markalot
...
I found one more recent research paper on sponges but the text is above my third grade reading level. :spin2:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4188633/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4188633/
Mark's 150 gallon
- Thread starter markalot
- Start date
markalot
...
Pictures, nothing great here, just documenting.
The bad news tenuis. Blue tips gone and showing some skin loss, plus green has faded and polyp extension reduced. Meh.
Nasuta skin still looking healthy and color very slowly improving.
Big Aussie piece is mostly brown but the skin has returned to a very nice texture and polyps extending once more. /big relief
Broken tips of the blue stag have healed over and already produced new growth. I'm impressed, I thought sure it would lose the nice formation.
One thing to notice int he FTS, the big purple stylo has one dead branch and a couple of dead tips. This has never happened that I can remember, that thing is bullet proof. /shrug
The bad news tenuis. Blue tips gone and showing some skin loss, plus green has faded and polyp extension reduced. Meh.
Nasuta skin still looking healthy and color very slowly improving.
Big Aussie piece is mostly brown but the skin has returned to a very nice texture and polyps extending once more. /big relief
Broken tips of the blue stag have healed over and already produced new growth. I'm impressed, I thought sure it would lose the nice formation.
One thing to notice int he FTS, the big purple stylo has one dead branch and a couple of dead tips. This has never happened that I can remember, that thing is bullet proof. /shrug
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Indeed, that may be why SPS don't do as well in a newly established tank. You can improve sponge growth with Sponge power from Zeovit- the knock off from Brightwell is not as good IMO. Hang in there Mark!Thanks guys, I always appreciate the encouragement I get around here.
I've been reading :reading: digital back issues of Coral magazine and came across an article on feeding corals back in 2010. Very interesting stuff. They discovered that sponges took in a large amount of DOC yet growth did not match how much they ate. In further testing it was discovered that sponges regularly discard old cells in favor of new cells as a way to protect against pathogens.
-snip-
Right or wrong, I did remove a significant amount of filtration during rescape so it stands to reason my water is a lot emptier that it was before.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
I have had nearly zero success with Tenuis until very recently. I have a couple of pieces that are still doing well after a couple of months, but every day I expect to see something go wrong.
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
It's s Silica additive, something sponges need to grow. I'm a believer in it.
reefmutt
Active member
But is silica really something that becomes limited in our tanks?
I really don't know..
Just my opinion but it seems to me that more often in a tank food for sponges is more scarce than silica... But I'm really only guessing here.. Maybe in a Zeo tank that is uln, sponge power would help... I'm wondering, in a tank with measurable nutrients and fish eating well, if silica is really that scarce..
I really don't know..
Just my opinion but it seems to me that more often in a tank food for sponges is more scarce than silica... But I'm really only guessing here.. Maybe in a Zeo tank that is uln, sponge power would help... I'm wondering, in a tank with measurable nutrients and fish eating well, if silica is really that scarce..
reefmutt
Active member
I use both roids and sponge power, 2 drops daily if I remember. It really makes the tips of both stags grow like crazy, and aptasia love it as well. I suppose the sponges like it too?
Keeping on keeping on.
Oh.. Well.. Can't argue with that!
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Since we work so hard for zero TDS water, there isnt any influx of silica. Adding silica was even endorsed by Randy Farley, and he doesn't think reef tanks need much of anything added to get by.
Big E
Premium Member
Mark,
If you're seeing white bugs on a few acros I would dose Interceptor.........some acros don't mind them but others get stressed and don't grow.
Red bugs or these white ones seldom will kill an acro, but it stresses them and if something else happens.....for example an unforeseen alk change, the coral ends up declining more rapidly.
If you're seeing white bugs on a few acros I would dose Interceptor.........some acros don't mind them but others get stressed and don't grow.
Red bugs or these white ones seldom will kill an acro, but it stresses them and if something else happens.....for example an unforeseen alk change, the coral ends up declining more rapidly.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
My tank is not Zeo. If I add Spongepower within weeks I see new sponges appear in my sump. I can clean them off, not dose SP and nothing new will appear until I dose SP again.
SP and Zeospur are two of Zeovits potions I am 100% sure work.
Agree. I had redbugs in the past; they never killed the acros; but some acros were affected; eg SSC wouldnt colour up. Granulosa stayed brown and lacked PE.
I now treat all incoming acros.
Overall, I would treat the tank for the bugs. Then return to basics and keep it there. That way you've at least eliminated the bugs from the equation.
reefmutt
Active member
Hey Sahin, good to hear from you! I hope you're feeling better.
I have to say that I have used sponge power but stopped because I saw no difference in sponge growth. Whether I is it or not, I have extensive sponge growth.
milsaltnewbie07
New member
Educate me here guys, what this whole infatuation for sponges. I know they are great filter feeders, but how do they help out? And its benefits
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
They filter the water, removing lots of small particles and resulting in clearer water. More importantly, sponges constantly slough off sponge cells which are a food source for SPS.
milsaltnewbie07
New member
Thanks Matt, guess ill jump on the sponge train lol
milsaltnewbie07
New member
Mark.
Its Crazy how good those stags look , yet that Tenuis health is declining. Specially since you say your water params are spot on. Besides that, tank is looking good man. Have you thought on jumping on the Aquaforest train??i have to say, my tank is looking better by the day since i started it. And your has way more potential than mine does
Its Crazy how good those stags look , yet that Tenuis health is declining. Specially since you say your water params are spot on. Besides that, tank is looking good man. Have you thought on jumping on the Aquaforest train??i have to say, my tank is looking better by the day since i started it. And your has way more potential than mine does
markalot
...
Not jumping on that train yet, I need to prove I can keep more acros healthy first.
The only acro I have that shows white bugs during the day is the blue stag. I may have stated it wrong above ... when my issues first started my acros were covered in bugs at night, but now only a few are sowing small areas of bugs. IMO things are improving, that tenuis be damned. Still, all good advice from folks with a lot more experience than I have and I really do appreciate it. I have interceptor and am ready to go but still in a holding pattern.
