Blue Sponge

[hansonfam]

I have seen some blue sponge at my LFS and I am wondering how hard are they to keep?

Thanks

 

[sl-atl]

My Fenner book indicates that one of the pacific blue sponge species is relatively easy to keep. What exactly are they selling?

Sponges can die really quickly, or last a long time, and I think an important factor is knowing what they are and what they need to stay alive...

 

[philter4]

They require lots of food, I use DT's and frozen rotifers (by H2O foods), as well as phytofeast by the trigger pod people. The main thing is make sure that the sponge is never exposed to air, that will cause huge problems if not death of the sponge. I don't know the species, but here in the atlantic there is a beautiful blue vase sponge that will grow and attach to rocks and aquarium glass if it is properly handled and fed.

 

[hansonfam]

Blue Sponge

Here is the link to what looks the same:
http://www.centralpets.com/animals/fish/saltwater_inverts/swi1845.html

 

[dendro982]

I had a similar sponge, known to me as Haliclona blue sponge. I bought it with necrosis, which continued very fast. I could be mistaken, but I believe that it caused the only tank crash I ever had. I wasn't exposed to the air in my presence, but after fragging it (already in a separate vessel) I had seen the largest channel, blocked by aragonite sand.

If I remember right, the ChilisREasy had growth of this sponge (have no link at hand, sorry), and others mentioned, that this is high light sponge. I kept it in sps tank.

 

[sl-atl]

It sounds like a photosynthetic sponge to me too. You'll still need to feed it, however, and place it where there is plenty of flow so that algae and debris doesn't accumulate on it.
A lot of reef sponges have toxins in them to protect them from predators, which might explain the tank crash. I think sponges look very cool though- worth the risk.