Red Sponge question

[loqix]

I bought a cool red sponge about 2 months ago and it was bright red for a few weeks and beautiful, now.... its almost black and looks ugly. lol I know they absorb stuff from the water colony, but dammn it looks ugly. lol is it dying? or dead? Dont they turn white when they die??
:deadhorse1:

 

[Ron Reefman]

I think they just sort of disappear over time. Sponges are VERY difficult to keep. Some are easier than others, but almost all decorative sponges are difficult. They need a mature tank (not just cycled but mature), some need good light, others hate light, some need really good water flow and some don't like much flow at all. The real problem is there are so many species of sponges and so many of them look alike you can't tell them apart without DNA testing.

I've tried a few (both purchased and collected in the Keys) and had very minimal luck.

 

[ACBlinky]

I imagine if it was dead, you'd know -- dead sponges smell like nothing else on earth. They absolutely REEK. Think a dead snail smells bad? That's nothing. A dead sponge could peel the paint off a new car from 30 feet away.

If it's feasible, you could try moving it -- if it's in the light, try moving it into the shade. High current? Move it somewhere less turbulent. Maybe changing the surroundings a bit will help restore its original colour, but that's just a guess; I don't know much about sponges at all. I have loads of little ones in my tank, all sorts of colours and shapes, but they're all hitchhikers; I've never tried buying a beautiful ornamental sponge, though if I saw one at the LFS it would be tempting. Some of them rival corals in their shape, colour, and overall beauty. Good luck!