Sponge help

[Mpy]

I know sponges are not the easiest things to keep happy as they do not want to be exposed to air and are fussy about water parameters. That being said, I got myself a sponge this past weekend, and had some questions about it.

First, anyone know what kind it is?

Second, its got some graying to some of it, but this seems to be where it was laying on its side in transit, will this turn back to the normal color? It looks like it is just an irritated portion, but I have very limited sponge experience...

Lastly (for now), how do you get a sponge to attach to something? Ive seen people say super glue, rubber bands, and other various methods, but I have no real clue what would work in this case.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

I bought some just like that, sold to me as Orange Tree Sponge. I jammed the base in some rock by the pump outlet to give it high flow. Months later its now grown into the rock somehow because I can't yank it out. So I would say stick the base in rock. It looks like you have it in a up now? Maybe add rubble to the cup?

The gray you describe sounds bad. If its slime, blast it off with a turkey baster. If its the sponge itself turning gray, i dont think that will come back. I would guess its dead and cut it off, but thats just a guess. id wait for someone smarted to chime in.

So stick it in high flow and be sure it has enough to eat ( phytoplankton and silicates)
Good luck. Hope t does well for you.

 

[Mpy]

Currently its in a PVC 4"to2" union I had laying about, but I have a rock that should be perfect to jam it in, so I will try that.

Ill take a closer look at the gray when I get home, its kinda like a translucent layer on the surface of it, you can still see the orange beneath it.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

A gray translucent film might be bacteria. Hopefully one of your CUC will help clean it up. Sounds like you can expect some die off, but hopefully some will pull through. Is the gray all over the entire sponge or just parts?

 

[Mpy]

The gray is just on parts of it, not around the entire circumference of any of it. What clean up crew part do you think would work the best for it? all I currently have in that tank is a baby decorator crab, and he just chills on the end of the heater.