Spider sponge

[FelipeRB]

Hi, i just bought a spider sponge, but i don´t know nothing about it requeriments. i have at my mix reef of 55 gal (140x30x50cm):

ligthing: 2 x 250W HQI megachrome blue 20000
2 x 110 VHO URI super acinic

Folw 2 x MP20 Vortech / MAX reef random crest mode
eheim 1260 whit Squid like return

feed weekly reef buster
weekly phyto plan TLF
weekly cyclop ezee
every two day ultra min s and ultra organic

Where could be the best place?
indirect or direct ligth?
can support hi ligth?
how much flow?
need especial feeding feeding?

thanks!!

here is:

my reef:

 

[Ooulophilia]

I got a few of these a while back and from first impressions I took one look at it and immediately thought "this is going to die" but put one in my tank and one in my 'fuge and lo and behold 6 months later they are both going strong! I cannot say that they have really grown, but they have not died! They polyps open when I feed and I target feed it cyclops. They are not photosynthetic, so light placement is not an issue, but they seem to do best under moderate direct flow. Good luck, I am thinking about fragging some pieces off of mine in the future.

 

[keegoaz]

its just a sponge it will filter feed the polyps will find their own food but you should try to target feed them.

 

[FelipeRB]

Ok!!! thanks.

 

[ctenophors rule]

if the polyps die, does the sponge as well?

 

[keegoaz]

no the sponge will be fine if they die but it may end up differint if the sponge dies m sure the polyps will too. if anything just put some extra food in for the sponge.

 

[suta4242]

The sponge and the 'polyps' have different nutritional needs.

If its the type found in west australia, zooplankton is great for the 'polyps' but the sponge's nutritional needs are unknown.


good luck

 

[dendro982]

Spider sponge, whiteline sponge, candycane sponge (link).

You may take a look on sources of supply of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton, possibly silicates (phosphate remover usually removes it too, after finishing with phosphates).

Not every bacterial layers rich tank or flourishing refugium will provide what they need, tried. For sponge, if everything else fails, you may try dosing live phytoplankton or frozen microalgae paste (Shellfish Diet or others) or bottled PhytoFeast, that contain several species of phytoplankton. Plus source of marine snow, there is more than one brand. I fed Shellfish Diet and dried phytoplankton, but on later stages, may be too late.

My sponge lasted for half of year or so. Could be that flow was too high.

Polyps could be fed as any other coral, when the tank is fed. They look like small albino parazoanthus, yellow polyps. Small zooplankton, like Cyclop Eeeze, blended seafood, given to other corals.

Post your experience with this sponge in year, please. A lot of people kept it, not much were willing to share what worked, what not, and everybody has to begin from zero again.

 

[FelipeRB]

then is a symbiosis, are two roganisms living together.

i use normaly reefbuster, phytoplan TLF (dried), cyclop ezze and a live phitoplankton, two at week alternately.

What about the ligth??? the white polyps need it?? and what is the best ( talk about light ) for this sponge???

currently is at the bottom and have direct light, is ti ok?

i think place it behind the purple rim capri, what do you think?

thanks!!!!!!

 

[suta4242]

All I know is a local collector explained that he collected his from turbid intertidal bays.

If you've ever seen these tidal surges you'll know that even a vortech dialled at maximum speed provides slow flow compared to the tidal flow these sponges get in nature.

They are also definitely NPS and so lighting is irrelevant. If I was trying to keep one I'd try feeding bacterioplankton.


good luck