchid and elongate dottybacks, and Jeremy (yello Current Tank Info: 160g reef tank with mushrooms, leathers, zoas, SPS corals, NPS corals, firefish, a school of pyjama cardinalfish, a pair of designer Ocellaris, two tangs, a striped blenny, two dottybacks, and a watchman goby

03/04/2019, 08:14 AM	#5
shred5 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Waukesha , WI Posts: 4,998	I grow allot of different sponges including a red ball sponge. I occasionally have to blow stuff off mine too.. If it does not come off it might be algae. Sometimes mine get a little cyano on them but it blows of rather easy so it is probably something else. I would not know if you could brush it off but it does not sound like a good idea to me. I have lost sponges to them getting covered though. I have used my finger on some sponges to remove debris.. Red ball sponges are more tender on the outside though. I run pretty low nutrients for my sponges to keep algae off and pretty high flow.. I feed bacteria, phyto, spongepower and add silicates to the tanks. I also add a small amount of carbon source to help bacteria. I have not really paid much attention to my red ball sponge. I have had it maybe 6 months and is sitting in with my liverock holding tank for my new system. It has no fish and allot of macro algae. __________________ David Polzin

03/02/2019, 07:13 PM	#3
norfolkgarden Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Norfolk, Virginia, USA Posts: 258	Following. No advice. Just interested in learning with you.

03/04/2019, 07:08 AM	#4
Louis Z Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Montgomery Posts: 1,257	Maybe low flow area with reduced or semi filtered water . Does this one have to be under lights .